As I'm washing dishes today, I'm constantly thinking of what I have to do next. Go to the bank, get a car wash, go workout, get something to eat. The list continues. I'm on autopilot with my shoulders shrugged and brow creased. Getting to the next thing is more important than what I'm doing now. I'm not enjoying the process.
We always seem to be trying to get to the happy and fun moments without giving much thought to what we're experiencing now. So often I hear "just gotta get through the day", or "same shit different day". Your job or whatever you're trying to get out of the way may be terrible, annoying, or boring, but its the attitude you have towards it that'll make it easier to handle. Unless you have an alternative (which, if you did, you would grab right away and not complain), the task still has to be done.
Owning what you do always helps. When you really personalize something, make it your responsibility, realize your name will be on it, you start paying more attention. Think about owning a car or house versus renting either one. You just take better care of the thing you own because ultimately its you who'll have to fix it if something goes wrong. Even with such a simple thing as washing dishes, if you say to yourself, "if I don't pay attention to this and do it well, I'll be eating out of a dirty plate and might get sick", you'll be that much more focused.
I read about this "ownership perspective" a long time ago when I was perusing books that helped you narrow down your career choice. One of the books kept bringing up the fact that no matter what you choose to do, from engineering to auto sales, own that job and make it yours. Don't go in thinking you're getting paid to work. You're renting yourself (your human capital) out. Go in owning that job! Think like the owner and see what you can do to improve the place, ask questions, make suggestions, get a comment box going, whatever gets you involved.
Applying this point of view to your career is too big of a start. Keep it simple. Now how many things popped in your mind while you were reading this? Start there...