I’m not sure if you can tell, but I’m slowly burning out. The great thing about running a website is that our demand curve is unlimited. Basically anybody who reads English and has an internet connection can be our next reader or client. The problem with unlimited demand is that in order to realize our full potential, we need to work an unlimited amount of time!
One of the mantras I’ve told myself ever since learning that grades carry over starting in the 9th grade is, “Do not fail due to a lack of effort. Just try harder.” It is OK to fail for being an idiot as I often was and still am, but it is absolutely not OK to fail because I didn’t study every single night long after tennis or track practice was done. Even for tennis, it was fine to lose to a more talented player. It’s just not OK to lose because of a lack of conditioning.
THE ONLINE WORLD MAKES US SMALL
When you’ve got all your blogging buddies and Facebook friends telling everyone how awesome they are doing and sharing their latest purchased toys and amazing photographs of St. Tropez vacations, it’s hard not to get motivated to try harder if you want what they have.
But what if you reach a point where you are already satisfied with what you have? Do you start getting annoyed by ubiquitous show-and-tell? Do you write a long post trying to understand why people like revealing their incomes? Or do you become ambivalent to the progress of others? Each person’s response is different.
I’ve been hanging out with several friends who have hardly anything. My friend Jaabir drives a rusty 1996 Honda Civic that just broke down the other day. He also lives in a cramped two bedroom apartment with his wife, daughter, and mother. We go cruising the city looking for open tennis courts after I finish up my writing in the mornings. You’d think we were a couple vagrants with his beat up ride, our disheveled hair and raggedy clothes. But we don’t care what other people think. We just want to get out in the sunshine and hit!
I haven’t changed the design on Financial Samurai since 2009. For the past year I’ve been thinking about changing things up, but I’m tired and don’t really care. The layout is good enough so why change? Most of the visitors are new anyway.
When I first started blogging I thought what fun it would be to get 10,000 visitors a month. After reaching 10,000 a month, I then thought how nice it would be to get 30,000 a month. When I reached 30,000 a month then I imagined how great it would be to have 60,000 a month. Now I’ve become disinterested. The growth rate is slowing down so those good ‘ol rocket rides are no longer.
The same concept pertains to money. How much money do you really need to be happy? Researchers who make $75,000 a year say $75,000 a year is the maximum income where happiness levels go no further (surprise!). I say the figure is closer to $200,000 a year because any more and the government starts going after you. Whatever the real figure is, there is an income level specific to everybody that’s good enough.
IT’S UP TO YOU TO DECIDE
One could literally work 24/7 online and still not do enough to grow their online endeavors. At least with a physical activity there’s only so much you can do before your body breaks down and you have to rest. As we enter into a rocky period for the stock markets and the long months of summer, I’d love to turn things down a notch and unplug more. Perhaps I’ll finally schedule all 30 pending posts in my queue at once, not respond to anything and come back in two months all tan and refreshed.
Balance has always been about finding a mental to physical connection for a healthier lifestyle to me. But right now, all I’d like to do is get a massage, eat some key lime pie, and then take a nap.
RESOURCES FOR A BETTER LIFE
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Updated for 2015 and beyond
I know the feeling of settling but try to push to another level. There is always something more that you can do. Even if it entails hiring someone to do the stuff that you feel bores you. Should we ever settle? To settle is to slowly die. Harsh but true.
What are your thoughts about trying harder until you die of exhaustion? How’s the photography business doing btw? I’d be curious to know what are the things you’re doing to take it to the Annie Leibovitz level.
I haven’t suffered a major case of burn out yet. So far my burnouts have been short spurts that go away after I’m caught back up on sleep and running errands and such. Last week I was so frustrated and tired of online everything because my hard drive died! Disfunctional technology wears me out fast. But since I basically lost an entire week of productivity now I feel I have to try harder this week to make up for what I couldn’t do last week. Generally though when I’m feeling burnt out I unplug for 1-3 days and then I feel a lot better. Take today off Sam sounds like you need a day with no electronics! I know that’s easier said than done though.
Arghhh, I hate it when my hard drive dies! Mine died after I dropped my macbook 3-inches off the ground. It had a good 4 year life. It was surprisingly easy to swap due to the genius bar, backup, and low price. Electronics be gone!
Yes thanks goodness for the Genius Bar! It took me three trips in one week but I finally got all my issues sorted out and my new hard drive is happily humming along.
