The Monday Struggle

Picking up at work where I left off on Friday was always tough for me. I know Monday is just another day, but getting back into the rhythm of the work week felt harder than it seemed to for everyone else.

When I voiced my struggle to colleagues, friends or family, the feedback was often:

“It depends on how you choose to look at it.”

“It’s all in your head.”

“Change your attitude about Mondays.”

Of course, these perspectives left me questioning my coping mechanisms and wondering whether there was something wrong with me. Why did others seem to return to their 9–5 Monday-to-Friday work week with such ease?

What was I missing?

My Journey of Self-Discovery

Over the years, I found myself searching for answers, trying to understand why work felt harder for me than it seemed to for others and what conditions allowed me to do my best work.

I began questioning what made it so difficult for me to settle back into the work week. Was it the work itself, the environments I found myself in, or the way I was trying to work? Perhaps it was a combination of all three.

In my search to get to know myself better I took almost every personality assessment tool known to man! (At least I think so…) 😉

Searching for Answers Through Personality Assessments

I compared the results from one report to another, starting with Gallup StrengthsFinder, MBTI, Enneagram, DISC, Neethling Brain Instrument, 16 Personalities, the Big Five, StandOut, and many more self-development programmes.

While these tools provided valuable insights, I was still unclear about why I struggled energetically to keep up with the pace of work.

I eventually realised that comparing myself to others was a recipe for disaster.

Continuing to compare myself with people who seemed content in conventional working environments wasn’t bringing me any closer to understanding myself.

Many people appear to be at peace with the tasks they fill their days with and have little desire to pivot their careers, shift their attitudes, or make lifestyle adjustments to create more balance.

And that’s perfectly okay.

But for me, it was a different story.

The Power of Human Design

I continued searching for a deeper understanding of myself and eventually stumbled across a system called Human Design.

When I had my Human Design reading, a number of things suddenly clicked into place.

As a Projector, I learned that I wasn’t designed to work in the same way as everyone else. This insight, along with many other “aha” moments, helped me make sense of experiences I had been having for years.

For those unfamiliar with Human Design, it offers a framework for understanding how we are naturally wired. Unlike personality assessments that rely on questionnaires, Human Design uses your birth data to generate a unique chart and explore your natural strengths, tendencies and decision-making style.

One of the concepts that resonated deeply with me is the idea that there is a way of working that is uniquely your own.

Human Design continues to hold my attention because it encourages self-acceptance rather than comparison. My curiosity led me to complete a Human Design Diploma and certify as a Mind-Body Human Design Reader, and I have continued studying the system over the past few years.

Understanding the Projector Energy Type

Within Human Design there are five energy types. I learned that I am a Splenic Projector.

Projectors are often described as guides. They have a natural ability to see patterns, recognise potential in others and offer insight that helps people move forward with greater clarity and authenticity.

One aspect of the Projector description that resonated strongly with me was the idea that they are not here to fit neatly into conventional expectations. Their path often involves learning through experience, observation and self-understanding.

For years I felt as though I was trying to fit myself into ways of working that never felt quite right. Learning more about my design helped me understand that my experience wasn’t unusual and that there were reasons why certain environments felt more supportive than others.

A Different Realisation

Looking back, I can see that my struggle was never really about Mondays or even the 9–5 work model itself.

It was about understanding how I worked best, what environments brought out my strengths, and what conditions allowed me to do meaningful work without constantly pushing against myself.

Human Design gave me a language for many experiences I had been having for years. More importantly, it helped me stop comparing myself to people whose strengths, motivations and ways of working were different from my own.

What I discovered was that there was nothing wrong with me.

I simply needed to understand myself better and create a way of working that aligned with my natural strengths, values and energy.

Through this journey of self-discovery, I found greater self-acceptance, clarity and permission to work differently.

I wasn’t searching for a different career.

I was searching for work that allowed me to use my natural gifts in environments that aligned with my values and energy.

What If Nothing Is Wrong With You?

What if you’ve simply been trying to work in ways that don’t align with your natural strengths, values and energy?

That question changed the direction of my life.

If this resonates, Work Your Way: Be Yourself. Work the Way You Work Best. is a reflective guide to understanding your own way of working and the conditions that support you.

📕 Work Your Way Book

📆 Book a Session

One of the most common assumptions in workplaces is this: “If someone is capable, they should be able to perform in the role.”

But capability and role fit are not always the same thing.

An employee can be:

• intelligent
• experienced
• hardworking
• and highly committed

…while still being deeply misaligned with the demands of their role.

This is often where burnout quietly begins.

Many high performers learn how to override themselves for long periods of time. They adapt, compensate, overwork and push through environments that do not naturally support the way they operate best.

Eventually, this starts showing up as:

• exhaustion
• disengagement
• anxiety
• indecision
• emotional withdrawal
• frustration
• or declining confidence

And yet from the outside, leadership may still see:

“She’s capable.”

The issue is not always capability.

Sometimes the issue is:

• lack of autonomy
• excessive urgency
• high-conflict environments
• unclear expectations
• poor communication
• or work structures that conflict with how a person naturally works best

Different people sustain performance differently.

Some thrive under pressure and fast-paced decision-making.
Others perform better with preparation, depth and focus.
Some employees need collaborative environments.
Others do their best work independently.

Role fit is not about creating perfect comfort.

It is about understanding whether the role allows a person to perform sustainably over time without constantly operating in survival mode.

This is particularly important for leaders managing experienced or high-performing employees.

Often the employees who appear the most capable are also the ones least likely to openly admit they are struggling.

Instead, they continue producing while quietly becoming depleted.

Healthy organisations pay attention not only to output, but also to:

• workstyle
• communication patterns
• energy demands
• decision-making load
• emotional pressure
• and long-term sustainability

Because sustainable performance matters more than temporary over-functioning.

A good role fit does not mean work is always easy.

It means there is enough alignment between:

• the person
• the expectations of the role
• and the environment they are operating in

for performance to remain healthy and sustainable.

Sometimes what appears to be a performance issue is actually a role fit issue.

And when leaders become curious about that distinction, much better conversations begin to happen.

Through Workstyle mentoring sessions, Natalie helps individuals and leaders explore workstyle, role fit and sustainable ways of working that support long-term performance and wellbeing.

If you want to begin exploring in your own time buy her workstyle book.

Career development drives both employee engagement and retention. Progressive organisations committed to skills development will attract top talent. It shows the candidate, firstly that you value the human experience and secondly increases their belief that opportunities for growth exist within your company.

In our ever-changing working world with millennials demanding more opportunities to hone existing strengths and grow into leadership roles, providing your employees with career development opportunities can help prevent them from jumping ship too soon and reduce unnecessary costs spent on sourcing new talent simultaneously topping up your talent pool ready for you to dive into when they swim ashore to take up a new job opportunity or career move.

As we know losing great talent is a costly affair. Your employees who are recognised and progress in their careers are more likely to be more engaging and mentor newbies on their career journey.

Showing your employees how what they are learning now will prepare them for their next job is also a great employee motivational tool for their employability.

It is a win-win for you and your employees.

We all learn and grow at our own pace so we cannot apply a “one size fits all” approach to career development or most aspects of work and life for that matter.

Career development drives both employee engagement and retention. A win-win for both the company and the employee.

“Help your employees grow—and watch your business thrive. Begin building a career development plan now!”

Explore our services at HoHR.