Craig Verley

We have officially launched into that period of time where it will be a big blur between now and the holidays.

What do you mean, it is already a big blur? As our responsibilities and to-do list seem to grow with each school year, it would be very easy to see how the school year is already a big blur. The scary thing is, the busiest time of the year comes with the second half of the school year!

With the increased demands and pressures come more stress, and the very real issues of job burnout become something to deal with as you quite possibly lose touch with what originally brought you joy in your job.

I offer up a New Year’s Resolution for you. Rediscover your job joy.

Before you ring in the new year, make it a point to reflect upon the aspects of your job you found or find joy in. What tasks, responsibilities, parts of projects, etc. are the ones that bring you the most joy or are the ones that give you the most satisfaction in doing and completing?

Are those job joys still a regular part of what you do? Are they an ever-shrinking part of your job? If those job joys are missing, find a way to get them back into what you do as a regular part of your job. This could mean you have to be a little more intentional with scheduling your day/week/project lists, etc. It could also mean that you take a task back from someone you delegated it to.

Like so many other New Year’s Resolutions, it may be hard to keep up with it as the spring semester gets crazy. That just means you should be a little more intentional with keeping your job joy on your personal to-do list and/or schedule. Block that time out on your calendar if you must. Just like any other New Year’s Resolution, it is okay if you fall off the job joy wagon. Just climb back on, and with time, it may become routine.

So, as you get to take a bit of a breather during the holiday break, allow yourself to reflect a little on what aspects of your job bring you joy. Then make one of your New Year’s Resolutions to find ways to rediscover and hold on to your job joy. A little job joy can go a long way towards personal and professional happiness.

Once you have reflected on it, let me know what your job joy is! I would love to see hear about.