6 Ways to Get Back Your Job Mojo

We've all been there. The onset is slow, but one day you just wake up and find yourself dreading going to work. You used to love your job and now you're bored witless. This is common — a new job, like a new relationship, is exciting at first but eventually becomes mundane and well, life. So do you just start sending out your resume and perusing job boards? Not necessarily. You may just need to revive your career libido. Here are a few ways to get your job mojo back.

1. Ask for more challenges

You may be bored because you just don't have enough responsibility. Talk to your boss about getting more responsibility or being put on a different kind of project. Also, consider following the Jim Carrey school of thought in the mediocre film Yes Man and just say OK to more opportunities and challenges. It can really open your eyes to your potential, and give your mood a boost.

2. Network more

Advancing in your career is really all about networking. Start asking for e-mail introductions and going to more events, not necessarily for the purpose of getting a new job but just to get more contacts for when you eventually do want to move up. Also ask people, not necessarily in your industry, what they think you should do career-wise. It can give you a whole new perspective. Though networking sounds like this very outdated term, it is actually still the top way to get a new job. Fox Business says between 60 and 80 percent of jobs are landed through networking.

3. Take a class

Boost your skills with a class or online program. This will keep you busy and help you with your next career move. Some great resources for online business or media classes are MediaBistro, University of Phoenix, DeVry, or Excelsior.

4. Go on a (short) trip

A extended vacation may make it even harder to go back to work. But getting away on a long weekend may be just what you need. You will come back feeling refreshed and maybe with a new perspective.

5. Make an accomplishments list

If you feel like you can't get motivated without praise or encouragement from your boss, make a list of all the tasks you accomplish every day, whether they're small or large. Congratulate yourself on all of them. If you do this enough you may find that you don't need praise or promotion from a superior in your company in order to feel proud of your work.

6. Revive your wardrobe

Putting together a particularly snazzy (that's right, I used the word snazzy) outfit will actually make you feel better. That old saying of dress for the job you want not the job you have really applies here. Clinical psychologist Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner says, “When you dress in a certain way, it helps shift your internal self. We see that when we do makeovers, and even actors say that putting on a costume facilitates expression of character. That’s just as true for everyday life.”