First, I'm not turning into a romance novelist.  But I am going to correlate romantic love with our work (the thing that is connected to our wiring).

I think a big problem with marriage and long-term relationships is the misconceived notion of what falling in love means.  There is a reason they call it "falling."  Falling implies a never-ending experience.  Unfortunately, we find ways to stop falling and then everything changes-for the worse. For example, I know people in relationships where they love each other.  But they're not in love anymore.  No pursuing, no ache, no shakes, and certainly no flowers.  They're together, but dead.

Does this sound like your work relationship?

Some out there may be thinking about refuting the above.  You might be thinking about how the warm and fuzzy does not last a lifetime.  You might be thinking that I don't know all the hurtful things he said.

I'm not writing this to make you feel bad about love gone wrong or shame you about a divorce.  All I'm saying is that to sustain "falling in love" you must make a decision and manage it accordingly.  Sometimes it will be effortless and sometimes it will feel like its killing you.  But either way you have a decision to make. 

So make it.

Here are some tips on staying "in love" with your work:

• Stop and ask yourself why you're spending 50+ hours doing what you do.  Scot Herrick has a great post on how career management is about your dream.
• Stop thinking that your work will make you happy.  If you're expecting it to make you happy, you'll quit when failure comes.
• Start thinking like an entrepreneur and not an employee.  You need to see the true value of what you do, and entrepreneurss understand this.
• Stop hanging with the pessimists.  These are the people that are always talking about the impending doom on the horizon.
• Staying "in love" leads to a great life.
• Do something different today.  Surprise your work with a new approach.
• Stay a learner.  Learning won't let you fall out of love.

Spoke last week to a group about blocks to their spiritual journey.  It made some uncomfortable, and that was a good thing.  Discomfort can cause one to think harder about things that comfort allows you to ignore.

Have you thought about your blocks, specifically those in your career? 

I don't recommend focusing too much attention on blocks, but managing and eliminating, so you're best can come thru, is the wisest approach.  Blocks are there to be dealt with.  I'm amazed at how often they're allowed to take on roots in our career garden.

Here are some "blocks" that can be very detrimental as you navigate your career:

1. Insecurities – these are dangerous because we often agree with them in our minds and hearts.
2. Comfort- it creates a false sense of security.
3. Intolerance – specifically, of new ideas, new people or new markets.
4. Inward focus – cripples your desire to network and to learn from the outside world.
5. Lust – a maddening desire for whatever causes an itch.  Think power and promotion here.
6. Career – too much on this one and you'll forget that life is more important.
7. Lack of vision – lack of vision is a block to seeing a great future.
8. Apathy – an mindset rooted in; "I've heard it all before."  If you have a pulse you haven't heard it all before.