There comes a point when all of us burn out. We start with great enthusiasm, order everything on the menu, only to end up with a lot of leftovers. Sometimes we just quit cold turkey, abandoning everything we’ve worked for.
At work, we’re so tired that we call in fake sick so we can tuck ourselves under the blankets and dream of piccalilli’s and chubby corgi puppies. They’re so much nicer than facing that annoying colleague or client one more time!
I frequently face burn out. It’s inevitable when you work 60 hours a week, travel, and have another 20-30 hours of work back home online. Many of you are the exact same way. I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility and don’t want to leave any Member behind because we are all in this together.
Making money online is but a small pimple on my butt compared to the significance of developing healthy, long-term relationships. I know I’m not responsible for other people’s actions, but it still concerns me when someone is having a hard time. Here are some thoughts and strategies I’ve implemented to prevent us from saying, “C-ya!”
FIGHTING BURN OUT, YAKEZIE STYLE
* Create a healthy support network. It’s your support network that gets you through your darkest days. All those times where you’ve been there for others will come back in spades if you ever need help. Focus on helping others with the hope that you’ll never need any help in return. When things are tough, your network will help you make it through..
* Go at your own pace. It’s healthy to anchor yourself to someone to compete with so you know where you stand. It’s why working with a group is much more effective than working out by yourself. You have someone constantly pushing you. On the other hand, if suddenly everybody in your group turns into Mr. and Mrs. Olympia, while you are still sporting a one pack, you may just start stuffing your face with banana cream cheesecakes! Don’t. Just go at your own pace and reach out to your team for support.
* Imagine things much worse. When I sprain my ankles, I often roll-over and grimace in pain. The feeling of popped tendons and torn cartilage is unnerving, and I get depressed because it means I can’t play tennis or exercise for a month. However, when the ankles go, I think about how fortunate I am that I haven’t broken my ankles. When you’re struggling to keep up your writing schedule with one site, look to those who manage multiple sites. When you’re hungry for a cheeseburger, think about the millions of people who have been hungry for days. When you’re feeling sorry for yourself for not making much money, be thankful you can speak.
* Separate your achievements. If you make $100,000 at your day job, you’re going to feel awfully discouraged if you only make $10,000 a year from your online endeavors. Instead, separate your achievements into different buckets. Your $100,000 a year day job is just that, and should be evaluated based on the income level and competition in your field. Your $10,000 a year online income is a completely different field that requires different metrics. If you understand that 99% of people online make less than $1,000 a year, you’ll realize what an achievement $10,000 is. Adjust your metrics accordingly.
* Pretend you have nothing. Everyday I wake up I believe I have nothing in the bank. It’s why I flush all my income immediately out of my go broke bank and into a different savings bank after paying the bills. Seeing little to nothing in my bank account keeps me on my toes and gives me a tremendous amount of drive to build my savings back up. Millions of people are born into poverty and will never get out. How can we ever take for granted what we have if we are fortunate enough to born in a country of better opportunity?
* Vent, but complain only a little. There’s really no need to worry about others not understanding, or not empathizing when you feel burned out. We’ve all been there so don’t hold your feelings in. It’s an inevitable feeling since we live in such a connected and competitive society. It’s why we go back to the second point, which is to go at our own pace.
* Prioritize just three things at a time. To-do lists sure have a great way of getting out of control. Write two columns down. The first column is all the stuff you have to do. The second column are the three things you choose out of the first column that you must do, if nothing else. You might even just focus on one or two things. You’ll always get more done this way and feel better in the process.
* Think long term. If you have to complete something yesterday, you will be stressed. But, if you give yourself enough time, you will be able to accomplish your goals. Accomplishing 2 things a week, leads to 100+ accomplishments a year! Whenever I take on a project, I think in 5 year blocks and I don’t waiver. When the Yakezie Network started in December, 2009, I didn’t think 2010, I thought about creating a framework that could thrive to December, 2014. We implemented the forums, built the verticals, created the writing contest, and implemented the Belts of Honor system which is not done at Black Belt, surprise, surprise. By thinking long term, you focus on bigger issues and don’t worry as much about the minor set backs.
CONCLUSION
My favorite saying that keeps me going is, “If the direction is correct, sooner or later you will get there.” Whenever I’m feeling the hustle and bustle of the city, and the demands of life get too much, I take a trip up to my vacation property in Lake Tahoe to unwind. Nobody knows who I am up there, and nobody bothers me. It’s just me, my thoughts, and my laptop for writing.
Readers, what are some of the ways you counteract burn out? It’s 2015 and I’ve kept writing for almost six years now and love it. May burn out never come!
Why do you burn out?
