Are you headed for burnout?

High achievers work hard! On the path to our big goals, we are vulnerable to the experience of burnout. I bet you have had this experience in the past, and it was not one you want to repeat. Today, I’ll share my definition of burnout, three signs you could be headed there (or are there!), and three ways to move out of it (or keep yourself out!).

My experience of burnout in the past is that I often don’t notice what is happening until I’m already in it. Over time, I have come to learn the signs so that I can see where I’m going before I get to that burnout state. My hope for you is that next time you find yourself on this trajectory, you’ll see that and be able to choose a different outcome. If you are feeling any of the signs I am about to cover, it is very good that you are here today!

Being burnt out means that we have been in a prolonged state of using more energy than we are generating. My definition of burnout is a prolonged state of negative energy balance. Sometimes it is days, but it can turn into weeks, months, or even years. When a candle uses all its fuel, its flame goes out. If we go day after day using more energy than we are creating, our spark goes out too. This is a physical experience, but also a mental and emotional one too.

There are three ways that we can notice this energy state earlier on. These are things I have noticed in myself, and I encourage you to reflect back on any previous experiences of burnout you have had to come up with any signs unique to you. (I would love to hear what they are!)

• First, I have noticed that our responsibilities begin to feel really burdensome. I’ve talked in the past that for me, I can really feel burdened about taking care of my dog. This sign shows up a resentment for the responsibilities you’ve chosen.
• Second, you notice yourself deferring the things you know help you feel positive and rejuvenated. This might mean skipping that yoga class, or that jog, or that walk with a friend. Once in a while this is OK, but when the frequency increases to skipping these weekly or more – that’s a sign!
• Third, you notice that life doesn’t feel as joyful or fun. I use Brendon Burchard’s High Performance Planner, and one of the daily questions is to list something about the day you are excited about. A sign for me that I might be in a negative energy state is that I have trouble coming up with an answer! Now that I use this planner every day, I notice this after a few days rather than a few months! It gives me time to adjust.

You can watch for these signs too, but if you see them, what do you do? There are three things that I will offer you today that can shift you back to a positive energy state. These are both internal and external shifts.

• First, we must take responsibility for our choices. Many of the things we can start to think we are victims to are actually our choices. We may not like our current job – but we chose it and we can make a different choice. Don’t let your responsibilities live you! You have the power to choose and to take ownership of your choices. There may be some things you’d rather not be doing, but even if they are necessarily temporarily it is your choice for now.
• Second, make sure you find something that helps you let go of stress – whether it be jogging, meditation, talking to a friend, etc. Know what these activities are for you. These must get time in your calendar to ensure your energy starts to build.
• Third, shift your paradigm! We are burning out because we are trying to get somewhere but we are not getting anywhere! Moving to the next level of results in our lives requires moving to the next paradigm or world view. My Logical Evolution Framework is for this purpose exactly – showing you how to shift your paradigm so that you can have better results in exchange for all the energy you put in. Make sure you are opted in on my website to find out about the course coming our before the end of the year. You can also find previous posts dedicated to this topic of perspective and paradigm.

We owe it to ourselves to watch for and avoid burnout! I hope this helped you in some way today. If you know of anyone who might appreciate this information, please pass it on, and I’d love to hear your feedback!