I was having a conversation with a dear friend (Joan Emery) this evening and the conversation turned to things we did that really neither served us, nor made use of our strengths. Now, no one would know that some things that we did weren’t our strengths, because to the outside world we appear [wink] invincible. But, nonetheless, the energy it takes to be really really good at something that isn’t natural or fun or effortless could be better spent on other things.
So why do so many of us continue to struggle or slog through tasks, roles, relationships and ways of working and being that really don’t serve us?
Sometimes it’s a matter of not showing a weakness, whether that’s to others or to ourselves. Sometimes it’s because even though it’s not a strength, we might (think we) do it better than others. Sometimes it’s because we want people to like us, or think we’re smart, or or…well, any number of reasons.
But the bottom line is–why struggle? If you don’t enjoy or even worse, dread doing something, why do it? Of course, there are some things we have to do. We have to pay the bills, do the laundry, do our taxes. But most of us do far more things we don’t need to be doing or that we could be doing in an easier or more tactical way. And we keep doing them until some life situation makes us do a double-take and reassess how we spend our time.
Why wait?
I’m constantly reassessing the things I do, but I’m going to dig even deeper this month. I’ll be looking to see what’s really important to me. How easy all the things I’m doing are for me. And how they all are in accord with what I value.
Leave a comment