I have been at both ends of the spectrum with a job. I have been incredibly bored and unmotivated with whatever I was tasked to do on a daily basis. I have also been completely stressed and maxed out after a full day of crisis after crisis. A friend of mine recently asked me, “If you had only those two choices–stressed out or bored–which one would you pick?”

My answer came without much deliberation: stressed out. I cannot stand being bored at work. It feels like such a waste of time–time that passes so slowly. I like staying on my toes. I like creating artificial deadlines for myself to complete tasks quickly and accurately. 

In my history at standard jobs, I was probably operating at around 60-70% of peak potential. I had extra gas in the tank, so if I had to I could push the pedal to the metal to get the job done. I have also had jobs where I had to operate at full 100%. The roles of a middle school teacher and a previous manager role come to mind. The problem with having to operate at peak performance every day is that it leads to burn out. 

So there’s a sweet spot, but I naturally choose closer to the stressed side and avoid boredom at work at all costs.