Why You Don’t Feel Like Yourself Lately (And How to Fix It)

https://youtu.be/Mu1raqBvrno

Hey there! We're back on the porch with my dog, Olaf. Today, I want to talk to you about the problem you encounter when you’re just "sucking it up" at work, eking through, and not leaning into your natural strengths. We'll explore how to recognize when this is happening and what you can do about it.

When You Don't Feel Like Yourself

For the last few years, I navigated a lot of health issues that required me to slow my business down. When I was finally able to return to work full-time, I was met with a massive backlog of daily operational details. It was standard, necessary work—the daily mechanics of running a business.

If you’ve been following along for a while, you know my core nature is that of an innovator. I generate new ideas, test concepts, and create. I know this about myself because I took an assessment called the Kolbe A Index, which revealed strengths I didn't even realize I possessed. Ever since, I’ve been on a journey to recalibrate my life so I can lean into those strengths as much as possible.

When I came back to work, however, roughly 90% of my time was spent handling details way outside my wheelhouse. It had to be done to keep things afloat, but operating outside my natural hardwiring left me completely drained.

Why So Many of Us Work Against Our Hardwiring

Many of us end up in jobs or routines that drain us because of how we were raised.

In healthy relationships, parents act as a "mirror" for a child—reflecting back who the child uniquely is and helping them co-create a life that fits them. But many of us grew up in highly prescriptive environments (whether religious, academic, cultural, or strict family structures) where we were told what to think, do, feel, and wear. Our natural tendencies were often pushed down.

When you aren't mirrored well early in life, adulthood becomes a continuous search to answer: "Who am I, and where do I fit?"

This is why assessments like the Kolbe A, Myers-Briggs, DiSC, or Enneagram can be so valuable. To me, an assessment isn't about putting you in a rigid box. Its true value lies in acting as a mirror. When you read your results and think, "Oh yeah, that feels true," it gives you clarity and permission to accept who you are.

When I first got my Kolbe results, I was actually upset. It revealed strengths almost in direct opposition to who I thought a "good, productive person" was supposed to be based on my upbringing. Coming to terms with how I’m naturally wired has been a process.

The Exponential Energy of Delegating

Recently, I hired an assistant. As she started taking over the operational tasks that were outside my wheelhouse, something amazing happened.

Tasks that strained my energy to complete were completely effortless for her. She loved doing them, and they actually gave her energy.

As I delegated those responsibilities to someone wired for them, it freed up an exponential amount of creative energy in my own life. I started waking up with bursts of inspiration and ideas again. I thought to myself, "Oh, I'm back. I feel like myself again."

We all have to pay the bills, make mortgage payments, and manage life's practical details. But when daily logistics take center stage for too long, life turns into drudgery.

"Ideas without logistics are just dreams. But logistics without dreams is just drudgery."

"You're Not Lazy, You're Just Drained"

If you feel stuck, unmotivated, or like you have no energy, it may not be a personal failing. It could simply be situational: you are working almost exclusively outside your natural strengths.

Working outside your wheelhouse sucks you dry. It makes work feel like trying to swim through mud—it takes massive effort, and you don't get very far.

Conversely, when you step into a role, department, or business structure that celebrates how you naturally operate, you feel an immediate lift:

• Traditional Productivity Advice May Not Work for You: Standard advice often says to "focus on one thing at a time." For me, that grinds my productivity to a halt. I operate best with 35 tabs open, working dynamically.

  
  

• Delegate Based on Your Wiring, Not Standard Rules: Traditional business advice might tell you to outsource social media or content creation. But for me, content creation is easy and energizing—accounting is what drains me. Delegate what drains your specific energy.

  
  

Leaning Into Who You Are

If you are looking at your next career move, selecting a degree, or restructuring your workday, make sure it fits within your natural wheelhouse. Even if it goes against what your culture, parents, spouse, or colleagues think you "should" be doing, it is okay to lean into the way you are hardwired.

If you are currently in a heavy season of life—like caregiving or taking a necessary job that drains you—know that there is hope and a way forward. Small shifts toward your natural strengths can yield massive returns in your energy and joy.

🌿 Next Steps & Resources

If you want a practical tool to discover how you naturally take action, I highly recommend checking out the Kolbe A Index.

• Take the Assessment or Book a Deep Dive: Head over to shannonlpost.com and click on the "Work With Me" links to take the assessment or book a deep dive session where we break down your results practically.