Do you remember your first real, paying gig? You know, that time when you first experienced working for money. Not an allowance, or birthday money and definitely not the tooth fairy. This was the sweat of your brow making you some dough! Do you remember how excited you were to do what might well have been a menial task, something you would definitely not be doing now?
As I write this I am being served by a young lady in a café who greets me with a beautiful smile, is gracious and polite and appears to be happy to be here today. I don’t yet know her name but she got me thinking. How long before she loses that smile and begins to resent the very thing that will fund her life’s expenses? How long before, in this job or another, she is no longer happy to do what she must do to earn her living? Did this happen to you and how long did it take?
Job satisfaction seems to be an elusive goal that you may have experienced at some point and lost along the way. You might be tempted to blame that lack of enthusiasm on the managers, the policies, coworkers and so on. But casting blame on those things that are outside of your control will be of no assistance in resolving your problem. Instead consider the following to help you not only identify the culprits that kill your joie de vivre but to claim your life back.
Every time you report to work, you are exchanging something you have for something you need – money, a paycheque. Perhaps you never thought of it that way but that is the essence of every employment arrangement and entrepreneurial endeavour. Job dissatisfaction occurs when you perceive an unfair exchange; when what you are giving up seems more than what you are getting. So instead of blaming external factors for your less than enthusiastic approach to your employment, consider these possibilities.
Time
Could you be giving up too much of your time in the pursuit of an income? Whether in your commute or actual working hours, the time/compensation imbalance is a common reason why some resent their income generators.
Lack of Intellectual Stimulation
Nothing is as deflating to some people as the lack of a challenge. If there are no new and interesting projects coming your way then you might be dissatisfied with your role due to sheer boredom.
Emotional Fatigue
When your work environment starts to resemble the kindergarten playground, it is not the people that are wearing you out, but the emotional fatigue you experience in dealing with them. Your healthy state of mind is absolutely essential to experiencing job satisfaction.
Respect
A basic human need, a perceived lack of respect will eat at your enthusiasm like pouring hot water on ice. No matter how much you are being paid, if you do not feel respected in your role then you will not find joy on the job.
Disappointment
Your expectations set you up for either fulfillment or disappointment and when the promises of the opportunity do not materialize, you feel robbed. The excitement with which you accepted the opportunity quickly changes to resentment and disappointment. That is yet another recipe for dissatisfaction with your employment.
Opportunity Deficit
Some women deal with a glass ceiling where opportunity can be seen but not attained. Others, perhaps yourself, end up in a place of employment where the ceiling has been well defined and highlighted so that you are made well aware that there is nowhere to go up from here (unless you break something, of course). That lack of opportunity will stagnate your career as well as any appetite you have for your position.
External Opportunity
Sometimes the grass is actually greener on the other side and when you find such a field of well-tended opportunities you will never look at your side of the grass the same. The lure of possibility will leave you unhappy and it will show in your performance and general approach to your income generating activities.
There may be other reasons that apply to your specific situation but be assured that the core reasons for your discontent lie within you and as such, are within your power to change.
Whether you work 9 – 5 or 24/7/365 as an entrepreneur you owe it to yourself to find a fair balance between what you do and how much you are compensated. That being said, regardless of your pay scale, job satisfaction is a threat to you loving the tasks that fund your and your family’s dreams.
Hadriana Leo, Money Navigator, helps professionals and successful entrepreneurs to conquer the debt, doubt and drama that is keeping them from realizing their financial dreams. She uses simple and effective Behavioural Cash Flow Planning™ techniques to create lasting positive change for her clients every day.
