Enthusiasm is thought by many to be the secret of success. (Leadership and Development, n.d.) That is why our company made it part of our core values. Our zest and eagerness for the chiropractic profession, the doctors, their teams, and their patients is what gets us out of bed in the morning and helps us provide a level of service that is difficult to replicate. Passion and enthusiasm are not something that you can "fake it till you make it." It comes from the heart and soul.
If you have been working in the same industry, or for the same practice, for any significant amount of time, you know there are times when you don't feel quite so enthusiastic or passionate about the work you're doing. It is important in these moments to distinguish whether you have lost your passion or are just experiencing workplace burnout. What's the difference? I wondered the same thing and ran across an amazing article on Linkedln by Dr. Clark Gaither. In the article, he states that burnout consists of three main components; emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a lack of a sense of personal accomplishment in one's work. (Clark Gaither, 2015)
Emotional Exhaustion - a feeling of being emotionally depleted to the point where you feel you can no longer give of yourself at an emotional or psychological level.
Depersonalization - the development of negative and cynical feelings leading to a callous and dehumanized perception of patients, which further leads to the view that they are somehow deserving of their problems and troubles.
Lack of a Sense of Personal Accomplishment - feeling so little reward that there is a tendency to evaluate oneself in negative terms, which can lead to dissatisfaction and unhappiness in one's work, creating a lack of a sense of personal accomplishment. Dr. Gaither states that everyone who suffers from burnout will always feel a loss of passion, but you can also lose passion without being burned out. He recommends the following tips for reigniting your passion.
Work has become too routine - Routine can lead to boredom after a while. If your work has become too routine, then you may need to call on your creativity. Excitement and creativity dance hand in hand. If you are continuously creating something new and different, then you are probably still very excited, even emotional, when it comes to your passion.
You are sidetracked and drifting - You may have lost your passionate drive because you have pivoted, or turned into a headwind, or headed in the wrong direction. Shut down the interference. Eliminate your distractions. Redirect, recalibrate, and refocus yourself on what you were meant to do and be.
You are trying to do too much for too many - When you found work about which you were passionate, work then became play for you, and you were happy. Then, everyone wanted what you were selling. Now, it just seems like work again. You began to work harder trying to produce more and more. Now you feel overextended. When you suffer, your work will suffer. Maybe it is time to slow down and savor your gifts and talents.
In the ten years that I have worked in Chiropractic, there have been plenty of days when I questioned if I still felt passion and enthusiasm for my company, our profession, and the work that I do. The tips provided by Dr. Gaither helped me to identify the source of the problem so that I could communicate what was going on with our executive team. When work became routine, I was given a new project. When I was overwhelmed, I was given help. I have never worked anywhere as long as I have for ChiroHealthUSA, and I can't imagine working anywhere else for the rest of my life. Working in Chiropractic ignited a passion in my soul that I could not imagine living without. If you are feeling less than enthusiastic about work, talk to someone so that you can reignite your passion and enthusiasm again. Life is too short to live without passion.
Kristi Hudson is a certified professional compliance officer (CPCO). She serves as the Director of Business Relationships for ChiroHealthUSA where she has helped to educate DCs and CAs on establishing simple and compliant financial policies. You can contact Kristi at 888-719-9990 or Kristi@ chirohealthusa.com, or you can visit the ChiroHealthUSA website at www.chirohealthusa.com.
References
1. Clark Gaither, M. F. (2015, March 3).
2. Lost Passion vs Burnout: Do You Know the Difference? Retrieved from Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lost-passion-vs-burnout-do-you-know-difference-gaither-md-faafp/
3. Leadership and Development, (n.d.). Enthusiasm. Retrieved from Leadership and Development: https://leadership-and-develop...