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Great advice. I look at the online income like this: It’s like getting a bonus at work, and I don’t know about the rest of you, but if I were to get a 10% bonus at work, they’d have to fix the hole in the ceiling, I’d be jumping for joy that high. So I tend to look at anything I get online as ‘extra’ and it serves me well.
LOL, that’s awesome! Your employer is super lucky to have you then! Great attitude. I know this one 23rd old 1 year out of college who got a 30% of base salary bonus and didn’t come to work for 3 days after because he was so pissed! WTH!
Great tips. I started getting burn-out after the first 3 months of my site. I was trying to write a new article every day, my wife was upset because I wasn’t spending time with her anymore, and the website was making a whopping $0.95 a month.
I could have just quit the site at that point, but I knew I had a chance to make something great! I decided to cut back on my posting schedule. Rather than post every day, I now post 3-4 times a week, fairly consistently on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Burnout averted! :)
burn out is completely natural, even for an athlete who gets paid big bucks to do what he or she dreamt of since childhood. taking a sabbatical from “work” has been the best way for me to recharge and come back full energized. i suppose this would be off season for the athlete in my example
I wish I could take as long sabbaticals as you have taken Sunil! That would be amazing!
When I’m feeling the burn, I try to prioritize things. There are some things that I can’t let slide, while others I can slow down on. Also, as much as I like to use competition to motivate myself, I don’t beat myself up if I didn’t meet my goals for that month or even that 6-month period. I think, “Slow and steady…” like the tortoise. I also remember that I’m human, not super-human!
Exactly spot on. Prioritization and thinking long term!
I have experienced burn out whrn I lose sight of my primary motivations. I find that when I rest, reset and realize that my motivations are more than just money, I continue to produce high quality work and opportunities come my way. My ultimate motivation is to give my future children the opportunities that I never had and provide them with more choices in life.
Now THAT is great motivation.. providing more for your future children. Good attitude!
Take a vacation! I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed recently, but was able to push through it. I think I need a blogging vacation soon though. I was stressing out a bit when I missed my scheduled Wednesday post this week, but it wasn’t the end of the world and the blog seems to be doing fine. I think pulling back a bit when you’re stressed out is a good option.
I feel ya. I’m not sure if I’ve gone for 24 hours straight in 2 years without checking in on my site, but maybe when I was abroad. It’s so easy to connect with our mobile devices and such!
I’m off on a two weeker in a month. Will be good to recharge!
Burn out happens when other people are doing much better than you and you want to keep up or surpass. It’s that simple, so you’re right when you say do not compare yourself to others.
I like this post and these tips a lot. I can get burned out from time to time so that is usually when I have to take a break and get outside to play golf. I am able to relax on the golf course and have often golfed alone just to enjoy nature.
I especially like the idea of going at my own pace. There are times that self imposed deadlines will be breached, but I have to remember to not let it worry me too much. There are much worse things than not getting out that extra post. For me, 2 per week is about what I can do.
If two per week is what works for you, that’s what works! Two per week for 5 years is way better than 5 per week for 1 year and then nada!
These are really good tips, Sam. Burnout affects a lot of people who might not even realize they’re burned out.
For me, it’s a matter of stepping back and asking the question “So What?”. As in, “so what if this doesn’t get done right now or in the exact right way.” Often times, the ramifications are truly not as bad as one might irrationally expect.
Also, it’s my kids that can quell burnout. Sure, kids might be a ton of work (they are, trust me), but they’re also an incredible joy like none other. I can’t help but put things in perspective when I feel burned out and then see one of my kids so excited to talk to me and get my attention. Suddenly, I get energized!
Definitely man. The world doesn’t end if we don’t get to do everything. That’s great perspective on the kids!
Great tips! I love the support network. Yakezie has helped contribute to this for me in many ways. I also think that if you get ahead in your writing schedule, to have a couple weeks in the queue. That way if you need a break, you can do that without missing a scheduled post.
Yep. Pretty soon, you will build a queue/inventory of tons of posts because you are consistently writing ahead of schedule. I need one post to go up on FS this Saturday morning, and didn’t feel like starting from scratch on a particular topic. I combed through the 35 post queue and found one, edited it for 5 minutes, and pressed publish. Build that inventory!
Those are some great tips! It’s important to remember that it is okay to take a break sometimes as well!
Before burn out, you feel uncontrollable pressure which becomes stress. So far, I am enjoying the process. My wife is supportive which helps. If I keep ahead of my deadlines by 1 or 2 or 3 weeks, it seems to relieve any stress.
First of all, that is the cutest puppy ever! Secondly, thanks so much for writing this post Sam. I haven’t had a major burnout attack yet, but I have had some small episodes which has really made me realize how important finding a healthy balance is, esp for those of us who blog part-time with full time jobs. When I’m having a rough time I always try to find some way to laugh b/c it’s the best free therapy around!
