“Work is boring….colleagues are boring….I just hope it’s not Monday tomorrow”

Most people have that kind of mentality. And most of them start counting down for weekend on Monday itself (some do that on Sundays). They just dread going to work! In fact, it’s pretty hard to find someone who really enjoys their work (not to say there isn’t any, but those who think their work is boring far outnumbers those who think their work is fun).

But what if their work is not as boring as it currently is? What if their colleagues and their workplace is fun and very dynamic? If you’re thinking it’s impossible, then perhaps you should find another job. Because to me, anything can be turned into something exciting. Yes, it requires efforts but it’s not impossible. Here are some of the things which I can think of.

• Change the way you think about your work. Don’t treat it like something you are forced to do because you have no other choice (you always have a choice, remember that). Treat it as something more meaningful….maybe you feel your job can help others, or you feel you can help extend the business, or you can help people solve problems, etc.
• Decorate your workspace. I never like the open office concept because you don’t really have a “home” in the office. You’ll just move around all the time. I prefer to have a workspace for myself, and decorate it the way I like it – pictures, drawing, plants, etc. Simple/complicated, it’s all up to me. That way, it’ll make me feel more comfortable in the office. It definitely won’t change the work/assignments, but it’ll change my mood when I’m working on something.
• Mix with your colleagues. It really makes the entire workplace more entertaining if you have close friends around. If you don’t have any, then go make some in the office. Sometimes, when the work is really pushing you to quit, you will think of the nice colleagues you have.
• Work longer hours. If you spend more hours on a single assignment, you won’t feel hard pressed for time. Yes, you do tend to lose some sleep but you can also work at a more relaxing pace. Well, at least working at a relaxing pace makes me more productive and also makes the work more enjoyable. The moment you (or your boss) start chasing for deadline, is the moment your work loses its fun factor.

Of course, all these can’t beat the ultimate “Do what you are passionate about”. That’s the best, if you have the option. But most often than not, we’ll be stuck doing something we are not so passionate about in order to feed our family. So the least we can do to make our work more enjoyable is to do those things listed above.

Transform your workplace, your relationship with your colleagues and your mindset towards everything. It’ll really make things more interesting.

And hopefully, you won’t dread going back to the office all the time. Who knows, maybe there are something in the office which makes you want to go back more!

p/s…. if there’s really nothing you can do to make your work less boring and more exciting, then it’s time to find another job. Reason being, you simply can’t perform in a boring environment.

The other day, my sister told me about her ex-colleague (who is same age with me) called Prad (yeap, he’s Brad Pitt’s brother. =_= not his real name of course). Prad has been an IT guy for at least 4 or 5 years now but recently, he told my sister that he’s getting tired of IT. He wanted to give up on IT and pursue his passion in drawing (not his real passion actually…just trying to cover up his identity). And my sister was quite worried for him and told me that one should always think about money first, because it’s still very important.

Lost and don't know where to go?

To a certain extent, I have to agree with both Prad and my sister. I’ve walked down this path before and I know how it feels. Honestly speaking, when you’ve lost interest in the things you do, you will start to feel that your life is becoming meaningless especially when you are pushing yourselves to work, just to earn enough money to survive. But sadly, that is how this world is. Some people can actually give up everything to pursue their passions and dreams, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. The question is “Are you willing to take that risk?”

For me, I wouldn’t do that, even though my interest is still drawing, comics, animation, etc. Why? Because it’s too risky especially when the world is undergoing a global recession. Furthermore, I have knowledge in IT which I don’t think I should waste it. What I’m planning to do this year is to keep my day job and also to work extra hours to pursue my dreams – combining what I like most (activities which require creativity) and what I know most (IT).

Okay, let’s cut the crap about me and my evil plan to conquer the world. Here’s my advice to those who are facing such situation including our friend Prad.

• Don’t quit your day job because it’s too risky. If you are going to go into something new, you will have to start from zero. Do you have the means to survive?
• Are you sure your passion will remain your passion after making it a full time job? Grass may seem greener on the other side but it’s actually not that green. That’s why you should try it during your free time or as a part time job, and see if you really like it. Don’t take the jump until you’re sure you’ll like it.
• Getting bored with your current job might not mean that you hate your current industry. Example, if you are bored with IT, that does not mean you’ve lost all love for it. Try find things which will trigger your interest again and also try to mix around with people who will help boost your self confidence. Being confident with your own skills will help a lot in deciding whether you like or dislike your job.
• Also, if you do feel that your job has no objectives and meaningless, it could be something to do with your company and the way your company manages people. A company without direction will not be able to keep the employees motivated. Everyone needs a reason to work hard and to be productive…and money is not really a good motivator – it is good, but there are others which are much more efficient.
• Think for yourselves and don’t be influenced by others especially those who have not walked down that path. If you’re surrounded by negative people or people who only know how to talk, you must think of a way to ignore their words and to motivate yourselves. Your boredom and demotivation might be caused by them, not by your lack of interest in your job.
• If you know someone who has walked down that path before, then seek their advice but don’t get overly influenced by them. Treat their advices/opinions as guidelines, not instructions. After all, what turns out okay for me might not be okay for you.

After all the points above, if you are still thinking of making a big change like jumping into a brand new industry, then by all means go ahead. Just make sure you plan ahead properly and do it without regret. I do believe that at the end of the day, all the dots will connect with each others. After all, things do happen for a reason.

And remember that, you can ask other people for opinions but in the end, you are the one controlling your own destiny. You have the final call.

Good luck and hope it helps.