5 Simple Strategies to Improve Your Career Satisfaction

If you were asked how satisfied you are with your current career, how would you respond?

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being extremely satisfied, would your rating be an 8 or higher? If not, you may find something valuable in this post.

It is common to complain about what's not working at work. It's less common to proactively examine what we can do to raise our level of job satisfaction.

Our relationship with our career is determined by our thoughts about it. If you're having lots of positive thoughts about work, you're likely to rate your satisfaction higher than someone who is having more negative thoughts about work.

While we cannot control certain aspects of our work, we have 100% control over our thoughts about it.

Here are 5 simple strategies to help boost your level of career satisfaction: 

1. Set healthy boundaries - It's so important to actively make time for rest and play, in addition to work. If you allow work to take over your life, you risk burnout and exhaustion which lead to lower levels of satisfaction. Create a realistic cut-off time for your work activities and stick to it unless there is a true emergency. Practice saying no more often to avoid overloading your plate and take your earned vacation time to unplug and recharge.
   
   
2. Plan for the day - Preparation is key to help align your expectations for the day ahead. Begin your preparation the night before by reviewing your schedule, anticipating potential challenges (appointments/meetings scheduled through lunch hours) and plan how you can care for yourself while meeting work responsibilities. One suggestion by success experts is to establish the most important task (MIT) for the day that will help you feel a sense of accomplishment. Focus on completing your MIT each day and notice how you feel at the end of the work day.
   
   
3. Identify your wins for the day - Having a ritual to wrap up the end of your day by taking stock of your wins is a great habit to form. Ask yourself what is one thing you did today that mattered. How did you contribute meaningfully with the work that you did? The day should be about more than just being busy with activities. Keeping a list of your daily wins is a great way to distinguish between the busyness of multiple activities and what really matters. Read over your list at the end of each week to increase your sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
   
   
4. Create a mentor team - Maybe you've been feeling stuck and thinking about a change. Finding a team of mentors who can help guide you as you consider your options to advance or shift your career can be invaluable. In my experience, seeking out different individuals with diverse backgrounds and expertise can better inform your process as you think about your future. A career, business or executive coach can also provide direction and help you to move past mindset obstacles as you think about your next steps.
   
   
5. Take mental breaks throughout the day - Sometimes we get so focused on work that we literally forget to pause and take a much needed break. Step outside for a breath of fresh air, listen to your favorite song or a motivating song for 3-5 minutes, move your body, etc. Your mental health is a priority so make sure you find feasible ways to interrupt the constant busyness of the day.
   

There are many more strategies that may find their way into a future post, but the above are fairly simple ones that can have a huge return on investment.

Which strategy speaks most to you? Let me know in the comments.