There’s nothing worse than feeling like you have to push something.
In life, there are times when the universe seems to be working against you. Nothing goes right. There’s friction. Tension. And no matter what you do to overcome it, it feels like running through one of those awful, slow motion dreams.
Have you ever experienced that feeling?
Maybe you have a boss that keeps asking you to do work that seems pointless and wasteful.
Maybe you’ve “said yes” to too many commitments, and excitement has turned into dread.
Maybe the “guru’s” advice sounds great in theory, but putting it into action feels like pulling out your hair.
This is a killer of dreams and can make an 8-hour day feel like 18.
My mantra is this: If it feels forced, it’s fake.
And when you’re being fake, people notice.
And when people notice you’re being fake, they move on.
Because nobody wants another fake person with a lack of integrity in their lives.
You’re not (necessarily) the problem
The mistake would be thinking that you’re broken.
Sometimes, you have to “fake it till you make it” in order to get by. In days past, I worked in the IT industry. It was all well and good—I know more than the average bear.
But I wasn’t a business IT professional. And my boss knew it.
I did the best I could (though sometimes I probably could have applied myself more, if I’m being honest).
But there’s a clear difference between the work I did then and the work I am doing now.
Did I change? No.
The work did. The grind did. The circumstances did.
Personal development is helpful in my opinion. But sometimes, it’s not that you need to be developed, it’s that you need to be transported.
If you find yourself in a situation where you have to act fake in order to collect a paycheck, complete a task, or fulfill a role, you need to find the door — ASAP.
It’s not fair to you, and it’s certainly not fair to those who are counting on you.
This one’s for the entrepreneurs…
If you work for yourself, you probably know that guy or gal can be a slavedriver.
Entrepreneurs can be easily tempted into the comparison game.
It’s an insidious trap — don’t fall for it.
You shouldn’t do something just because someone else is, or told you to. You need a clear vision for rising above the noise.
Forced = fake.
The strategy that’s killing it for another business may produce crickets for you.
Why? Are they better than you at executing? It’s possible, for sure. But maybe they’re so good at it because it’s natural. Or maybe they’ve put in the work to the point where it feels natural.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
If I hate it, I won’t keep doing it. I’m not suggesting you don’t do hard things. Hard work is not a bad thing.
I’m suggesting you do things that make sense in the context of who you are.
When you go beyond that line, you’re not fooling anyone.
What are you doing that feels forced and/or fake? Stop it.
Do something that makes you happy, feels congruent, and makes sense. People will notice that, too.
And I’d bet it will make a difference in your results.