Have you ever been so involved in what you are doing that it seems like 10 minutes have passed, when it’s actually been hours? It is those times I often refer to as "lost time"; it's what you experience when you are truly productive and doing something that you love.
If you can figure out how to achieve this in your job, then work isn’t work anymore. All of a sudden, you look forward to going to work in the morning and you no longer watch the clock tick its way to five o'clock. In fact, when you're in that state, you might even wish you had a few more hours to finish what you are working on. How fantastic would that be? To actually enjoy what you are doing at work? Here are a few tips to help you achieve that feeling:
Do what you love: Whether you are looking for a new job, or evaluating your current one, take note of what activities cause you to lose track of time. If you aren’t so lucky as to spend your entire day lost in your work, find ways to be creative. Keep in mind that just because you enjoy drawing doesn’t mean you have to be a professional artist. Think of ways you can incorporate your creative self into your everyday work. Perhaps you can join an in-house committee that promotes your company’s social events or charity functions or maybe showcase your talent in the reports you submit. Do you enjoy writing? Raise your hand to help out with the company’s social media or blogging strategy.
Be strategic: Now that you have identified what you love, be strategic about when you do it. It would be nice if we could spend the day putting glitter on posters or making sure your graphs have the correct justification; but that may not be the most efficient use of your time. Use these activities as “treats” for yourself when you have finished your main task.
Pace yourself: Don’t use up all your “treats” in one day. Make sure you ration them, that way you really appreciate the time you get to spend doing it.
Ideally, you have chosen a profession that you are passionate about all day, every day. If not, and you can't find ways to do what you love, then maybe it’s time to consider a new opportunity.
Allyson England is a Recruitment Coordinator at Meridia, a Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette company in Halifax. Meridia is Atlantic Canada's leading contingency recruitment firm that is focused on providing high quality, fast turnaround recruitment for professional and technical positions.
