April 11, 2012

What to do if the spark is missing at work

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By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Q: I am a happily married man in my mid-40s with three young children. During my career, I have built a successful business and accumulated enough wealth so that I have no worries about money. My problem is that I really don't know what motivates me anymore.

I greatly enjoy sports and other typical male activities, but I find it difficult to get excited about work. Can you help me figure out what I'm missing?

A: Actually, your situation is not uncommon. Based on your description, you seem to fall into the category of people who work primarily to support the rest of their life. This simply means that your job, while not terribly exciting, enables you to fund other enjoyable pastimes, like sports and family activities.

In reality, people vary quite a bit in enthusiasm for their chosen profession. A few have discovered a meaningful vocation which triggers a deep, lifelong passion, while many others are perfectly satisfied with work that is reasonably enjoyable, but not particularly energizing or inspirational.

To gauge the severity of this problem, you need to assess your own feelings about work. If you are fairly content with your job, then there's nothing wrong with being more excited about other activities. But if you dread going to the office or find yourself bored to tears while you're there, it may be time to start looking for a new and more interesting occupational challenge.

Marie G. McIntyre is a workplace coach. Submit questions at yourofficecoach.com.

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Career Advice, featured, finding your passion, work/life balance

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