Do you find yourself unmotivated or only giving half of what you are capable of giving? We all start our careers with optimism, zeal and energy; feeling genuinely excited about our future.
As a result of stress, increasing workload or the work environment itself, it can however get harder and harder to hold on to that initial feeling of enthusiasm.
So how do you keep feeling inspired and infuse passion back into your career?
Get curious
Many people might feel stuck in their careers because they find themselves not learning anything new. But there's always something more to learn or something that you can strive to do better than your peers or competitors. Identify areas which you could further develop and make it your mission to master the domain. If your company offers opportunities for professional development classes, take advantage of as many as you can.
Do regular research and jot down every idea that comes your way. Incorporate continuous learning as an integral part of your job, and develop an insatiable curiosity and appetite for anything and anyone that is relevant to your line of work.
Strive to impact others
People who constantly seek to impact others through their work often retain a high level of passion in what they do. Athletes aim for nothing less than a world title or record to make their country proud. Teachers go to great lengths to motivate and inspire their students. Professionals can loose the enthusiasm for their job simply because they do not know how their role fits in with the bigger picture. Striving to make a difference and viewing your work as a personal contribution to something greater will help you stay motivated and engaged. If you want more meaning in your job, you might want to explore how you can impact your environment or the people around you.
Mix with like-minded people
There is something stimulating about talking to others in the same industry/job who are passionate about their work and hearing about their experiences first-hand. You may be surprised at the amount of positive energy you can get from being with people who share the same dreams, hobbies or passion as you do; the excitement they exude when they talk about their work can be highly inspiring and extremely contagious. So don’t forget to network with your peers and professionals within your field, not only will their upbeat attitude rub-off on you, you will also be exposed to more possibilities through sharing, collaborating and participating in similar industry events and activities.
You should also surround yourself with what we call the 'newly passionate', people who are new to the job and brimming with fresh confidence and pride in their work. Their relentless pursuit of success and learning may help inject a fresh perspective into your work. You can also continue to maintain a high level of energy and passion by teaching, coaching, mentoring and sharing with them what you know.
Love what you do
One way to rediscover your passion is remembering why you started doing what you are now doing in the first place. Think about which aspects of your job you truly enjoy; perhaps it’s meeting new people, closing business deals, travelling to other countries or having the freedom to be creative.
Once you’ve identified what really matters to you, take pride in what you love doing and pursue it relentlessly. If your current employer does not allow you to do that, it might be time to find an organisation or environment that does so that you can thrive and make a career out of the things you love to do.
Is it time for a career change?
Follow our 7 tips to make the right career move or have a look at our latest vacancies.
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