The way you deal with a task you don’t want to do greatly defines how you approach change.

You can refuse to do it, as you don’t want. Set out to seek another task, another job, another purpose. And yet, despite the continuos search, you favour the status quo. Your status quo. No big changes on the horizon.

You can do it, without commitment. Do just the bare minimun, or maliciously comply. Most organizations almost demand you to do that. Even in this case, there’s not much to expect in terms of change, as the less you commit the more things will stay the same. Your boss is not going to realize they are wrong.

You can do it, to the best of your possibilities. Already in the act of doing, trying to better the outcome, even if marginally. And in the meantime letting the minor achievements recharge your batteries and increase your competence. All in preparation of changing the task itself and the hearts of those assigning it. Drip by drip. Until you actually end up liking it. It’s a long and windy road, and you’ll end up changing the world.

It’s normal to want to please others. It’s naive to try to please everybody.

Eventually, you’ll have to say some nos, whether you’ll do that explicitly or implicitly. The different commitments you have taken are going to clash with one another, and at least a bunch of them are going to be left behind. Your work is going to put off some people, and in the attempt to smooth the corners, you’ll end up losing those who used to like it as well.

When you try to please everybody, it’s highly likely you’ll please nobody.

Instead, start by asking some uncomfortable yet important questions. Who am I trying to serve? Who/what does matter to me? Who do I think highly of? What should I do today to achieve what I set out to do tomorrow?

It sounds counter intuitive that by looking for answers within ourselves we’ll end up serving others better. You should give it a try.