We’ve talked in the past about burnout. Today I want to ask you, are you creating burnout due to self-sabotage?
That’s probably not something you have thought about, at least not in those terms. But I want you to expand your mind today. Think about this one for a second.
There was an article in the Harvard Business Review about burnout and self-sabotage, written by Kandi Wiens. It was all about identifying the signs of burnout and then looking at the actions you are taking, the activities you do on a regular basis so that you can step back, look in the mirror, and say, “Am I doing that? Am I burning myself out by taking these actions?”
You see, many times we assume that we are feeling some sense of burnout because work is too busy, or the pace is too fast, or you feel like you are behind. And in many instances that do contribute to burnout. You know, not sleeping as much, trying to do a thousand things at once, maybe drinking a bit more alcohol than normal? The work environment we are in can cause burnout. But today, I want you to look at some of these key activities that you can do to yourself that essentially mean you are your own worst enemy, you are creating the burnout you are experiencing.
- Overly adaptable. That doesn’t mean that you aren’t agile and aren’t changing. You do need to be agile. But you need to ask yourself why you are constantly changing. Is it because you are saying “yes” to every request, every demand, every person? If that’s the case, that’s not agility, that’s being a people pleaser. That’s not going to last. You will burnout. Say no when you need to say no.
- Perfectionism. We have talked about this one a lot. Remember done is better than perfect. If you are working so diligently to be perfect, you will never arrive. Humans aren’t perfect. Find a way to allow yourself to say, “How do I get it done, it doesn’t have to be perfect, just done?”
- 24-7 commitment. You love what you do so much you spend so much time doing it, you sacrifice your family time, your personal time, your mental time, etc. You can’t live in that world. You will burnout. This is why having a life plan is so critical.
Take a look at these 3 things. Are you practicing any of them today in such a way that you are burning yourself out? Realize this could be happening in your corporate job, your own business, or both. Take an honest look in the mirror. You have to say no sometimes, you are never going to have it perfect, and you can’t live and breathe your job or business. Find the balance to stop the burnout. Don’t sabotage yourself.
Be Legendary!