We spend close to 30 years of our prime life, working. Some enjoy their work. While some try to get by, until they are financially secure or figure out what they really want to do.
Whatever the case is, your current workplace has the potential to take you closer to the kind of life you want.
I started out as a mainframe developer 12 years ago. Along the way, I did coding, led teams, executed complex projects, managed clients, learnt new technologies – almost everything a person in IT Consulting would do.
There were days when I was excited about going to work and then there were also days where I felt “What am I doing here!?? This sucks!”
I am sure many of you go through these mood swings. So how do you make this time meaningful ? And really work for you?
Here are some things I did when things became harder at work to maintain my drive. Eventually, after some trial and errors, I was able to pick up skills that helped me find a better career path.
1. Take time to understand the bigger picture.
We all want to do meaningful and useful work. But not everyone understands how we are creating an impact by what we do. We are so buried in our day-to-day tasks that we lose sight of our purpose.
Zoom out once in a while and understand how you fit in the large scheme of things. Think about what your team does. What are your Org’s goals and why do they matter.
If you are assigned to a project, read about the business need. Why did your org chose to do this? How much are they spending and why.? What are you solving for them?
Having this view brings clarity to the role you play in running a business.
2. Discover your strengths and what you like doing
Make time and effort to understand what aspects of your work you like doing and find ways to do more of that. This might mean taking on additional work sometimes, besides your current responsibility.
For ex, I got my PMP certification and did project management kind of roles as I was more interested in this type of work. That doesn’t mean I got away from the technical trenches. But I got to do more of the work I enjoyed doing.
3. Ask for what you want
Try to put yourself in situations that helps you grow as a person – skill-wise, intellect-wise, personality-wise. When you see yourself evolving, it creates a meaningful connection with your work.
And how can you do that ? Simply by asking. I cannot stress this enough. You will be amazed by how far you can get by just asking.
“Can I lead this project?“
“I want to get some people management experience, can I take on some responsibilities?“
“I want to ruin a bi-weekly workshop for our team to foster a learning culture. What do you think?“
“My plate is full. Can someone else take this work or can we de-prioritize it?“
A lot of people hesitate to ask. It becomes a lot easier when you ask without expecting a yes every time. Sometimes, you might just get it, who knows!
4. Up skill
The only way to break the monotony is to acquire new skills and do new kind of work.
Focus on where your company is heading, what skills are going to matter in the next 2 years, and invest time and money to build your profile. The future belongs to those who prepare for it (Jim Moran). My cloud certification got me the breakthrough I needed.
Another great area to focus on is life skills, like negotiation, persuasion, decision making.
These are skills that are important, whoever, whatever and wherever you are. Put yourself in situations where you have to demonstrate them (like leading a team, or pitching an idea, choosing a solution from multiple options) and learn how to be better.
If your workplace doesn’t provide opportunities, start side hustles or volunteer in non-profits (like Toastmasters). Channel your creativity outside of work. A happy and creative mind can rub off at work too!
5. Bring passion wherever you go!
Lastly, accept that there will be days (even in your dream job) when you don’t want to get out of bed. There will be aspects of our job that you absolutely hate doing. Find the strength to get past these. “Finding your passion” is overrated.
Summary
Changing jobs may not be the solution for everyone. Use your current job to build skills that will enable you to find the job you will appreciate. And never stop looking for that dream job ( although overrated !).