How to Love Your Job

Many of us spend more time at work surrounded by our coworkers than we do at home with our family and friends, and it’s fairly easy to fall into a rut and dread going into work each day. You might be biding your time waiting for the next big opportunity to come along, or you may not see eye to eye with everyone you work with. But that doesn’t mean you can’t love your job.

 

In the five and a half years that I’ve worked at Marine Bank, I can’t remember many days where I haven’t learned something new, whether it be about some aspect of the always-changing banking industry or a random fact from a coworker or a customer.  The fact that every day brings a new set of challenges and opportunities to meet new people is a major part of why I love what I do.

Another part of why I love my job is that I work for an organization with similar values and beliefs as my own, specifically regarding customer service and community involvement. I’m proud to say I work for an organization that is committed to doing what’s best for its customers.  I’m also encouraged to volunteer my time and talents in the community. I have enjoyed putting craft bags together for kids at St. John’s Children’s Hospital, delivering meals for Senior Services of Central Illinois and purchasing gifts for families in need during the holiday season.

"I work for an organization with similar

values and beliefs as my own"

When I say I love my job, by no means am I saying that I’ve never had a bad day. The difference is that I choose not to let those difficult or unpleasant experiences dictate how I feel about my job. Chances are, I learned something new during that experience that will prevent me from having a similar bad experience in the future. Remember that a bad five minutes is just that. It’s not a bad day, so don’t make it one.

"...I choose not to let those difficult or unpleasant

experiences dictate how I feel about my job."

We all need to accept the fact that there will be tasks in our jobs that we don’t enjoy doing, but harboring negative energy about doing those tasks isn’t going to make them any more enjoyable. I like to create a reward system for myself to complete some of those less-than-glamorous tasks. If I can get something crossed off my to-do list, I might treat myself to lunch at my favorite lunch place or spend some time working on another project that I am more passionate about.

"We all need to accept the fact that there will be

tasks in our jobs that we don’t enjoy doing"

If you are looking for more ways to love your job, turn to your coworkers. You don’t have to be best friends, but research shows that there is a strong correlation between the work environment and overall employee happiness. After-hours outings are a great way to build camaraderie among the team, but fight the urge to discuss work outside work!  Some of my coworkers and I participated in a trivia night last year simply for the social aspect, and you know what happened? We won! A year later, we are still finding ourselves joking about that time we dominated trivia night at a local church. The holidays also present another opportunity to strengthen your team; there are a number of ways to give back to the community, whether it be holding a food/toy/coat drive or volunteering for a local organization.

 

"...turn to your coworkers...there is a strong correlation between

the work environment and overall employee happiness."

Even if you don’t consider yourself to be in your dream job, there are many ways to fall in love with your current job. With the right attitude, the job you have can easily turn into a stepping stone for your dream job.