Do You Actually LIKE What You’re Doing?
In this week’s podcast, I talk about Motivated Skills vs. Burnout Skills. Let’s dig into this concept a bit deeper.
Motivated Skills are those skills that you are both very good at and get a great deal of pleasure from doing. The reason they are called Motivated Skills is because the more you do them, the more motivated you will be about your work.
The opposite of Motivated Skills is Burnout Skills. Burnout Skills are those skills that you are very good at, but DON’T get any pleasure from doing. In fact, these skills suck the motivation right out of you. The more you have to perform Burnout Skills in your work, the more likely you are to…you guessed it…burn out.
Here’s why this is important: Many people have difficulty separating the specific job they’re in from the career path they’ve chosen. In other words, they are unhappy with work but they don’t know why.
If you find yourself in that boat, here’s what I recommend: do the Motivated Skills activity found in my free 5-day course and determine what your top 5-6 Motivated Skills are. Then compare that with the 5-6 skills on the list you are most frequently using in your current job.
I’m guessing there’s not a lot of overlap.
Here’s the link to the course: http://exclusivecareercoaching.com/professional-purpose-five-day-course/
This will help you drill down to what you really do best and enjoy the most. This will also help you identify whether you’re in the wrong career field, or just the wrong job.
What Can I Do About This?
So what to do about it? Here are my top 5 suggestions:
Pick one and go after it.
Choose one of the Motivated Skills you aren’t currently using and come up with a strategy to utilize it at work. Talk to your boss, rearrange your schedule…whatever you need to do to make it happen.
Find a way outside of work.
I’ve often coached people who have to use certain skills outside their work, because their job just doesn’t allow it. I’ve met accountants who were concert pianists, physicians who were artists and photographers, and an engineer whose hobby was quantum physics (?).
Whether it’s a hobby or a side hustle, utilizing that skill outside of work will actually bring more satisfaction to your work.
Minimize the Burnout Skills.
Maybe there’s a way you can limit your use of skills that are burning you out – those things you are good at but don’t enjoy doing. Do what you can to make this happen.
Seek equilibrium.
On days when you use a Burnout Skill extensively at work, consciously plan your evening or weekend to restore equilibrium.
For example, one of your Burnout Skills might be “Detail Management.” If you’ve spent the entire work day managing details, that’s not the day to go home and pay bills or plan a trip. You’ll probably want to be unstructured, spontaneous…perhaps engage your creativity in your free time.
Start looking elsewhere.
Of course, there’s always the option of jumping ship to a job that makes better use of your Motivated Skills. Just make sure you’re crystal clear on what they are…as well as what your Burnout Skills are. Otherwise, you risk making the same mistake again.
Don't miss a moment of Lesa Edward's Exclusive Career Coaching podcasts. This weekly podcast covers all things career management including job search strategies, interviewing tips, networking tools, maximizing LinkedIn, salary negotiations, and managing your mindset around your career.