Do you dread going to work?
Sunday evening rolls around, and you shudder at the thought of rolling out of bed in the morning.
Do you dread getting on a Zoom call with a particular client?
You check your calendar and cringe just thinking about the upcoming conversation.
We all do sometimes. Should you quit the job and ditch the client?
Not so fast! Maybe, maybe not. It depends on the reason behind your dread.
In my work with clients, it becomes clear to me that when you’re dreading something work-related, the feeling is usually driven by one of two things:
1. Fear
You’re afraid of something — failure, walking into the unknown, being unprepared, facing people who intimidate you, confronting a challenging situation, or grappling with imposter syndrome.
2. Misalignment
It’s out of alignment with who you are — it goes against your values, falls outside of your wheelhouse, distracts you from your goals, is something you want to put behind you, or you just don’t love it.
The first step is to figure out what’s causing your dread; this distinction matters. The source points to your best course of action.
If you’re dreading something due to fear, don’t forget what’s on the flip side of the coin: discomfort demands growth. So do it anyway! That might sound easier said than done, but the reward is well worth it. The more you push past fear-fueled dread, the closer you’ll get to your goals.
But if your dread is a symptom of misalignment, reach for the opposite remedy. Growth, in this case, comes from saying “NO — don’t do it!” When you have to drag yourself, kicking and screaming, into something that doesn’t serve you anyway, it’ll only lead you astray from your goals.
No matter the reason or the cause, you don’t have to keep dwelling in dread. Let it either motivate you or signal that it’s time to move on.
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