Remember when you first landed your job how exciting it was? You couldn’t wait to tell friends and family, “I got it!” Fast-forward to today and perhaps much of hoopla has gone from sizzle to fizzle. If you’ve found yourself routinely hitting the snooze button during the week, it may be time to infuse some life back into your job.

Change to any routine is never easy, so most choose the path of least resistance, living in a dark office version of "Groundhog Day" — until there’s no salvaging a job. But why not choose to fall back in love with your work life, rekindling that same feeling you had when you first started?

Here are some tips that can help:
1. Reflect on what appealed to you

What made you celebrate the job in the first place? Chances are it was more than just the paycheck. Maybe it was working with a great group of people; putting your skills to the test in new ways; or having good prospects for future career growth.

Think about whether certain events shifted your responsibilities or projects over time. Perhaps you’ve simply lost appreciation for what you do have. You may actually have an environment of friendly coworkers, challenging work and growth potential — but may not see the forest through the trees due to some nagging issues.

2. Ask for what you want

It may be time for an action plan and communicating your needs to your manager. One thing is for sure: settling for the status quo won’t build your happiness or job satisfaction.

Management may not recognise that you may be burning out; could use more assistance on your team; or that your pay has been stagnant for years. Even the best leaders aren’t mind readers. You’ll enhance your prospects if you approach your boss thoughtfully and non-emotionally — with facts to support your request. And if you don’t see immediate results, you’ll at least know where you stand.

3. Learn something new

Sometimes the root of job dissatisfaction is boredom. You’ve mastered all you need to know to excel at a stagnant (and dated) job description. Now you just go through the motions daily.

Try to energise your job by expanding your knowledge base and skill set. Attend professional conferences and network at local meetings. Learning how others excel in their careers can be invigorating — and translate into your own advancement if you're open to it.

Getting out of the office and meeting new people with common career interests not only has a refreshing effect on your job. It helps build your networking skills in a social media-centric business world — where human connectivity and social skills can seem elusive at times.

You don't need to leave the office to be in a learning mode. Volunteering to become a mentor to junior staff (mentors often learn a great deal from their mentees) or signing up for internal training programmes — can also broaden your skills. These pursuits can have the added advantage of putting you on the radar with management for leadership potential.

Source: Psychology Today