How
to Fall In Love with Your Job All Over Again
by Patricia Fripp, CSP,
CPAE
Remember how exciting
it was when you first fell in love?
Your heart did somersaults every time you
met the one you loved. The two of you sat
up talking all night. And you always seemed
to have so much energy. The thrill of falling
in love is wonderful.
Soon enough, of course,
reality set in, and you had to start working
to make the relationship succeed. That's
good, of course. It's how you truly grow
to know and love the other person.
In many ways, a new
job is like a love affair.
The first stage is excitement. It can last
from an hour to many years. You think to
yourself, "This job will pay
me more money than I've ever earned before.
The clients will be wonderful to deal with.
I'm going to learn so much and do really
exciting things." The novelty of the
job keeps your energy high. You are
happy because you are so productive, and
you're more productive because you are so
happy.
Then the second stage, reality, sets in.
You still enjoy the work you do, but you
begin to notice some of the irritants and
difficulties. It bothers you that all the
phones are ringing when you walk in the
door. Deadlines seem endless and impossible.
It becomes harder to arrive early or stay
late. The novelty starts to wear off. And,
like love, your job has a
third stage too disillusion. The pendulum
swings past reality, and you find yourself
focusing on the negative things. That's
when the "maybe's" begin. "Maybe
I could make better money at Company X,
and not have to work so hard." "Maybe
I'd be happier with more responsibility
at Corporation Y." "Maybe Company
Z would let me come in a little later in
the mornings or go home earlier at night."
In jobs, as in job,
it's very important for the pendulum to
swing back. You need to work to regain the
exhilaration of the first stage. Such excitement
is essential to a fulfilling life. Think
about what you did to keep the thrill in
your job life. Maybe the two of you
relived your first
date at that little country restaurant,
or you thought to thank your loved one for
being kind and generous. In short, you remembered
to see the person you first fell in love
with.
Apply this same technique to your career.
Rekindle the thrill you felt when you first
began your job. You must have had
good reasons for taking it. What were they?
Make a list of them, and expect to experience
those joys again in your daily routine.
Begin each day with
a smile. Anticipate having a productive,
stimulating day. Isn't that how you used
to come to work in the morning? If you really
expect to be productive, I guarantee that
almost nothing can stop you. Here are some
practical staying-in-love techniques:
Have a good breakfast
to give you the energy and protein, which
you so badly need first thing in the morning.
Dress with as much pride and attention to
detail as you did on your first day of work.
Start each day with
motivated people who talk about the good
things in their lives. Once a week or so,
take the initiative to get up a little earlier
and go to breakfast with some of these people.
I'm a member of a group that does just that.
It's a very special way to start the day.
Get to work as early
as you can and spend some quiet time settling
in before everyone else arrives. If this
is hard, offer yourself some small personal
reward. (Mine is that first lingering cup
of coffee, all alone, while opening my very
exciting email.)
Do what I call the
"icky" things first. Even the
most fantastic job includes tasks
that aren't much fun. If you get them out
of the way, the rest of the day will fly
by.
Make a list at the
end of every day of what you learned, what
was the most fun, who was the most fun to
interact with, and how you feel you added
to your group's success. A list of the 'beyond
the paycheck' benefits. If you only work
for the paycheck you will be employed, but
not 'employable' long term.
There are many realistic
ways to keep your relationships
and your jobs exciting and challenging.
Ultimately, your happiness depends on how
good you feel about yourself at work, in
love, and just living everyday. Try
doing something nice for your job
and yourself. Fall in love all over
again!
Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE is a San Francisco-based
executive speech coach, sales trainer, and
award-winning professional speaker on Change,
Customer Service, Promoting Business, and
Communication Skills. She is the author
of Get What You Want!, Make It, So You Don't
Have to Fake It!, and Past-President of
the National Speakers Association. She can
be reached at: PFripp@Fripp.com, 1-800 634-3035,
http://www.fripp.com
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