4 Simple and Productive Things To Do When Bored At Work
How to make being bored work to your advantage.
Do you find yourself bored on the job? Maybe busy AND bored?
We’ve all seen the memes about the beginning of the year being the longest part of the year. How January has 78 days, etc. etc. It’s easy to even feel a little depressed as the winter months settle in and excitement and energy drop to lower levels than usual.
So this brings me to work. You might be in a job where you’re constantly busy while also just going through the motions. I call this busy-bored. You know, busy from the time you sit down at your desk until you leave each day. Busy, but also a little ho-hum, as your work is lacking the fulfillment that your soul is craving. No wonder work is often called soul-sucking…
Sound familiar?
Or maybe you feel like a machine and you could probably write up a massive Google doc and pass it off to someone to do your exact job while you go galavant around Europe! If this is the case, you’ve officially moved on from being bored at your job, to being bored with your job. You just feel over it and you’re looking for a change.
And somewhere deep down, behind your work routine, there’s someone creative, excited, and ready to truly be alive! Tap into that and ask yourself what you’ve been looking for and what you need to grow.
I’ve been busy-bored a few significant times in my career. Doing soul-sucking work it was times like these where I knew I had to make a change because a little part of me felt like it was dying each day. And that’s just not a way to live, believe me.
So here are my favorite tips on how to find your inspired, excited, and alive self. YOU. You are in there, I promise!
Get your journal ready. Writing this stuff down is incredibly therapeutic and you may discover something you hadn’t thought of before.
Make a list of 5 memories when you felt REALLY inspired or excited at work. Like when you walked away from something feeling like you had really used your superpowers. What were these things you were doing? Why did they make you feel alive?
Hone in on your strengths. Speaking of superpowers... have you taken the time to identify yours before? I love Strengths Finder - it's a quick read with a quiz that can shed light on your areas in which you truly excel at. You may find that your job doesn’t play to your strengths! Knowing what your strengths are will help you assess what you could do next that may be more fulfilling - whether you stay in your current job, start a business, or move on to work elsewhere.
Find others around you who inspire you. Make a list of 10 people you know who are doing things you find interesting, inspiring, or dare I say, sexy? Make it a broad list of people from all different backgrounds and careers - people who work in your industry and those who don't. Grab coffee or drinks to catch up and learn more about what they do. Perhaps you'll learn something new, be inspired to take a new risk, or even just be validated and heard!
Assess your life outside of work. How are you spending your time when you aren’t working? Are you tending to a growing family, aging parents, etc.? Would you like to focus on you a little more right now? (Ahem, that’s not selfish!) Everyone around you benefits from you taking time to breathe and slow down.
Being bored with your job might actually be a blessing so you can focus on what's going on OUTSIDE of work. Coasting a little at work will free up the mental space needed for you to focus on everything else. And if you want to spice things up a bit on the personal life side, why not! Is there something new you’ve always wanted to try, but haven’t?
Allow yourself the time and perspective you need to truly evaluate your personal and professional life. Understanding the “why” behind your boredom is crucial not only for you but also for those around you at work AND at home. When you’re happier in your work and personal life, just imagine what you can take on next!
Inspired people inspire others. The energy is infectious! I’ll be waiting and I can’t wait to see the breakthrough you have. Leave a comment below with the tip you’re going to try first!
Holly works with professionals to create services-based businesses using expertise and strengths they already have. Holly is the creator of The Consultant Code, a program will have you up, running, and profitable with your services-based business in 60 days or less! Want to learn more? Drop her a note at: holly@hollyknoll.com