Can we find new love for an old job?

I’ve held my current position for 10 years. I work in a place that provides autonomy and allows for creativity. There are abundant opportunities to make a difference. I’ve worked hard and had an impact.

Despite all this, I haven’t felt as passionate about my job as I once did. Our office has accomplished much over the years, and while there’s always more to be done, I have felt blocked and uninspired–on a year-long plateau of sorts. I’m motivated in part by challenge, and parts of my position have become routine.

I never expected to be in this role for a decade and more. My typical employment tenure was about four years. In the past, when I felt ready for new challenges, I left.

Several factors have kept me in my current position. My co-workers are committed, hard-working, and fun. The work is open-ended. Our benefits have been cut, but we still enjoy a package that is better than most. And although job security in this economy is less than certain, I feel relatively safe.

So, what can any of us do when we know we have good jobs but our energy flags?

I’ve found some guidance in Seth Godin’s book Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? He discusses the importance of not just doing work but generating “art.” How can we spend less time on checklists and paper pushing and more time on creating experiences that change lives?

“Perhaps the biggest shift the new economy brings is self-determination,” Godin wrote (p. 195). He’s big on personal choice.

My work, higher education, is at a crossroads–it can either tweak or leap. I can either join those who say “the old way is the best way” and who create barriers to change, or I can jump headlong into the unknown and stick my neck out for something a bit more, well, revolutionary. The latter excites me. This is where I want to be.

I’ve begun to make some choices:

1) To develop some expertise around optimizing technology for learning. There’s so much to know. To start, I registered for a conference.

2) To promote an emphasis on leadership development on our campus, for all students. Everyone–teachers, accountants, dietitians, and social workers–will benefit from learning about creativity, risk taking, group dynamics, influence, and resilience. I’ve made contact with our Dean of Professional Studies for an initial conversation.

3) To facilitate a campus discussion of Godin’s book, Linchpin.

Godin wrote, “Transferring your passion to your job is far easier than finding a job that happens to match your passion” (p. 201).

I think I’ll stick around awhile longer. I have art to create here.

More to come…

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