You have big dreams. You want to succeed in the workplace. But for some reason you’re feeling that the results are lacking. It could be a number of things. You may not feel inspired. You may not like the work atmosphere and it might even be out of your control. Or there may be something going on in your personal life that’s taking away attention.
Whatever it is it’s probably safe to assume that most people go through periods where they feel that their work is lacking. They want to get back to making each day count.
Here are a few tips for getting back toward that goal…
1. Consider Your Values
Sometimes we lose track of our values. When that happens it becomes difficult to make decisions. Often we avoid decision making when we’re not sure of our guiding star. And that’s what values really are. They help guide us toward the right choices to make. It’s not 100% right all the time, but more often than not, it works.
Now, values are typically something you discover about yourself versus something you develop. You have to think about what has been important to you over your life. You have to think about your biggest pet peeves. By contemplating what your values are you discover your priorities and it helps you to make better decisions both for your personal life and for your work life.
2. Consider Your Goals
Humans need to work toward something. I used to love watching the show, Gold Rush, on Discovery. It was mostly about some acquaintances that got together to mine for gold after the 2008 economic collapse. But one of my favorite characters was John Schnabel. He was a neighboring miner. He had a heart attack when he was 63 years old and his doctors told him to get a hobby that got him more active and outdoors.
So he bought a gold mine and that became his life for the next 25 years. He had a heart attack at 63 and lived to be 96 years old.
I’m a firm believer that having something to work toward is a key to success and a key to a good life in general. John’s goal was better health, but also to strike gold. He didn’t really know anything about it, but he found a goal to strive for and figured out what to do each day to achieve it.
What goal do you want to work toward next?
A big key that stumps many people though is that you can’t do all goals. You have to narrow it down.
3. Discuss With Those Affected
Your immediate family, immediate co-workers and possibly some friends should be in the know if you’re going to make changes with your work. It’s likely not just you that needs to know about any changes you’re going to make.
You may discover certain values you have and new career goals. It’s good to discuss this with a boss if you have one. Or perhaps with a business partner. It’s good to discuss with your spouse and possibly with your kids. And if you have a great friend, tell them as well and get their valued input on the situation.
4. Confront Distraction
Distraction is one of the biggest detriments to life today. Cal Newport discusses it in length in his books, on his blog and on his podcast. It’s easy for many things to take away our attention and focus. And because it is so easy we have to really work to build forcefields around ourselves so that we can focus and get the most out of each day when we’re working.
Confront the distraction in your life. It could be the #1 reason that you’re not getting much done when you’re working.
5. Audit Your Routines
Humans fall into routines. Even if we change our routines for the better they can deteriorate over time. I like to set a reminder on my yearly calendar every December and June to audit my routines. I look at what my values and goals are for the long-term. Then I work back to monthly, weekly and daily tasks to work toward those goals.
You have to cut things that don’t get you to your goals. You have to cut certain priorities so that others can take on focus. You have to set and reset a work schedule that allows you to work a little bit toward success each day.
Conclusion
It’s common to feel that you’re not getting a lot done with work. There are a number of reasons that you may be feeling this way. We go through transitions in our lives that affect it. The world around us may change. We may even feel that we’re out of control when it comes to the work we’re doing.
But hopefully these considerations can help you get on the right track. Because humans need to have a purpose from working. It keeps us growing. Even up into our 90s.