Kicker: Responsibility
Headline: Your approach makes the job boring
People might be bored because they have not correctly selected the job they are in. Your job has to be your passion, a passion that drives and motivates you to be better in the field you are in. You have to make your job interesting because the more interesting it is for you, the more successful you are likely to be in that job.
Not everyone can change their jobs but they have to learn to give time to themselves. Self-motivation is also very more important, instead of expecting it from anyone else, try to love yourself, love your work. And if you still do not enjoy what you are doing, try to change your style of working. You can do the same thing in a different manner and make it interesting for yourself. Also, take time out for your family and enjoy your weekend, which is a reward you can give yourself.
No job is boring in itself, it is we who make it boring. If you cannot leave a boring job, accept it. And if you cannot accept it, change it.
I previously worked in sales and whenever I would get a new order or tender, I would take it as a boost for myself, even if my management did not appreciate it.
From Ms Anjali Ramchandani
Head of Pricing and International Networking at a UAE-based freight forwarding company
Kicker: Focus
Headline: Whatever your reason find a way to focus on improvement
I called a few friends before scripting this message and was quite surprised that not everyone was satisfied with their jobs inspite of the fact that they have made UAE their second home and have prospered money-wise. They all complained that they are and have been very hesitant to leave their jobs, despite not being happy.
The most common reason is family commitments, as changing jobs might involve relocating, which will also disrupt the children’s schooling and might also compromise their standard of living!
Then there are those who are burdened by mortgages or loans and can’t risk leaving their present jobs to start all over again as a new job involves learning from the very beginning to prove and build credibility.
Some prefer to stay on as the risk of changing a job might not guarantee that the new job will be better or it might turn out to be worse.
Another major barrier for changing jobs is to stay in the hope that things will improve and there is often pessimism among long-term employees of organisational change, which will bring about a better situation for them.
Personally, I have never felt that I dislike my job. I have been in the same company and grown with it for a little over 30 years, and I feel a strong sense of loyalty and responsibility not only towards the stakeholders and colleagues but also to the customers. My colleagues, too, feel the same and most team members are passionate about not only what we do but how we do it. One simple advice from me to anyone bored in their job is to improvise on internal processes and keep track of the targets in all quadrants of your business.
From Mr Yousuf Sait
Manufacturing Head in a private company in Dubai
Kicker: Barter
Headline: People give up freedom for consistent income
I am not surprised to hear that so many people are bored at their jobs. Several studies out of the US have shown that the most heart attacks occur on a Monday, when people are returning to work. People are waking up in the morning and dreading going to the job they hate.
As an entrepreneur, for me work is about creating something that you want to wake up and do every single day. There is a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche: “If you know the why, you can live any how.”
So, if you believe in your why – why you want to work, then you’ll be more likely to overcome the things you have to do to achieve it. But if you don’t believe in the why then you have no purpose.
Being an entrepreneur is really hard. Having a cozy job is consistent. That’s the key – consistency. That’s the big difference. As an entrepreneur, you have moments of incredible highs and incredible lows. People in jobs know when that payment is coming in and they know when their bills go out. Confucius said: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I’ll add to that: until the bills come in. That’s the hard reality of life. You can find something you love and do it, but wait till those bills come in.
Like everything else in life, jobs are about compromise. So, for a cosy job, you are giving up freedom for a consistent income.
It is very rare, but there are some people who find a job that they love that also lets them make an income. But that is clearly not the majority.
From Mr Damu Winston
An entrepreneur living in Dubai
Kicker: Advice
Headline: Some tips to get you through a boring job
Feeling like you are stuck in a job you don’t enjoy can be draining. The key to feeling more positive is to gain an understanding about what it is that you don’t like about the job and work towards making changes. That could mean a decision to leave and go in a new direction or an acceptance that you need to make the best of things in your current position.
One of the things you can do is to catch yourself spiralling into what I call a ‘negative narrative’. Focusing constantly on the negatives skews your view and means you get things out of perspective. This can be further compounded by other colleagues who are negative too. So, go back to the drawing board and refocus on some of the positives to begin to balance things out. Try to detach yourself from negative colleagues and take your mind back to what made you take the job in the first place. Sure, it might not be perfect, but most jobs rarely are.
Another way to refocus and potentially grow an exit strategy is to upgrade your skills. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut, but life is for learning and the more you think about where you want to take your career, the more likely you are to carve out a defined pathway to get there. Whether that means taking extra qualifications, doing voluntary work to gain different experiences and new perspectives or identifying the colleagues who inspire you and asking them to become your mentor, it’s all doable and will have the added bonus of taking your mind off the negatives.
Finally, it’s easy to think of your job as taking over everything, especially if you don’t like it, but there is more to life! If you’re work life isn’t exactly how you want it to be at the moment, then it’s important to make sure that you are making the most of your free time. Don’t just get home and flop on the sofa in front of the television every night – make sure you have things in the diary to look forward to. A holiday to plan, a group to be part of, volunteering, learning something new and completely the opposite to your job, spending quality time with family and friends – all of these things enhance your life, so make sure your out of work time is as enjoyable and fruitful as you can make it.
If it’s really that bad, then maybe it’s time to seriously consider a change. Often it’s that fear of the unknown that holds us back, but it might just be worth taking a calculated risk and doing something new if you are feeling really unhappy.
From Mr Russell Hemmings
Life coach living in Dubai
Gulf News asked: Why do people stay in a boring job?
Job security 34%
High salaries 11%
Laziness 8%
No options available 47%
Have your say:
Do people prefer having a boring job in lieu of better pay? Or is it simply easier to gripe than push yourself out of a comfort zone? Why do you think so many people are bored at work? Tell us at readers@gulfnews.com
— Compiled by Huda Tabrez
Community Web Editor
