Reenergize Your Career

Whether you're a rocket scientist or a bean counter, you're prone to getting career blahs. To prevent burnout, take time each day to figure out what you can do to reenergize your career. Here are some ways — large and small — to give yourself a shot in the arm:
 

• Take a course that would be fun and helpful to the business of your career.
  
  
• Teach a course in your area of expertise. Take 1/2–day class to update computer skills. Write a series of 750– to 1000–word articles to publish in company publications, professional journals, local newspapers, or business magazines.
  
  
• Ask to be included in customer meetings, briefings, planning sessions, and sales calls.
  
  
• Take a series of career–focused three–day weekends.
  
  
• Take a sabbatical to pursue new areas of interest. Such periods of rest and renewal can last from a week up to a year.
  
  
• Take on more challenges. Replace less interesting duties with more interesting tasks.
  
  
• Serve as a mentor for young up–and–comers in your field.
  
  
• Ask someone you admire — not necessarily in your company — to be a mentor.
  
  
• Take advantage of training or management development courses your company offers.
  
  
• Review past performance appraisals with boss or colleagues to identify current development areas.
  
  
• Invite a successful, interesting person to lunch. Plan at least two lunches monthly.
  
  

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The information contained in this article is only an overview of the subject matter made for general guidance to the reader, and is subject in all cases to limitations and disclaimers set forth in Staples' Legal Terms and Conditions.