Are you bored with your job?
At all career stages, it is possible to become bored with your job. Being bored can range from feeling weary to downright drudgery. Borrowing a phrase from a good friend, perhaps you no longer have a “pep in your step.” You hit the snooze button a few more times in the morning than usual. Your energy level is lower, and you feel tired. It may be one or all of these things that indicate your job has become boring. So, what do you do?
First, diagnose the problem. What about your job is boring? Early in our careers, our jobs are task-oriented. In the beginning, you are learning new skills and have a high level of energy. It is exciting to go to work knowing that you will be doing something new and you gain satisfaction in your accomplishments. But, as time progresses, you master the skills and work can become repetitive and boring.
Sometimes a job can become boring when the demands become too great, causing us to feel that sense of weariness. At one point in my career, my company installed a new operating system for a major line of business, and the implementation did not go as planned. To get back on track, we had daily calls to review key metrics and discuss our progress. The issue for me was not the work itself, it was the level of stress of the situation and the grind of activity to get back on track. It caused extreme weariness.
Later in our careers, a job can become boring when every day is ground hog day. I call this the “been there, done that” problem. It might be company politics. It might be the actual work itself. Whatever it is, you no longer want to do it.
There are a few ways to fix these issues. Determine if the boredom is temporary. In the first example, there may be a pending promotion that will bring new challenges. Ask your boss if you can assume some of those new tasks in advance of the actual promotion. The second example is also temporary. In this case, lean into the relationships that you have with your colleagues so that you gain the strength to continue. You always feel better when you share your experience with others who understand what you are going through. Also, make sure you are balancing the work grind with activities outside of work that bring you relief.
If the boredom is not temporary, then you need to consider a change in your job or, if that is not possible or attractive, find opportunities inside or outside of your job that are new and interesting. In either case, think about what energizes you, what brings you joy and satisfaction, what skills you have and enjoy using and find something that meets these needs. As an example, maybe you like mentoring junior executives. Look for opportunities to do that in your current job or perhaps as a volunteer outside of work.
We all eventually find ourselves in a job that has become boring but there is no reason to stay stuck in that experience. Figure out what has changed, what you need to do to alleviate boredom, and go after the change necessary to get to a better place!