Are you tired of your work routine? 
Do you feel like you've stopped learning and can't see where your career is going?

It’s quite normal to sometimes feel bored at work; indeed, an article in the Harvard Business Review states that occasionally having little to do during the working day can actually be a positive thing, as it gives you valuable time to reflect. However, if you feel as if you are constantly lacking challenges in your career, this is more problematic, but it’s also far from uncommon. 33% of Belgians report that they are bored at work, and 36% of Belgian employees aged under 35 say that they wish to change career. One reason for this boredom and lack of motivation is the fact that they feel they are not being challenged and have no opportunity to progress.

However, before you consider making a career change, let's take a look at your current job and think about what can be improved.

To help you out, here are 5 ways to escape your daily work routine and increase the benefits you reap from your job beyond the paycheck. These will help you to set your own challenges at work and rediscover your motivation!

1. Show initiative

In order to make a change, you have to take the first step and show some initiative. Opportunities are very rare and usually come up randomly or at a time when you least expect them, so it’s important to create them instead of waiting for the right moment. Show your employer that you are interested in taking on a new task. Ask them about what new and upcoming projects they have, and discuss things that matter to your company.

Another form of challenge could come from taking an active role in organising different types of activity within your workplace: these could include team building activities or other events, but all would show your interest and present an opportunity for you to do something different.

2. Work for yourself

Don’t just work for your company, start working for you. Do things that keep you interested, for instance find new projects to work on; this will help you stand out from other employees.  It’s also important to find passion in your work, and having your own projects may help you achieve this. Passion is crucial, because if you are passionate about what you do, you will be willing and able to work harder without feeling tired, and will avoid feeling frustrated with your job if things become difficult.

3. Set goals for yourself

Having goals makes it easier to move forward in life. If you have something to achieve, you will want to put all your efforts into working for it. Try to set goals for yourself every month, and break them down into daily actions. In this way, you can increase your productivity and your workday won't feel meaningless. However, your goals should be realistic, so they remain firmly within reach: they could include increasing the number of sales you make each month, or be more long-term, for instance securing a promotion.

4. Get out of your comfort zone

Everybody enjoys feeling comfortable in what they do. But once you reach this comfortable state, it’s easy to stay there and not want to move forward. This is not a productive situation to get into, especially not if you wish to achieve something in life. The idea of a comfort zone is one of the necessary evils in working life. Try to get out of your comfort zone by setting yourself new challenges.

5. Refresh your skills

Once you are satisfied with the skills you have, you may feel as if you don’t need to do any more to develop or learn. But this is something that will limit your progress in your job. Try to reflect on your weak points: once you’ve identified them, you can work on them and improve them.

It’s easy to choose the first job you find: you may not really have any interest in or passion for it, but you may think it’s the right decision for financial reasons. However, this can then come back to haunt you later when you find yourself feeling unmotivated and bored, as we have discussed in this article. Finding a new job is difficult, but leaving your current job without having an alternative can create financial difficulties. If you feel like you might be getting closer to a decision to go for a change, try to spice up your current job while you're looking for a new one. This will help you not only to improve your skills, but also to get more enjoyment out of what you do at the moment. It will also ultimately better prepare you for your next job.

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