Hate Your Job? You’re Not Alone!
Why You’re Bored at Work
This is the fourth and final article on boredom and how it can turn previously productive professionals into zombies. For links to my first three articles in this series, see below.
In my last two posts, I outlined five of the six reasons why previously motivated professionals turn into The Walking Dead. Now, last but not least….
The 6th Reason People Are Bored at Work: ”I Hate My Job!”
Let’s quickly recap the first five things you need to examine when you experience boredom on the job.
- Being on autopilot
- Loss of energy
- Conformism
- Underwhelm
- Overwhelm
The sixth reason people slide into apathy and inertia is because they just simply don’t like their job.
Facing Facts: You don’t like your job!
When certain aspects of your job irritate or fail to interest you, you’ll likely disengage. Perhaps your real strengths and talents lie elsewhere. You simply may not be a good fit for your job, no matter how great said job is supposed to be.
Discuss the situation with your manager, and explore the causes. Together, you may be able to redesign your job to fit your strengths, rather than waste your time trying to perform tasks for which you’re not suited.
Don’t let the situation continue for too long. The more you delay, the more dissatisfied you will become—and this can create resentment among you, your team members and your boss.
It’s easy to dismiss critical “stuck points” in your career as temporary boredom. In actuality, boredom is a sign that you need to do something else. Don’t let it become habitual. The longer it lasts, the harder it is to get “unstuck.” As I detailed earlier in this series, changing jobs can revive your career.
The fact is, boredom can seriously undermine others’ perceptions of your potential, as well as your chances for more interesting work opportunities. Your brain craves interesting things to do. The more apathetic you are, the more often you’ll be passed over at work leaving you to sink deeper into dissatisfaction.
What’s been your experience with boredom? Most importantly, what would you have the courage to do when you discover you really don’t like your job? That’s a challenge, isn’t it?