This is certainly true. Being bored to a large extent is a personal choice. Things can be as interesting as you make them, but it requires looking at things from different perspectives sometimes.

You're probably right.

Can give some practical advice or pointers about how to become interested in something? What do you practically mean by "engage"?

Second point: even though something is "only" in your head, it doesn't necessarily mean it's easy to change.

The question then becomes not whether it's possible to become interested in something, but whether it's worthwhile to put your time and energy into doing so as opposed to doing something you find interesting from the start.

I guess things are 'interesting from the start' because of a coincidental state of mind when approaching the topic. Its emotional, not intellectual?

Engaging is pretty well understood. Its putting your full consistent attention on a task, and attempting to perform it better.

I find some things interesting at some point, and not interesting at others. The thing doesn't of course change. Its all me.

Not sure why you were downvoted. I totally agree with you.

One of my past manager told me that the trick of making a boring job interesting is to introduce a layer of abstraction to the task.

For example, if you have to right a lot of boiler plate code then write a code generator.

"The trick to making a boring job interesting is to make it more complicated". This is IMO terrible advice for building software.

Edit: your example seems like a good instance of applying this _well_, but I would not tell anybody this as general advice.

For me if something is super boring, I will try to perceive it as a "free zen meditation session". Just do the boring stuff, but also try to work on my posture, breathing and so on, and engage.

I'm far from perfect with it, but it has changed the way I perceive work forever.

I’m guessing you’re a manager.

Developer all my life.

I don't know... Have you ever done manual QA as a full time job?

Some mechanical menial jobs can be satisfying. At least when you can get in the zone, and see what you've accomplished at the end of the day.

I grew up on a farm. There was a lot of that. It took mental discipline, which most folks may not have an opportunity to develop in this hypercharged media world.

I didnt grow up on a farm but grew up on a good bit of land with a lot of yard work that needed to be done. I agree that some jobs like that can be satisfying but its very different from a computer based role.

At the end of the day when you have taken a large tree branch and turned it into a stacked pile of chopped wood you feel a sense of accomplishment. It doesnt feel quite the same when you've cleared 4 QA UI tickets.