Is it a rut or a grave?
So, what's going on? You've been with the company for a number of
years, you seem to be doing OK, but something is just not right
anymore. There was a time when driving to work was a breeze. Now, it
seems to take all morning. When you get there, the project can wait,
'cause you have a ton of emails you have check. Half, of them are from
a couple of your friends that always send you jokes, but hey they are a
great way to start your day. You put in a full eight hours, so a few
minutes in the morning with your coffee aint gonna hurt anyone.
You're
probably right. It's not a big deal. Not to many... but to you it's
pretty significant. Significant, because what is being described is
the beginning of falling into a rut. And as the saying goes, the only
difference between a rut and a grave is the dimensions. Soon enough
this rut will turn into burn out, and one way or another you'll be out
of a job; either you'll leave, you'll get laid off, or fired (probably
"down-sized").
So what are you going to do? Get your focus
back. When you first started working there, you had a focus to get up
to speed. You needed to learn the ropes, and you needed to learn who
it was you were working with - You had a focus. The longer we work in
a place those ropes we had to deal with are getting pretty thread
bare. We know them by heart!
So step out of the box. Step out of
that rut you're diving head first into. Most companies today
take pride in having their employee's set goals for themselves. The
thing is alot of companies are pretty soft about helping an employee
accomplish the goals. Come review time, we say the goal slipped
because of 'business needs', and we put it down as something to do next
quarter, or worse - next year. If your goals are slipping (whether at
work or in your life as a whole) then they are not being set right, or
the plan - the objectives, are not being followed through on.
You
must have realistic goals, and they must be something that you are
interested in, if you are to stay motivated. Then make up you plan.
Put it in writing, and get someone to work you with it. It's always
good to be able to meet with someone too. Someone that will ask, "how
you doing on that plan?"
If you are inspired about something, it
is nearly impossible to become resigned or bored. You will readily
march toward your inspiration, and you'll be much happier for it.
Bright blessing ~ Richard