Balancing the “Blah” Parts of Work
It seems inevitable that, no matter how much we love our job, there is a portion of work that is meh.
My first “real” job was as a loan processor working with mortgage applications. While I enjoyed the people and consistent workload, I quickly found the repetitive processes I was responsible for to be tedious. I was able to bypass this sense of boredom for more than a year as the excitement in other parts of my life—getting married, acclimating to a new community, adopting a dog—kept me fully engaged.
As life settled down, however, the tedious nature of my job became more noticeable and eventually unsustainable. Thankfully, the experience I had gained helped me move into another opportunity that was more challenging and fulfilling.
Since that time, I’ve noticed that even in jobs I thoroughly love, there are a portion of tasks that are less enjoyable, even tedious.
Try this: Ensure the blah doesn’t overtake the enjoyment
Assessing what I like to call your “Engagement Ratio” can provide helpful insight into how to best structure your time:
What percentage of your work is currently engaging?
What percentage is not?
You get to define “engaging” based on your current preferences or needs. For example, work that is energizing, fulfilling, fostering growth, making an impact, connecting with great people, paying the bills, providing flexibility, building experience, etc.
In my example above, the Engagement Ratio would have been around 20/80. While this isn’t desirable long-term, I was able to maintain it for a while because my primary job goals at the time were getting a paycheck and building experience. In addition, the other priorities in my life fueled my energy.
Over your career, you’ll likely see this Engagement Ratio ebb and flow as goals, needs and preferences change. That’s okay and to be expected! The most important thing is to recognize what goals you’re currently prioritizing and to make sure your Engagement Ratio aligns with them.
Exploration Questions:
What is your ideal Engagement Ratio right now?
What is your actual Engagement Ratio right now?
How do your current career goals impact this?
How does your phase of life influence this?