Too Much of the Wrong Work

I don’t typically get burned out just because I’m trying to do too much. I get burned out when I’m doing too much of the wrong type of work.

A few hundred church bulletins had to be perforated each week when I served as a pastor.
I HATED it.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t do it.
Or that I thought the task was beneath me.
I’m just not wired for that kind of work.

Tedious tasks drain me.
Some people find that kind of repetitive grind energizing.
“It’s kind of relaxing,” they say.
My brain can’t comprehend that absurdity.

I was blessed with a tenacious coworker.
He was one of those sadists who enjoy such things.
I never simply asked the man to help me out.
Young Jimmy didn’t have that kind of self-awareness.

Each week I’d sit the bulletins on the white plastic banquet table that doubled as our weekday workspace. “I’ll get to these this afternoon” I would say to no one in particular...but always within earshot of my coworker. I’d then scurry off to some task more palatable to my underdeveloped attention span.

Coming back to perfectly perforated bulletins always felt like Christmas morning to me. “No worries at all” he would say. “Happy to help.”
I’m sure he was on to my deceit, but that was okay with me.
At least I didn’t have to sit there for an hour bashing my head against the table.

Brian, if you read this…
I’m sorry for the manipulation,
Thank you for saving my sanity,
And maybe you’re welcome? Since you always enjoyed doing such things. 😂

I’m learning through The Six Types of Working Genius that I don’t typically get burned out just because I’m trying to do too much. I get burned out when I’m doing too much of the wrong type of work.

Now I just have to fix the problem without tricking my coworkers!

Can anyone else relate?