This Valentine's Day - Fall in LOVE with Your Job!

I am in love with many things - swimming in the ocean, lobster drenched in butter and Ryan Gosling (don’t ask!).

When you think of love, most of us will not list our jobs in the top five. IF at all.

It’s easy to daydream about a new position; however, the grass isn't always greener.  In many ways, it's easier, smarter and more fruitful to fall in love again with your current job and experience career growth right where you are!

Try these 4 simple steps:

1. Take some vacation time.

Set yourself up for a new level of success by refreshing your energy.

Sometimes all it takes to analyze your next career move is hitting the RESET button. Revisit your career goals and aspirations with a clear mind.

Even if you don’t have a lot of vacation time, you can take a long weekend “staycation” by booking off a Friday and a Monday.

Regenerate by turning off your work email and investing some time into yourself. Sleep in, meditate, try a pottery class, write an e-book or take a boxing lesson. Do your thing!

Upon your return, your dull loop is replaced with new stories and fresh ideas.

 2. Ask for a new responsibility and unleash your full potential!

Show your boss that you can efficiently manage your regular duties while trying out a new task.

Here are some recommendations:

Lead a ‘lunch and learn’ once a month.

Create a leadership program to motivate your team.

Update a sales manual.

Contribute to the company blog.

Mentor a colleague.

Sign up for an industry related continued education course or workshop.

3. Switch up your routine.

We feel like stapling our hand to our forehead when every day feels like the same old grind. Say goodbye to the predictable and hello to fresh new energy.

Some of my favorite routine-breakers:

If you always eat lunch in the same spot (or worse, at your desk!), switch it up. Take your meal outside, sit with someone new, or actually eat out. You deserve it!

Go for a quick walk around the block so that you're refreshed and ready to knock the rest of the day out of the park.

Stash a guilty pleasure treat in your desk. Take a nibble as a reward for hitting a milestone. I say skip the coffee and go for salted caramels.

4. Think back to the day you said “YES.”  

Once upon a time, you saw great potential in this role, from growth into executive leadership, directorial opportunities, to C-suite lunches.

You nailed that final interview, and they just HAD to offer you the job. You swore that this role would change your career trajectory.

Tap back into that excitement and make a list of all the amazing things this career relationship has brought you.

Have you been unable to leverage your full skill set? Perhaps the management opportunities you imagined have not yet come to fruition. Maybe you aren’t seeing the professional growth you expected when you first joined. That’s likely where the magic has been lost. Approach your manager and let them know that you want to bring the spark back in the relationship by revisiting those initial expectations.

Not every day will be an epic love story between yourself and your job, but if you can find that spark you once had, and add some heat, you'll realize the grass is green right where you are.  

Hats off to Love!

Amy

Amy Cole is an Executive Recruiter and Staffing Expert. She runs a recruiting and consulting company where she finds top talent for Fashion, E-Commerce, Sales and Digital Marketing companies across the nation.

With over 17 years experience in filling mid to executive level positions. She has empowered thousands of leaders and professionals with innovative hiring strategies, high-impact leadership training and coaching that catapults careers.