There's a simple test for the New Year job blues. Fast forward to Sunday night when a working week awaits you. Do you go to bed depressed, or looking forward to the excitement of the week ahead? What really motivates you to set your alarm clock for a dark and icy January morning? And why do you sit there week after week doing work that doesn't matter to you, using only a fraction of your skills?

John Lees, career transition coach and author:  

A worrying number of people find that they get very little out of their work beyond a payslip. Sometimes it's because only limited kinds of work are accessible, but far more often it's because workers haven't yet made the connection between what it is they do well and the real range of work that is on offer.

Danger alert:
Watch for the dangers of demotivation. Not only do you start to care less about your work, but you start to signal to your employer that you have become more of a cost than an asset. Key decision makers quickly sense who is energised and focused, and who has lost the plot.

Take control:
If you feel more of a wage slave than someone in their ideal job, it's time to take control of your career. This does not mean jumping into the job market. There are steps you can take first of all to renegotiate your job. Look hard at what you enjoy in work and what you dislike. Act on the things that are in your control.

Re-energise:
And remember that at any given time up to 70% of people are unhappy in work. That doesn't mean you have to join them. The key thing is to put some of the energy you put into complaining about work into re-energising your work performance. If that doesn't work, move into an active job search.

John Lees is best selling author of How to Get a Job You'll Love and Take Control of Your Career