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When we finally break into a career that we love, we can feel on top of the world. At long last, you’re that infuriating person who can honestly say that they love what they do, and do what they love. In terms of satisfaction at work, it really doesn’t get better than that.
Unfortunately, what goes up often has to come down and, when it does, your dream career may come crashing with it. Suddenly, the job of your dreams could start to feel more like a nightmare, and the worst thing is that you won’t always be able to put your finger on why. In theory, you still love what you’re doing, and you certainly still take great joy and pride in your work. But, try as you might, the love is fading fast, and your career satisfaction is at very real risk of going with it.
While you may feel incredibly alone in all of this, it’s amazing how many of us find that our love for the ideal career starts to fade after a while. Work is still work, after all, and there are always going to be periods where your motivation is low, or when you’d just rather spend the day in bed. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if your dream job has been slipping down your love-it list for a while, it might be worth considering the following coping mechanisms to help get you very much back in that driving seat.
# 1 – Face up to the truth
If we’re in a dead-end career, or a position that we aren’t exactly passionate about, we’re all too quick to jump into the ‘I hate my job’ narrative. But, if we’re in a job that should, in theory, be perfect, we often try to cover up our creeping dissatisfaction, even from ourselves. In reality, though, everyone has a right to go through rough patches at work, and only by facing up to that fact can you overcome or improve on this bump in the road. Instead of worrying about the whys and whats, simply focus on the facts. How are you feeling about work? How long has it been going on? And, ultimately, what do you need to do to make a change?
# 2 – Take some pressure off
Whether you’re running your own business or working in the career that you dreamt of as a kid, an unmanageable amount of pressure is always going to impact satisfaction and job happiness. After all, NO ONE loves embarking on work each day knowing that they’re barely going to have time for a toilet break. Worse, trying to tackle increasing pressures on your own could lead to burnout and poor performance which, incidentally, is another driving reason for job dissatisfaction.
As such, as soon as you notice a dream career starting to slip, it’s worth looking at any feasible ways to take some pressure off. Outsourcing is perhaps the main option here, especially if you’re juggling a business alone. By reaching out to companies like RSM Marketing, you can ensure that everything from SEO to social media is taken care of, ticking off a large part of your to-do list so that you can focus on performing better in the tasks that are left. Equally, if you’re working within a larger enterprise, asking your boss if you can pair up with other employees, or perhaps pass on some of your workload, can also prove invaluable. Suddenly, you’ll find that your performance, and your job enjoyment, start to move on up all over again, reminding you why you loved this job so much in the first place.
# 3 – Consider avenues for growth
The best job in the world is going to feel like an upward struggle if your position stagnates. As such, it’s also worth considering whether you need to pursue avenues for growth. This can be surprisingly difficult to manage, especially if you were previously happy where you are. Change is frightening, after all! But, as soon as you start to pursue a route for promotion or even a career in the same field but a different company, you may start noticing that you revive some of that initial passion. After all, nothing kills love for a job faster than a lack of growth, and exploration of new avenues can very much act as the water to a career that’s flourishing again in no time.
# 4 – Know when to call it a day
Given that you loved your career not so long ago, there’s no reason you can’t love it again. Even if you’re making positive changes but failing to feel their benefits, it’s essential that you give things some time to get back on track. After all, things like easing pressure or pursuing job progression certainly aren’t overnight fixes. Instead, it’s important to remember what you once loved about your job, and leave a fair amount of time for things to get back on track.
In the same breath, it’s also essential that you know when to call it a day. After all, as you change and evolve, a job that was once perfect for you can soon stop being the right fit. There’s nothing wrong with this. In fact, it’s a natural part of your personal evolution, but before you can grow, you need to recognize the sure signs that it’s time for a change, including apathy, growing feelings of dread, and a feeling of dissatisfaction that you simply can’t shake. In these cases, no matter how much you loved your job once upon a time, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to come back together again. Better to accept the situation and start looking for a new role while there’s still some love left!
No job is perfect all of the time, and there are always going to be periods when you enjoy your work better than others. Make sure that you come out of them unscathed by always keeping these coping methods in mind.
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