Boredom at Work? Career ADD Affliction #2

Boredom at Work? Career ADD Affliction #2
Affliction #2 – You are bored with the work you do every day or the majority of the day. Does this describe your work situation now? Whether or not you have Career ADD, this is a serious situation that could have a disastrous impact on the overall quality of your life. There are countless studies that have been done that document the emotional, mental and physical health hazards that can occur as a result of boredom or dissatisfaction with the work we do. But for those of us with Career ADD, the result can be downright crippling. Last night I spoke with a young woman for the first time, two years out of college, who took a job that was only remotely related to her major. In her words, “I hate my job. It is demeaning, low pay and I feel more confused than ever.” Her disappointments were many because she had high hopes of finding employment in her area of study, but due to ADD and other factors, her grades did not allow her to go immediately into her chosen field. The work she was doing required no education whatsoever. The bottom line for her was that she felt directionless and overwhelmed. She was confused as to whether she should return to school and start over in a completely new major, or find a paid internship or job shadow for a while. After our conversation, she knew without a doubt that she would need to complete her Parachute “Flower” with support. As I have stated in several previous articles, those of us with Career ADD must LOVE what we do (not partially love it, but, rather full on love it), to do our best work. Otherwise, we risk making unconscious mistakes that could cost us our jobs and begin a downward spiral resulting in a lack of confidence, unhappiness and more confusion. We simply have no CHOICE but to find a career direction that we are excited about. Call it “passion,” or whatever fits, it’s got to be there for all of us. Period. End of Story. Boredom is only a symptom of a bigger problem. Boredom creates mistakes on the job, lack of focus and ultimately could cause dismissal. The bigger “problem” is generally a lack of direction. Ask yourself the following questions:
  1. When I wake up each work day, what is the overall feeling I have before getting out of bed?
  2. While at work, how often do I look at the clock?
  3. How easily do I become distracted and look for non-work related ways to help pass the time at my job?
  4. How many times do I have to read this stuff to know it is time to take my career seriously and seek ways to create career happiness?
Boredom, while only a symptom, is a serious affliction. I cannot stress this enough. The young woman I spoke with last night is lucky. She is young and can take steps now that will impact her entire work life for the next 30-40 years and beyond. In fact, those of us who love what we do rarely “retire.” We simply get to do more of what we love when we want to do it. Career ADD boredom image from Shutterstock
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