Love Your Job

Loving your job can be hard, especially if you are bored by your work or if you do not feel appreciated. If you are finding it hard to love what you do, there are several ways that you can develop a more positive attitude towards work. To start loving your job, you can do things like developing an attitude of gratitude, making friends at the office, and talking to your boss about a raise. With time and effort, you may start to find that you are looking forward to work rather than dreading it.

Steps

Changing Your Outlook

  1. Change the way that you work. Maybe you need to use a new technique or change your approach in order to love your job. When work becomes mundane, it can feel more difficult to face. In these situation, changing your approach might be helpful. This is sometimes called job enrichment.[1]
    • Look for little opportunities to change up your routine at work. Making small changes may make work feel more fun and help keep things fresh.
    • For example, if you are a teacher, try a new lesson plan now and then or test out a new teaching strategy. If you are a cashier, try asking each customer a different question to make small talk.
  2. Focus the positive aspects of your job. If you are not enjoying your job, then you might be focused on all of the negative aspects of it. To start loving your job, you will need to identify what you like about your job and start focusing on those positive aspects instead.[2]
    • Try writing down all of the things that you like about your job. These can be small or big things. For example, you might like your hours, your coworkers, your responsibilities, and the location of your workplace. Try reading through this list whenever you are feeling down about your job.
  3. Practice gratitude. If you find that you are having negative thoughts about going to work each day, try keeping a list of the things that you are grateful for. Practicing gratitude can help you to feel happier overall and may also help you see your job in a more positive light.[3]
    • Try listing three things that you are grateful for at the end of each day. For example, you might feel grateful that your boss brought doughnuts into work for everyone, or that you got to work at your favorite station that day, or simply that you have a job.
  4. Look at the big picture. Sometimes work may become a chore if little things start to bother you more than they should. If you find yourself focusing in on minor issues at work, such as a rude customer or making a mistake, remind yourself that these are not important in the grand scheme of things.[3]
    • One way to put problems into perspective is to ask yourself, “Will I be thinking about this moment while I am on my death bed?” If the answer is no, then it is not worth your mental energy now either.
  5. Improve other parts of your life. Sometimes a job can be more difficult to engage with when other parts of your life are out of balance. Consider other aspects of your life that might be making you unhappy.[4]
    • For example, are you having any relationship problems? Are you having financial difficulties? Do you feel depressed for no apparent reason?
    • If you are struggling with something, seek help from a friend or family member or talk to a therapist.

Improving Your Work Conditions

  1. Develop friendships at work. Getting to know the people that you work with all day long may improve your sense of happiness at work.[5] You may even make some new friends to spend time with outside of work in the process. Try striking up a conversation with someone new every day that you are at work and try to develop good work relationships the people that you work with most often.
    • For example, you might strike up a conversation with someone in the elevator by saying something like, “Hi. I’m Joe. I don’t think we have met before. What’s your name?” Or, you can give a coworker a compliment to start up a conversation by saying something like “I thought that the presentation that you gave the other day was outstanding. It really gave me some great ideas. How did you come up with that?”
  2. Make your work space as pleasant as possible. You may enjoy sitting at your desk or working in your work space if the area is inviting. If you are allowed to do so, try adding a few personal touches to your desk or work space.
    • For example, you can place a nice photo of you and your significant other or family, a small plant, or an inspirational figurine.
  3. Develop a daily ritual. Having something that you look forward to doing every day can improve your feelings about your job. Try to develop a simple daily ritual to add to your workday.[5]
    • For example, you might spend your first break of the day sipping a cup of tea and listening to an audiobook. Or you might make daily ritual out of tossing a coin into a nearby water fountain on your way home from work.
  4. Look for opportunities to be creative. Some of the tasks that you need to accomplish each day might be mundane, but you can make them more fun by finding ways to be creative.[5]
    • For example, if you have to arrange clothes on a display, try to make it look as appealing as possible by arranging the colors in a pattern. Or if you have to file some documents, make a game out of it and try to see how quickly you can find each document’s file.

Moving Up and On

  1. Talk to your boss, manager or superior about how you have been feeling. If you have been struggling with some aspect of your job, then you may want to talk to your boss about how you have been feeling and ask for advice. Make sure it is someone you can trust. Some superiors may be more approachable than others. If you are unsure, ask a coworker that you trust about which supervisor they feel to be most trustworthy or approachable in this case.[6]
    • Clearly state what you need from them. For example, if you are struggling with some aspect of your job, try asking something like, “I am having a hard time with _______. Do you have any suggestions?”
  2. Ask for a raise. If you are not be enjoying your job because you feel like you deserve to be making more money, then consider asking for a raise. You will need to arrange a time to talk to your boss about getting a raise. Try asking something like, “I was hoping we could meet sometime to talk about my performance. Is that something that we could do?” To increase your chances of getting a raise, you will need to:[7]
    • Prepare for the conversation by gathering evidence about why you deserve a raise. For example, how have you contributed to the company’s success? What have you accomplished that is noteworthy
    • Practice what you plan to say. Before you meet with your boss, practice your pitch several times until it sounds natural and confident.
    • Avoid threatening to quit or complaining about poor work conditions. Focus on the positive things that you have done and use these things to support your request for a raise.
    • Have a backup plan in case you get a no answer. If your boss declines your request for a raise, try to negotiate for something else that you would like, such as stock options or more flexible work hours.
  3. Find out if there are any opportunities for advancement or training. Sometimes doing the same thing all of the time can become mundane and you might feel like you need a new challenge. If this happens, then try asking your boss if there are any opportunities for advancement or training that you can apply for. Even if nothing is available right away, asking about these opportunities will show your boss that you have ambition and you may be considered for a future opportunity.
    • Try saying something like, “I am interested in staying with this company for a long time and I would like to continue to grow with the company. Are there any opportunities for advancement or training that I might be eligible to apply for?”
  4. Organize with other workers. Sometimes attempting to get benefit or wage increase can be impossible by yourself. By organizing in groups, employees in a similar position can force employers to change. This is the principle behind a union and it can help with satisfaction when negotiating increases.[8]
    • Check online to see if there is already a union you can join.
    • Consult your local laws regarding the formation of unions if you wish to form a new union.
  5. Consider looking for a new position. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to get a new job. Before you decide to leave your current job, take some time to think about whether or not this is the right choice. There are lots of things to consider before you make the decision to quit your current job. You may want to make a list of the pros and cons of your current job to help you make your final decision. Some things to consider include:[9]
    • availability of other jobs
    • the effects of your current job on your physical and/or emotional health
    • feelings about your coworkers and boss
    • feelings about the company
    • sense of fulfillment in your current job

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.whatishumanresource.com/job-enrichment
  2. ↑ https://www.utm.edu/staff/mikem/documents/jobsatisfaction.pdf
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://psychcentral.com/lib/4-tips-to-change-the-way-you-deal-with-stress
  4. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22907321
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/how-love-your-job
  6. ↑ http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2013/08/19/how-to-talk-so-your-boss-will-listen
  7. ↑ https://hbr.org/2015/03/how-to-ask-for-a-raise
  8. ↑ http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12122-005-1024-2
  9. ↑ http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/09/04/14-signs-its-time-to-leave-your-job/
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