How do you feel at the end of a day when you have been doing things you do not enjoy? I’ve asked this question thousands of times. I always (yes always) get the same answer: drained and exhausted.

I ask this as a prelude to discussing your skills. I care much less about your aptitude; I want you to focus on enjoyment. What skills boost your energy and leave you invigorated? Sometimes it can be a struggle to get in touch with skills that satisfy you deeply, but it’s worth doing. Because, sadly, your employer won’t.

Employers are focused on your ability to perform and execute at a high level. I understand this perspective but there is a huge blind spot. Your employer is pushing you uphill, forcing you to do things that drain you.

Motivated by a desire to succeed and please others, you squeeze yourself into the box of your employer’s expectations, diligently working harder and harder to satisfy others, neglecting yourself. This is a guaranteed road to burnout.

And, it’s a flawed strategy for employers. They might want their workforce to magically have the key skills to improve productivity and reap higher levels of profit. The truth about humans undermines these desires. It would be wise for employers to get curious about skill enjoyment—unleashing the untapped energy source in each of their unique employees.



Ask yourself today, how much time am I spending doing things I enjoy? Maybe this question seems too simple, but I think it's potentially life-changing.