Doing these 5 things could help you love your job more in 2020

The start of a new year is a time of reflection. Personally, you’re looking to make a change; reach for things you may have missed, connect with people more. And professionally, you’re also thinking of what you can do in terms of those goalposts; how you can excel in your field and get atop that career ladder.

Some can truly say they love their jobs, but even a dream job (should you be lucky enough to have it) comes with setbacks and days you wish you could start over even though it’s only 11 AM. And when the going gets tough, we can’t do a Bridget Jones; throwing a quippy insult to a room before storming out and into another position right off the bat – if only – nor can we hightail it to a bar in Spain to begin again at the drop of a hat, but what we can do is make our working life easier. We can give ourselves a professional overhaul by putting into practice some of these helpful career resolutions  which should lead to a happier time in the office (provided you’re not planning to jack it all in of course):

Think About How You Can Make Your Work More Meaningful

If you’re unhappy with your job, you have a choice. You can decide to make positive changes or jump ship. “Look at what choices you can make, and actions you can take, that are going to bring you more meaning. That may mean making changes in your career to get the fulfilment you’re seeking or readjusting the rewards you seek from work and other areas of your life,” says Danielle Harlan, founder and CEO of the Center for Advancing Leadership and Human Potential.

Kill Colleagues With Kindness (Yes, All Of Them)

Not every workmate is going to want to be your BFF, just as in life, not everyone will like you. But you can embrace the haters. Be the bigger person and be professional and warm – you don’t have to be best buds, you simply have to work with them and not let productivity get affected. Kill them with kindness. Your anger/hate bothers you more than them and usually, their issue doesn’t stem from you alone; it’s a combination of personal reasons and an old-fashioned clash of personalities. You don’t have to be a doormat, but nor do you have to hold a grudge.

Yearning For A Promotion? Just Go For It

Too often, we tend to put off things like asking for promotion until we’re above and beyond ready and by then, you’ve likely wasted quite a few years staying stagnant when you should be moving forward. “Sure, you want to make sure you can prove your case for what you’re asking, but you can always make up excuses about why you’re not ready, says co-author of Working for You Isn’t Working for Me: How to Get Ahead When Your Boss Holds You Back. “The longer you put off asking for a raise or promotion, the longer you’re likely going to wait for it. Sometimes, you just have to go for it.”

Find A Mentor

For every Sheryl Sandberg in life comes the mentor that stood alongside her. The mentors; the people who guided and encouraged us, who offered a hand when the chips were down. The phrase, “A lot of people, have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could” rings true; chances are you worked that little bit harder under the guise that someone just knew you could do it. If you’re lucky to have a mentor in your career, you’ll know the enormous impact they have on your life and job, and if you don’t have one, don’t be afraid to get one. They wisdom and guidance they will impart on your working life will be second-to-none.

Expect More From Those Around You

“Trusting your teammates and employees, encouraging them, and supporting them in their own stretch goals is going to strengthen your relationships and make those around you stronger, enabling you to accomplish your goals,” says former Wall Street analyst and editor Amy Newmark.