657 - What to Do with a Boring Job

Are you bored in your job? Is your job no longer as challenging as it once was? Something happens when you stay too long in any particular job. You see, during the first year in your job, most likely you only have 60% of the competencies that a new job requires. So you're all excited to learn everything you can about the job. On your second year, you've acquired 80-90% of the competencies required, and you're getting really good at it, and you're experiencing success. This is the point when you have the highest job satisfaction. But by the third year, you know your job too well. You can do it even without thinking, and work is starting to get boring. This is the perfect time to expand your scope of responsibilities or to get promoted. But if there are no opportunities for promotion, or there are limited opportunities for expanding your scope of work, and at the same time, you have no intention of leaving the company, what do you do? Do you just go on getting more and more bored each passing day? This may be a good time to volunteer in your company's employee activities. You may volunteer to organize events for the staff like anniversaries, or loyalty awards, or summer outing, or Christmas parties. You may even volunteer to be a facilitator during in-house training. If your company is committed to corporate social responsibility and is involved in community service, how about volunteering your time serving there? And always thank the Lord for the good things you enjoy in your job. Be grateful for the many benefits that your boring job affords you, like your paycheck, health coverage, or perhaps your office is close to home, and you do not have to waste many hours commuting. While it's important to take steps to better your situation, it's also important to focus on the good of where you are right now. Your job may not change very much, but you can always change your attitude towards your job. Why don't you commit to be a harbinger of happiness in your Always smile. Make your workplace a friendly haven for colleagues or clients, and stop counting down to off time. Staring at the clock won't make time go faster. On the contrary, it might actually seem to slow it down. Refuse to look at the clock. Remove it from your sight if possible, and try to focus on the tasks at hand. And you know, all these things will result in a lot of good. The Apostle Paul assures us of this. In his letter to the Romans, Paul said, and we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Don't let your boring job get you down. As you learn to be a beacon of hope in the workplace, always keep in mind, faith matters too.