HOW TO FIND JOY IN YOUR JOB IN 2025

Why are so many of us miserable at work? According to Gallup’s annual survey 60% of us find little meaning in our work and a staggering 20% say it makes us completely miserable.

Our research suggests the explanation is a counterproductive behavioural circle. We tell ourselves work is a necessary evil. That forbearance and suffering are a price we must pay in pursuit of a ‘good’ life.

But… there is an alternative to a Groundhog Career. Challenge yourself to:

1 – Take the Red Pill: Borrowing from Morpheus, the first step is making a commitment to take a long, objective, and realistic view at your behaviours and whether you are sabotaging living your best professional life

2 – Reinvent/Risk: Work on experimenting with new career options and lowering your tolerance to take a little more calculated risk.

3 – Focusing on joy rather than pain: Everyone, and we mean everyone, has things at work that they enjoy. Focusing in on those things and finding ways to make them a bigger part of your life can be transformative.

4 – Know your purpose: it’s an overused phrase but nonetheless very important. Being clear why you do what you do. Find your compelling answer to the question ‘What’s this all for?’

Drs Schuster & Oxley are career futurists, former senior human resource executives and award-winning authors of the Shey Sinope books series that explores different contemporary career challenges. Their latest book A Groundhog Career will be published on March 18, 2025.