Any time you’re  starting a new journey, such as a new job, you’re really excited about all of the possibilities. You have all these great ideas about what the job is going to be like and how it will fulfill your goals for yourself personally and professionally. 

After some time, you realize things aren’t quite what you thought they would be. You’re not as excited as you were in the beginning. Maybe you’ve totally lost touch with that initial passion and you’re beginning to feel burned out. 

This loss of passion can happen slowly over time. It can happen quite suddenly due to changes in the industry. Bad working conditions, disconnected bosses, and unexpected losses (EX: of control, of lunch breaks, of ability to do your job as you once did) are prevalent in community pharmacy right now.

Many of us are wondering, “How did it get this bad? How did I get here? Should I stay or should I go?” 

In order to make the decision to find a way to cope and stay in the job, or leave to find something else, reconnecting your “why” is a powerful first step.  

Take some time to remember why you took the job you have in the first place. We all work for money, but money isn’t your “why”- your “why” is what gets you excited to do your job, it lights you up, it makes you feel that you would do it for free because  you love it so much.

What I hear from community pharmacists is that they do this job because they love helping people get better. The relationships they have with their patients are rewarding and meaningful. 

If the circumstances are such that you can’t help anymore or you find you have no time for your patients, you may decide to find another job or another company. If you decide to stay in your current position, remind yourself daily why you took this job. 

Use daily affirmations or post-it notes put up at home and at work. I had post-it notes on my bathroom mirror, on the door I took to leave the house and even on my work computer. They had simple phrases written on them such as “The People Love You,”  or “Your Wisdom Heals.” 

Talk to your coworkers, customers and bosses about it whenever you get the chance. Remind your coworkers that what they do truly helps people. Tell them their kindness is like an antidepressant for people. Get the “Thank You” from your customers. Send your boss an email about something good your staff did. Your boss is a human too and as such, needs to hear good things. 

Remembering why you do this work in the first place, may reignite your passion enough to get you through a few months or even years.  It may make you realize it’s time to go. Either way, your “why” is a powerful reminder of what you value and what you love and it’s a good place to start when making that decision.

photo courtesy of CrossFit Cadre Hudson Ohio