Re-Igniting the " Fire In Your Belly"

By Rita Hess

Remember the thrill of landing your first American job? Remember the euphoria you felt on your first day at work, that excitement so intense it is sometimes called having a "fire in your belly"? Remember the first morning you couldn’t muster the same joyful anticipation about going to work that you once did?

Relax! Everyone hits a rough patch occasionally when the job seems ho-hum at best. And believe it or not, you aren’t the only person who has ever daydreamed, surfed the Internet, or slept on the job. You (or anyone else who is guilty of those things) probably just need a tiny bit of help to regain focus and recapture that initial enthusiasm. Here’s how.

First, determine if your lackluster attitude is truly job-related. Do you get along well with coworkers but suffer from culture shock after quitting time? As a single newcomer to the USA, are you getting straight A’s on performance evaluations but flunking socially outside the office? Volunteering at a service organization or joining an ethnic association in your city may be all you need to rise above the doldrums.

If your unhappiness is genuinely job-related, is it a temporary condition or one that is conquerable with a little effort? For example, you may simply be bored with unchallenging tasks or are under-qualified for your current position. Would taking on more responsibility help? Approach your supervisor with the dilemma, but have several possible solutions in mind rather than just complaining about the problem. Most managers will be thrilled if you volunteer to re-establish contact with previous customers or offer to help train a newcomer in the office. Depending on the company, you might even offer to take on some of your boss’s overflow duties!

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the source of your misery might be working on an assignment that seems insurmountable. As in the first scenario, develop several proposed solutions for your supervisor. Can you postpone part of the project or hand it off to another employee? Do you have a better method for completing the project than the one you are using now? Showing off your problem-solving skills can pay off handsomely later when there is a managerial position to fill.

Sometimes constant interruptions at work prevent you from completing tasks. These unexpected breaks in your concentration can derail your momentum and make you feel non-productive. What can you do about ringing telephones, chatty coworkers, and incessant emails?

Let your calls go to a voice mailbox if possible. Check for messages every 2-3 hours, and return only the most critical or time-sensitive calls. Postpone the rest until YOU choose to make time in YOUR schedule for them. Your supervisor will probably okay your plan if it makes you more productive!

There are also ways to deal with coworkers who wish to discuss next week’s dress sale or yesterdays NFL game. That shiny round thing on your office door is a doorknob and using it signals others that you would rather not be disturbed. Living life in a cubicle? Tacking up a Do Not Disturb sign might work. If not, visit your local home improvement center and purchase a roll of fluorescent yellow tape that reads "Work Area – Do Not Enter". It is a humorous way to let folks know you are working.

Spending long hours in close quarters with others can sometimes throw your disposition out of kilter. Look on the bright side: you may be bored with your job duties because you have mastered them so well. Good for you!

If your disinterest seems a bit more deep-rooted, re-examine your goals, priorities, and career choices. You DO have written goals to guide you through life, don’t you? No? Then why did you accept your current position? Was it money, personal satisfaction, or simply a way to come to the USA? Your answer is acceptable, regardless of what it is. But sometimes identifying how you got where you are can point you toward where you need to go. What factors were most important when you accepted your job? Are those things still priorities in your life? Marriage, families, and personal growth are just a few of the many influences on our lives. In fact, your priorities may continue to evolve every few years for the rest of your life.

Are you afraid you chose the wrong profession? Don’t panic! Lots of us change our mind about what we want to do with our lives. Online self-assessment tests can reveal hidden interests and special abilities, or sometimes confirm that your personality and skills are well suited to your occupation.

In some instances, changing employers or careers altogether is the only way to re-ignite your internal flame. If so, begin the process immediately. First, find out how making a leap will effect your Visa status. Once that determination is made, act quickly. Do you need more training or education? Get it. Are you already qualified to make the necessary change? Start your job hunt now. Why? Because you don’t want to become so nonchalant that your performance suffers and you risk getting reprimanded or fired for failure to perform your duties. You also don’t want to hang on until your attitude sinks so low that you become a victim of career burnout. The good news is that in today’s job market, you won’t have much trouble finding an environment that keeps the fire within you hot, hot, hot.

You may never again experience the rapture you felt your first day on American soil or your first day in an American job. But think of your work-related enthusiasm as being similar to a lit candle. Sometimes the flame burns brightly and other times it barely flickers. If your employer allows it, keep a burning candle on your desk as a constant reminder of that analogy. It works wonders to help you maintain perspective on those ho-hum days and casts a nice glow on your smiling face, too!