Regaining Lost Passion

Photo credits: Dreamtimes.com

Once upon a time, you were raring to go, full of energy and new ideas. You couldn’t wait to get the job done and were willing to go above and beyond what was expected of you. Presently, you sigh when you think about your job and wonder where that passion you once felt disappeared to and if you’ll ever get it back. How exactly do you go about trying to regain passion for your work?

When you have been doing the same thing for a while, be it a job or even running your own business, it’s easy to lose momentum and start to take it for granted. While seemingly harmless, this is a dangerous place to be. One of the harsh truths about losing your passion is that you may end up losing what you do, to someone who has much more passion than you and is willing to work harder and longer. Passion and love for what you do is what will make your success last. Without it, it is very easy to cave in under the weight of the various challenges you will most likely encounter in the course of your work.

Passion is very important in every area of life. Passionate people try harder, try more things, move faster, come up with more great ideas, and usually get better opportunities to improve themselves much more than those who are just doing the bare minimum. So how does one regain lost passion or even build up the little  they have? Ideally, you should ask

yourself this question before you get to a point when you actually need to.

Passion always needs to be cultivated.

Here are a few tips.

Learn something new about your work. Find a way to keep growing and increasing your knowledge base. Approach your work like a beginner, focusing on experiencing it with a state of curiosity and exploration. Let it become like a new experiment. Read a book, browse industry blogs, take a class, or simply ask more questions on the job. It ’s a great way to fan the flames of your curiosity and feel inspired again.  Learning a new skill also makes you a more valuable employee.

Mentor others. Remember when you were just getting started and trying to learn everything you could? It may be useful for you to connect with a beginner in your field. Offer to mentor them and soak up some of their enthusiasm and excitement.

Change your routine. Maybe part of your problem lies in doing the same thing in the same way at the same time every day. Routines are likely to breed boredom. Adding a little diversity to your day may be just what you need to start building some momentum. Go for a quick walk during your lunch break, have your favorite snack or even call a friend.

Find something to help you break the everyday routines.

Surround yourself with positivity.

You may not realise it but persistent negativity can be draining, more so if it is from your colleagues, who you inevitably spend a lot of time around. Find a way to fill your life with positive influences. Purpose to stay out of negative conversations at work. It ’s also important to have an outlet outside of work. Exercise, get a new hobby, or meet up with friends. Have something to look forward to at the end of every day.

Give yourself incentives. Don’t wait to be praised or given a pat on the back for your good work. Learn to reward yourself for completion of tasks, especially difficult ones. It ’s a good motivator to get you in the rhythm of things. Regularly cheer yourself on. Celebrate small successes by giving yourself something that would really make you happy.

Re-examine yourself. What do you need that you may not be getting where you are? Maybe you need a bigger challenge, or more variety. Find out what exactly you need to get your passion back.  Another thing to find out from yourself is whether you may be unrealistic about what you want or are looking for. Perhaps you have the wrong goals. Or maybe you’ve taken the focus off yourself and your craft and are comparing yourself to the accomplishment of others.

If you find yourself left with a nagging sense of dissatisfaction despite trying everything you can think of, it ’s time to ask yourself: Is your job the best fit for you? Maybe your lack of passion is because you’re in the wrong job, which is not an uncommon occurrence. Do not make rushed decisions though. Evaluate your options, network and start looking into new opportunities.

Published on April 2013