Let’s face it–it happens to all of us.  No matter how excited we are about our new career or company, the morning will inevitably arrive when we roll over to look at the alarm clock, and groan as we think of the day ahead.

It’s human nature, right?

The longer we do something, the more commonplace it becomes.  As time passes, the excitement we previously felt about our glorious, fresh beginning can just trickle away as we face the daily tasks demanded by our new business.

Hmm, perhaps…

It’s another part of our very human nature to feel dismay when we realize that we’re no longer stoked beyond belief to sit at the keyboard every day.  We silently scold ourselves, “But you’re working for yourself now—remember that this was your DREAM!” We feel bad because we no longer feel great about our passion.

Whoa.  This is where we need a reality check.

Just because you’ve lost your enthusiasm for your work doesn’t mean that you’ve lost your passion for it.  Instead, it usually indicates that it’s time for a break.

Taking a break—short versus long

A break from work?
For some of us, taking a break from work is impossible.  We have too much to do, too little time, too many bills.  Even with all of this bearing down upon you, take a break.

Try to take an hour or two in your day to get away in whatever way is possible.  A walk outside or a hot bath is preferable to a video game because those passive activities encourage resting the part of the brain used during work. And use the time as a true mental getaway; do not think about work at all.

When you return to the keyboard in a few hours, change how you are doing your work.  Even accomplishing a small change such as researching new invoice software or spending time in your workday to find a better way to reach customers can result in a definite shift in attitude over a short time. The newness of a thing almost always gives it an outward sparkle, so in your daily work include as many new practices and tasks as you can.

Indulge yourself

On the other hand, if it’s possible, take a longer break from work.  Take a couple of days off and just dawdle, indulge in bad novels, eat too much Thai food, or binge watch Outlander—do something in which you are totally indulging yourself while doing exactly what you want.

Do this for hours each day.

Chances are that if you continue to coddle yourself with indulgent behavior, you’ll soon begin to miss the challenge of winning clients and converting customers.  When you begin to long for the feeling you’re missing, remember what part of your work generates those feelings.

Getting back in the groove

As you begin to want to work again (and you will) remember what you were missing the most, and do that task as much as possible.  Reigniting your enthusiasm with rewarding tasks will get your creative juices flowing in the way that makes the transition back into work much more pleasurable.

And believe me, this ultimately is all about pleasure—the pleasure that comes from living a life you’ve designed. Remember that you arecreating that dream life by daily actions, and if those daily actions become dull and boring, it’s time to take a break and make a change to something better.