If not a two-month break, perhaps a few shorter breaks? Schedule some posts, unplug, and head to Hawaii for a couple weeks. The change of scenary, the lack of digital responsibility, and of course the beautiful weather will give you an opportunity to recharge. If that works, do the same thing a few months later, but instead of Hawaii, try somewhere else. Go somewhere you haven’t been before and find some new adventures or challenges. Take a month off and see how far you can hike on the Appalachian Trail on the East Coast, or get crazy and complete a Tough Mudder or something equivalent. The important thing, try something different to keep yourself mentally refreshed and challenged all at the same time.
It’s too bad Hawaii has internet. :) Something in the middle of nowhere like Burning Man could be sweet!
Just booked my tickets to the islands.
Sounds awesome! Anywhere you can unplug! :)
I have been feeling the burn out too. You have been doing such a great job, but that’s the problem with over-delivering everyday. I try my best, but I give myself a free pass sometime. It’s ok to post sub par articles once in a while… Or maybe just skip a day.
We have a 2 weeks vacation scheduled in summer so I’m hoping that will revitalize me. Hope to see you in CA when we go down.
Need to start underdelivering then and reset expectations! :)
Definitely ping me if you guys come back to SF. It’ll be great to catch up again.
I think my burn out has more to do with tax season, but I definitely am finding it hard to keep up my paltry schedule. I mean, I couldn’t even get an article out today, though I have a TON of great ideas set up. But you’re right, there are unlimited opportunities, and you definitely have to weigh in your time/value when choosing which ones to jump in to. I have turned down a few opportunities because I like seeing my family more than writing.
As an accountant, tax season must be CRAZY! Hope you get some reprieve in a week’s time and execute all your good ideas.
You raise a really good point about there never being enough time to grow as much as you possibly can. I have to have a limited schedule because I have work and other responsibilities. I have committed to myself to write at least 2 “meaty” posts per week, and last week was the first that I have failed to achieve it. I had some other stuff going on in life and I was too mentally exhausted to attempt a late week post. I HAD to unplug on the weekend, even if it was only for 2 days. I’m feeling much more refreshed now and ready to get at it this week. Even if it is a small one, give yourself a break!
Definitely plan on vacationing for 10 days this month and publishing one or two guest posts while I’m away.
This is a very good question; I have been feeling the strain a bit as well but I won’t say it is a burn out. I am of-setting it by keeping TMP very varied – there is always something interesting to write about. Specialisation may be good for my ‘key words’ but it will eventually kill my blog; so I don’t do it.
I have a problem with ‘good enough’ though; I am perfectionist and it took me ages to learn that good is better than the ‘perfect’ selected intentions.
Chasing perfection is tough. I know I’ll never be close to perfect, but I do want to be very thoroughly. Time for us to unwind!
Im a fan of setting hard time limits for most work o do. In college I would only study for 4 Hrs. Anything more that that brought diminishing returns. That’s how I feel about most of the work I do.
That’s why I’ve got a 4 hour online limit a day as well. Diminishing returns. Gotta get out of the house an exercise after that!
When a new year starts, I set a monthly/quarterly goal. When I reach my goal, then I would move to the next step. For this year, having a new and more spacious car for the kids and a bigger house are the primary goals. We have found the car we are looking for and will be getting it next week. We are still on the hunt for the house and we hope to find one in a month or two. Once done, we have to content ourselves for a couple of years and take a break from huge expenses.
Bigger house, nicer car… sounds like the American dream! Hope you get them and enjoy.
I am still waiting to feel the blogger burn out. My site isn’t even a year old yet so I’m sure I still have a ways to go. I’m currently in your former stage of excitement trying to grow my readership. I’d hate to see you take a two month break but if that is what’s necessary for your health then I completely understand.
Oh yeah and in relation to the markets I do believe we are going to start seeing some craziness. “Sell in May and go away!”
The 2 years of blogging are the most exhilarating. Like everything else, things get a little stale after a while, which is why I try and spice things up and get into debates. It’s way more fun than having everybody agree all the time.
Glad I’m not the only one feeling a little burn out lately. It’s been hard for me to let myself take too much of a break from writing because I’m finally seeing some of that growth that I’ve been striving for all this time. Like you say, in the end its all about quality content. If that means taking a while to unplug rather than pumping out some half assed posts, thats probably the best choice.
If you’ve been experiencing some good growth you’ve been waiting for, then actually, it’s probably better to PRESS on and take advantage of the momentum. Once you build a large enough portfolio of posts, the incremental returns on each post decreases and that’s why you can’t slow things down.