Yep, laughter is indeed such good therapy. And of course cute, fuzzy corgi puppies. I’d just step away for 24 hours and have a total internet cleanse. It feels good, and recharges one quickly.
I take a break and do something completely different. I find it helps remind me of the importance of other priorities in my life and that I need to tend to those as well. Reaching out to family and friends helps you to stay connected to what is really important!
Wow-You hit this one on the mark. Although many of your points are important, my favorite is “go at your own pace.” Also, don’t compare yourself to others, especially those you deem are ahead of you! It is not helpful!!
Make a cappuccino. Seriously…. There always a few things I need to get done at my desk at home. Some days I’m just tired of paying bills, reviewing paperwork, filing, planning… crap, I do enough sitting down at work. On nice days, I’d rather be outside. But the ritual and mise-en-scene of fixing a batch of stove-top espresso, foaming the milk, just calms me down and is a good motivator. No reason *not* to have a reward while you’re doing the task.
I like the idea of the separate columns for the to-do list. Migrate three over, and then knock them out.
Good timing on the post, Sam. Sounds like it was just what a number of people here needed to read (including me).
Thx mate. I think if I made a cappuccino, I’d go on overdrive hyperness though :) I look forward to publishing your Member Post when you return!
Great tips. I like to change my focus before coming back to the main task. When I was younger I would go fishing with my Dad, or play guitar with my band. These would take my mind completely off any of the stressors; great therapy. Now I ride my bike to change focus. It seems to make everything easier and more manageable when you sit back down to make forward progress again.
Ahhhh… fishing and playing guitar… now that sounds so relaxing. We have many peers off the coast of San Francisco where one can fish and catch crab. The sound of the ocean is so relaxing. Thanks for the reminder Hunter!
“Imagine things much worse”: Okay, this probably sounds weird, but I do this with horror movies. If I am feeling a bit down or frustrated, or like I am in a situation I can’t get out of…it’s time to go to the movies and watch a horror movie. Knowing I am not being chased by a werewolf, hacked at by a chainsaw sadist, or any other of the terrible situations movie stars have found themselves in gives me such a different perspective in my own life.
[…] hacked and Yakezie.com and FinancialSamurai.com went dark. Despite having just wrote the “dealing with burn out post“, I was burning myself out working from 11:30pm to 2:15am on things for the Yakezie Network […]
As you know, I’ve been feeling this for so long. The burnout was just a nagging little “tired” feeling until it blew into the feeling like I just could not go on any longer. You are completely right in that you need to step back and re-evaluate. The need to not disappoint my readers is high, but I also need to keep myself healthy and mentally prepared to take over the world. ;)
Just buy a Pinky doll and you’ll be alright! I think 2 posts a week is just fine after you’ve established your blog for a couple years. And if you want to pump it back to 3 or more, so be it. Nothing wrong with 2 posts a week, or even one if you need a rest!
Thanks Sam for the tips. Like many of the others have shared, I too have been facing the burnt out issue lately. There has just been so much going on I feel like I can’t keep up. I am really trying hard to manage everything the best that I can. However, I have taken a few evenings here and there to catch my breath which seems to be helping. Although I can’t help but feel the pressure to finish the to do list, check the forums, meet the work deadlines etc. I will figure it out though- especially with using your insight.
I really think we should just go at our own pace once we get to a state where we want to be. Sooner or later we’ll all get to where we’re going. Here’s to your success!
Great tips Sam. When I was a few months in, AdSense revenue accidentally became a metric. It was almost my undoing. Then I snapped out of it and remembered that making money was not the number one priority. That helped, big time. Remember why you started your goal in the first place.
Hey Sam,
Really great tips. I have learned a lot of this on my own as well. I think I faced my first burn-out maybe 7-8 months in when I plateaued for a while, and then a bit later, but I followed similar guidelines to what you recommended and I was able to come back.
I think it also helps to be diversified in terms of projects and stuff going on. You don’t want to overdo this, because otherwise you’ll never get anything done, but I know that having a setback in one thing doesn’t drag me down as much anymore because I still have something else to look forward to and something else to work on and keep me motivated.
This is great advice Sam! Thanks for sharing. I suffer from the same type of burnout. But I’ve found that if I’m consistent and make it a point to blog as part of my day, it becomes a habit and then becomes second nature.
Those are good tips Sam. I’ve had trouble breaking through burnout at times. So far the only way I’ve been able to overcome it has been to change my writing style or write about different themes to mix things up. Your list helps quite a bit.
[…] is always next year to take care of things, and besides, life is all about living in the present, carpe diem, and all that. carpe diem is a great saying, but not when it’s used as an excuse to postpone […]