Imagine that you finally got the job you've always dreamed about. After working toward your goal for years, you finally get your foot in the door doing what you love, and better yet, you are able to earn enough money to pay your bills - on time for a change. I know, it sounds almost like a fairy tale, don't you think?
Just like in any good fairy tale, in this fantasy, we ride off into the sunset and everyone lives happily every after.
Right?
Wrong. Finding the job you really want isn't a fairy tale. It happens to people everyday. Unlike fairy tales though, it isn't always happily ever after - at least not all the time. I think that we all spend so much time and energy working to get that one chance, that big break that will move us forward in our careers, that we don't even consider what happens next. Even doing something you love gets old and eventually the newness and enthusiasm wears off. It's called "burnout" and a good friend (and someone whose opinion I value) reminded me recently that we all fall victim to it and that doing what you love doesn't somehow give you a free pass.
Burnout doesn't mean that you failed. It just means that you need to take a break and remember why you started doing what you do in the first place. If you ignore it and live in denial - pretending that if you don't notice it, it will go away, you could be putting your health in jeopardy and even risking your job.
So, what can you do to work through burnout and recapture the excitement? Here are a few things that can help:
Remember that you're not alone. Even though it might seem like it at times, you aren't alone. We all struggle with low times in our careers. The key is to recognize the signs of burnout and ask for help. Your boss, your co-workers and the people you care about can help you recapture your enthusiasm. For me, asking for help is hard. It's like I think I'm Wonder Woman and I don't need any help. Most of the time, I won't ask until I have no other option - which is silly and only serves to makes things worse. There is no shame in not being able to handle everything and there are people there who would be more than happy to give you a hand.
Focus on gratitude. Burnout can sometimes be caused by a lack of recognition and a sense that what you're doing doesn't make a difference. This sort of burnout seems to happen most to people who are creative and generous. They work hard and are willing to take on almost any task, but without enough positive feedback, they lose their ambition. To combat this, it's important to take time out to be grateful for all of the little things in your life. It will help you combat negativity and keep depression from creeping in.
Understand that growing sometimes hurts. Remember when you were young and your legs would hurt so bad, usually right before a growth spurt? Those growing pains really hurt and now that we're adults, growing still hurts. Once the excitement of your job has faded, all that's left is the actual work, which might be harder than you expected. If your job is challenging you, then you're probably stretching and growing in ways you never thought possible. Be patient with yourself and recognize that it's all a part of the process.
Rekindle your passion. Think back to when you first started your job. What did you love the most? Why did you want to do it in the first place? Unless those things have changed, you can use them to rekindle your passion for your work. Sometimes stress, fatigue and lack of motivation can chip away at that passion, leaving us feeling empty and burned out.
Burnout is so common and such a threat to our professional lives that even Stanford's school of Business has published a paper on the subject. The most important thing is to recognize the symptoms and take steps to put the fire out before your career goes up in flames.
Have you ever experienced job burnout, even though you loved your career? What happened? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
Image courtesy of jannoon028 / freedigitalphotos.net
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