Construction is a hard business, very hard. Some days (well okay, many days) you feel like it’s grinding you down.
Your current project is THE. WORST. EVER!
At Friday night’s happy hour, you lament to two of your friends and one says, “Wow, you’re still on that school project?” You pause for a moment, blink, blink. And then you say, “No, that one wrapped up in October, I’m talking about the courthouse project.” The other friend says, “Wait, what? We heard you complain all last summer about the school project and now you’re on another one that’s even worse?” The first friend says, “I’m thinking you’re in the wrong career!”
What do YOU think? You’ve worked hard to get to where you are. But you suddenly realize – your friends are right! All you do is complain about how challenging your projects are.
You used to love a challenge, so what’s going on here?
Well, I’ve been there and so have lots of other people! Chances are you are not in the wrong career, but somehow, you’ve lost your drive, you’ve let your job become mundane, you’ve stopped learning new things, and you’ve gotten a bit cocky because you’ve been doing it for a while. Everything is a hassle! Nonstop emails, nonstop problems, and worst of all, nonstop complainers – kind of like you!
Maybe it’s to the point where you force yourself out of bed, get dressed, slink into the office, and hope that no one bothers you. And then you fixate on just trying to get through the day. You leave the office unsatisfied and with your to-do list weighing heavy on your mind. Maybe even blow off Friday afternoon because you tell yourself you’ll work a few hours Saturday to catch up.
But you don’t catch up on Saturday, because you tell yourself “I need a day off.”
Sunday afternoon, you start to feel a little anxious, but you’re not sure why. Monday morning shows up and your week moves forward just like the previous week, and the week before, and so on.
You, my friend, are in a rut and you need to get yourself out of it, and fast! But how?
Well, I used to be like that. Seriously! Several years ago, when my law practice had really become robust, I felt like I was on the proverbial hamster wheel, running fast, always tired, but getting nowhere. I wasn’t enjoying the “challenge” like I had just a few years before. I was doing good work, but just good, not great, and I felt I was always behind.
I groaned when my phone rang, thinking “Oh great, just what I need, more work!” I had developed the habit of putting off the stuff I didn’t like, or didn’t quite know how to start. So, I procrastinated as long as possible and that made many days feel like I was working in panic mode to get it all done and meet deadlines. I convinced myself that “I work better under deadlines.”
I wasn’t happy at work, and with 10-12 hour workdays, that’s a boat load of time not to be happy! I even considered bagging it all and starting an Irish Pub!
I needed to figure out what had changed for me. So, I had a serious talk with myself.
Was I burnt out with my job?
Was I burnt out with my career?
Was I just burnt out?
Was there really some other job or career I would like better?
What DO I like about my job and this industry?
After some soul searching, I realized three things.
First and foremost, I missed the feeling I got when I knew I did my best. I am not talking about being perfect. I’m talking about doing my best. The younger me tried very hard to do my best. If I had to describe it, I could honestly say that each and every day, “I aimed to please.”
The second thing I realized was that my self-imposed nose-to-the-grind-stone philosophy had me no longer seeking classes, or courses, or books about becoming a better attorney, business owner, and negotiator.
Third, because I wasn’t feeling great about my job, I wasn’t attending as many trade group meetings and dinners, and I had stopped looking for ways to hang out with colleagues.
I had lost the pulse of the industry and my passion for the part I play in it.
Motivational speakers like Tony Robbins understand this. He believes that in order to keep the passion going and to love our jobs, we need to keep growing personally and professionally. Robbins says: “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.”
How can you grow if you’re not pushing yourself to be your best? How can you grow if you’re just slinking through your days?
After my realizations, I made some simple but powerful changes.
I now begin each day with the motto “I aim to please”, and I am dedicated to doing my best with the challenges that are thrown at me each day.
The first thing I tackle each day is the project or task that I dread the most. I tell myself to give it just one hour to get started. This often results in continuing to work on it longer than that initial hour, and frequently results in an amazing feeling of accomplishment by getting it done early instead of letting it languish in a pool of dread!
I now attend more trade meetings, I volunteer for committees, I do more seminars and workshops, and I read more books to make myself a better lawyer, a better business owner, and a happier, healthier person overall.
My advice to you is to do some soul searching to reignite your passion for your work and turn yourself back into that positive producer instead of that nonstop complainer! Everyone will be much happier, including YOU!
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