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Working Knowledge

A Monthly Column about Life on the Job
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 By Elisa F. Topper
American Libraries Columnist

Elisa F. Topper is director of the Dundee Township (Ill.) Public Library District and a career consultant. Contact her at working@ala.org.

Column for May 2004


Rekindling Your Passion for Work


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I have worked at the same public library for over 10 years and find that the excitement I had for my job when I first started is gone. More demands and fewer rewards—coupled with the bureaucratic hoops I find myself having to jump through—leave me exhausted and drained at the end of each day. How can I regain my passion for work?

—A Case of the Biblio Blahs

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It sounds like you are suffering from what Richard Chang, author of The Passion Plan at Work (Jossey-Bass, 2001), calls “passion deficit.” Typical symptoms are frustration, sadness, anger, and confusion; other signs can include blaming your unhappiness on others or feeling like something is missing in your life.
    However, you're not alone: A 2003 survey by the Conference Board reports that fewer than half of all Americans are satisfied with their jobs.
    So what can you do? Chang's book, along with a number of other resources (see below), can help you explore the problem in-depth. Meanwhile, try these suggestions:
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  • Compile a list of activities, hobbies, and aspects of your current job that you enjoy. Career-assessment tools like the Strong Interest Inventory—available through your local college or university's career center—aren't just for those who are trying to choose a career; they can help you tap into interests you may have forgotten about or that have developed over time.
        
  • Once you have a list, identify ways to introduce some of these interests into your work life, whether it's by launching a new program at your library or looking for an entirely new position. As you know, being in the library field means you have many options! However, given the current economy, you may prefer to start by seeking volunteer opportunities or a part-time job in another library just to see if you feel the same way in a new setting.
        
  • You might also go on a job interview to test the waters; sometimes officially putting yourself in a job-search frame of mind can help you see your current situation in a new light-and it may not be as dismal as you think.
        
  • Often these exercises will lead you to "career serendipity"—falling into the right situation at the right time.
        
  • The most important factor is that you take action. "Action will help you do much better thinking than you could ever hope to do sitting still and weighing all the theoretical facts," advises Barbara Sher in I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was (DTP, 1995). "Even action in the wrong direction is informative."
        
  • Don't overlook the fact that you may just need to take a real vacation. Better yet, attend a library conference and be invigorated by the energy of your colleagues! You might even find a session that specifically addresses this problem: Check out "Second Innocence: Renewing the Work and Life Journey at Midlife" at ALA Annual Conference in Orlando, featuring John Izzo, author of Second Innocence: Rediscovering Joy and Wonder (Berrett-Koehler, 2004).
        
  • Ultimately, you must listen to your heart: Those who find their true calling do so by following what inspires their passion.

Additional Resources

    From Burned Out to Fired Up: A Woman's Guide to Rekindling the Passion and Meaning in Work and Life by Leslie Godwin (Health Communications, June 2004).
    Reawakening Your Passion for Work by Richard Boyatzis, Annie McKee, and Daniel Goleman (HBR OnPoint #9659, Harvard Business School Press, 2002).
    Love the Work You're With: Find the Job You Always Wanted without Leaving the One You Have by Richard C. Whiteley (Owl, 2002).
    Passion at Work: Six Secrets for Personal Success by Kevin Thomson (Capstone, 2001).
    Transforming Work: The Five Keys to Achieving Trust, Commitment, and Passion in the Workplace by Patricia Boverie and Michael Kroth (Perseus, 2001).



(c) Copyright 2004 American Library Association