Let me put this another way; have you gotten very good at duties that you do not enjoy? Of course you have, it’s the definition of diligence. You do what your job requires. It’s the stuff you set aside to do later. It’s the ugly stack that piles up. You force yourself to get it done and your energy is depleted.

For me, it’s all the detail work including contracts, invoices, meetings, schedules, bookkeeping, etc. This list makes me cringe. Having said all that, anyone who knows me will tell you I’m incredibly organized and capable of impeccable planning. Not because I love it, but because I have to. Knowing what energizes me and what burns me out keeps my work-life in balance.

Here is a short list of tips that will keep you energized and capable of the full range of skills your job requires:

• Do an honest self-assessment focusing on enjoyable skills. Define your natural born strengths.

• Pay attention to enjoyment rather than competence when evaluating your skill preferences.

• Notice when you are burning out a skill that you previously enjoyed. You may need to take a break for a while to get re-energized.

• Never assume you cannot learn a skill. You can be good at many things. Nothing stops you from broadening your scope of competence.

We live in a world where we need to be nimble. The best way to accomplish this is to keep learning new things and never be afraid of new skill-related challenges. I know, easy to say, hard to do!