How to (Re)Fall in Love With Your Job

It's easy to love your job when you're first starting out. You see the potential ahead of you—the new things you'll learn, all the fabulous projects you'll work on, and the fantastic people you will meet. Then one day, maybe months or even years later, it happens: You wake up and realize that you don't like your job anymore. 

So, what can you do to fall back in love with your job again? 

Identify what makes you dread going to work.

Let's be honest: if you don't like your job, it's probably because it isn't fulfilling, challenging, or rewarding. There is a reason you don’t want to go back every day, and you need to identify why.

One of the best ways to fall back in love with your job is by looking at what's missing in your day-to-day. Think about what you wish you could have more of at work and what you want to have less of. You may be surprised by the answers that come up on both lists!

Focus on the parts you like.

Now that you've identified some things that hold you back from feeling fulfilled at work, focus on the parts of your job that you like.

Think about what keeps you going and appreciate those parts of your job. If aspects of your role make it easier for you to do your best work—such as having colleagues with whom you enjoy working closely—embrace those as well.

The best way to overcome work challenges is by valuing what you already have—and extending it so that you enjoy your daily tasks even more.

• Look at the big picture. It's easy to get bogged down in minutiae, but it's important to focus on the bigger picture of what you're doing. Are you making an impact? How do your efforts translate into tangible results for you and your company?

• Set goals that support your vision. Once you've sorted out how your work fits into the larger scheme of things, set specific goals to ensure that every task contributes toward those goals.

• Seek out new opportunities to learn and grow. Some people love learning new things, while others find their areas of expertise challenging (or even boring). But if you're not learning and growing, work can get boring and monotonous. Try looking at other teams or departments within your organization and see if there are ways in which they can benefit from a bit of cross-pollination with yours!

Being in love with your job isn't just about the work you do; it's about how you approach it. It's about how you interact with others and how those interactions make them feel. It's about how much fun you have when working with your team on a project or problem, even on not-so-fun tasks. That kind of love can be found anywhere; all it takes is some hard work from both parties involved—and that may mean making some changes along the way.