It’s common for people to feel disconnected from their careers and it’s a tough situation to deal with. You’ve worked so hard to get to where you are in your career and when you first started out, it was your passion. Getting up for work wasn’t a chore and you were excited about what the day would bring.
Now, a few years down the line, you don’t feel like your work is important anymore and you’ve lost your passion. In some cases, it might time for a career change, but if you decide that you still want to pursue your career, you need to find a way to get that passion back. Here’s what you should do if you feel disconnected from your dream career.
Think About The Big Picture
Often, people feel disconnected because they lose sight of the bigger picture and only focus on the day-to-day mundanity of their job. But why did you get into this career in the first place? What are your long term goals in this job? Reframing your career and focusing on the bigger picture reminds you that this is only one small step on a long journey, and that can help you find your motivation again.
You should also think about the bigger picture in terms of what the company is doing. Instead of thinking about your own personal duties, think about how your work contributes to the wider goals of the company. When you see how your work has helped towards the achievements of the business as a whole, it’s much easier to feel connected and fulfilled.
Take Some Time Out
Stress and burnout are the cause of this feeling of disconnection for a lot of people. Every job has repetitive aspects and when this gets on top of you, the stress and mundanity outweigh the things that you love about your career. That’s why successful people like Karan Bajaj recommend taking a sabbatical every 4 years to recharge your batteries and focus on yourself for a while. Taking time to gain a fresh perspective and develop personal goals will prevent burnout and make you feel more content overall, which helps massively with your career.
Ask For More Responsibilities
When you are on a defined career path and you have a clear idea of where you want to go, it is hard to stay invested when you hit a bit of a wall. If your career isn’t moving forward at the rate that you thought it would, you will soon start feeling disconnected. In this situation, it’s up to you to be proactive about moving your career forward. Go to your boss and ask for more responsibilities. This shows that you are ambitious, which stands you in good stead when promotions come up. Having new challenges at work will also help you find your motivation again.
Everybody feels disconnected from their career at some point and it’s hard when this is something you’ve been working towards for a long time. But if you try these strategies, you can find your passion again.