…
Last week, I asked you to notice what drains you.
Not what’s hard.
Not what takes the longest.
What quietly drains your energy… even when you’re perfectly capable of doing it.
And based on some of the replies I got?
This hit a nerve.
Because most of us have been taught to interpret exhaustion one way:
You need better discipline.
Push through.
Tighten the schedule.
Be more consistent.
But I want to suggest something different.
What if the issue isn’t your discipline?
What if it’s your design?
The thing I wish I had noticed sooner
I’ve had seasons where I blamed myself for inconsistency.
Especially when I had a full planner, clear goals, and still found myself avoiding certain tasks like they personally offended me.
(That sentence feels a little too honest, but here we are.)
What I’ve learned is this:
You can be highly competent in work that is completely misaligned with how you naturally function.
That’s the trap.
Because competence makes you think, I should be fine doing this.
Meanwhile your brain is quietly filing a complaint.
I saw this recently after spending several hours doing detailed backend business tasks. Spreadsheet-ish things. Repetitive setup. Tiny decisions stacked on tiny decisions.
Nothing objectively terrible.
And yet by the end? I was toast.
Not because I worked too long.
Because I was working outside my natural strengths for too long.
That’s a very different problem.
Why capable individuals get mistaken for inconsistent
This is where Working Genius has been so fascinating for me.
It gives language to the difference between:
- work that energizes you
- work you can do but resent
- work you procrastinate because it feels mentally expensive
- work that looks simple on paper but somehow takes all your emotional bandwidth
That last one matters more than people realize.
Because if you keep trying to “fix” yourself with productivity tools while ignoring the kind of work draining you…
you’ll keep solving the wrong problem.
Quick experiment before you read the blog
Take 60 seconds.
Look back at your last few days and ask:
What work gave me energy?
What work made me want to suddenly clean a drawer instead?
What do I keep calling procrastination that might actually be friction?
That answer tells you a lot.
This week’s rabbit hole (the useful kind)
I wrote this week’s blog because I think this conversation matters.
It breaks down:
✔ what Working Genius actually is
✔ why burnout is not always a time problem
✔ how to spot energy leaks in your workflow
✔ what to start changing immediately
Because honestly, one specific part of the assessment surprised me more than I expected. I’ll save that for the workshop.
[Read the blog here →]
If this feels uncomfortably familiar...
I’m hosting a Working Genius workshop soon because this is one of those tools that gets practical fast.
Not personality fluff.
Real “ohhhh THAT’S why this part of my work always feels terrible” clarity.
If you’re trying to build momentum, lead well, or just stop feeling weirdly drained by work you technically handle just fine, this will help.
I’ll share details soon, but if you want first dibs, just hit reply and say WORK.
One last thing
You may not need more discipline.
You may need better alignment.
That distinction changes a lot.
Talk soon,
Terrie
Ready to figure out what’s actually draining you?
I’m hosting a live Working Genius Workshop on June 16 from 7:00–9:00 PM Central, and if this email has you nodding along, this is where we make it practical.
You’ll learn how your natural geniuses impact your productivity, where frustration tends to show up, and why some work feels energizing while other tasks make you want to alphabetize your pantry.
Bonus: When you register, you’ll also receive the Working Genius assessment PLUS a private 30-minute walkthrough of your results with me at no extra cost (a $40 value).
So this isn’t just “take a test and good luck.” We’ll actually help you understand what it means.
If you’re tired of feeling inconsistent when you know you’re capable, this could be a game changer.