That’s the key problem with working online! It’s hard to know when to slow down or stop.
You should schedule some posts – maybe just a week – and actually disconnect. I’ve found it to be so hard, yet so refreshing. No emails, no nothing. Your site will be fine. Advertisers can wait a week. Then, see how you feel.
My biggest motivation is that when I am away, I want to come back. That’s what keeps me going!
That’s what I plan to do for 10 days later this month. Do a little surfing, snorkeling, fishing, and horseback riding and unwind.
I do hope each vacation helps reenergize as you say. I keep wondering when I’ll come back and decide to do something completely different.
If you ignore other areas in your life you will have regrets. The difficult part for me is finding the balance. I don’t sweat it though as I enjoy my web business and my life away from my online life!
No regrets! Tis part of the reason why I’m on this journey.
I’m recovering from my mini-burnout (although a tooth extraction yesterday is putting me down for another day or too).
I wonder if you might be confusing burnout with settling. While burnout can cause settling, I do think they are different.
You mentioned traffic goals before. As you hit one you would form another, but now you aren’t bothering. Could it be that you have found your place in the blogosphere?
Look at it like tennis. You said that you don’t mind loosing to a better player, just loosing because you weren’t playing your best. But that’s settling right there. With the unbridled ambition you were talking about with blogging, then loosing to a better player would grate you because they were better. You wouldn’t stop until you were the best tennis player in the world. I’ve seen that drive in my former roommate, who is the #2 women’s long jumper in the world, Me, I don’t have aspirations to be the greatest. I’m content with merely being good at what I do.
It’s hard to differentiate the two at this stage.
I generally don’t need much money or require much of anything at all, which is the irony because I’ve been fortunate enough to make a few shekels more than I expected. I’ve got my friends and family and enough to survive which makes me happy. Hence, if I don’t need much money, why do I bother to try so hard? Why not just kick back and be completely content with having something that is good enough?
I guarantee you that if everybody plans to be the #1 long jumper in the world, all but 1 would get completely burnt out. I know my limits in tennis, and I can be the best I can be at my level, but no further.
What are some of your goals where you’ve been relentless at seeking?
That is exactly my point. At a certain point, you realize that you aren’t going to be the number one in a given area. Then you just concentrate at being the best at your level.
As far as where by drive is right now, I’ve been fighting for a chance to start my chosen career.
I constantly try to set new goals. I don’t think it has anything to do with money, instead it is something to strive for or achieve. It may turn out to raise income, but that was not the goal.
I think burn out is cyclical and I usually just let it pass. I find renewal in other things which brings me back. New ideas seem to help me overcome burn out.
I’ve experienced various phases of burnout at several different points in my life. Usually right around the point where the amount of effort required to take the next step becomes too excessive for my tastes. I’m not super passionate by nature and I don’t really want to devote myself 24/7 to any one particular thing – as is usually required to make it to the realms of the elite. This is usually when I decide to shift my field of study or employment – with the intent of having at least a lateral move and hopefully an upwards move at the same time.
I’m confident that while I like my job, at some point it will burn me out. Especially after my passive income covers all my expenses and then some. Maybe if everything is going well, I’ll just fight though the burnout and level off with a mid-rank position, or maybe I’ll get the urge to switch fields again, or maybe I’ll just retire. I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.
I’m also confident that at some point I will tire of blogging. I think I would tire of blogging much faster if it was primarily a business venture for me rather than an excuse to learn all about investing and network with people who like talking about money. As blogging motivation is concerned, it really helps to have my blog tied to my primary financial goal of achieving financial independence.
Thanks for your candid perspective. One thing you say is very true, and that’s what happens to your motivation level once your passive income covers all your expenses. I’m there right now as you may see in an upcoming update and I’ve got to admit it’s quite demotivating to try and make more money because it just becomes making money for money’s sake.
So perhaps the key is to hide our money from ourselves to always stay hungry!
I experience one of these little burn-outs probably once every few months. It’s usually brought on by writing a ton of great content, networking / linking like a hound, and then seeing no growth or progress. I get into a defeatist “what’s the point” mode. But then shortly after I usually snap out it once I get inspired to try some new techniques for improvement.
The fear of losing everything I’ve worked for is what keeps me going when all I want to do is take a break. Whether its blogging, work, or life in general, I just take a step back and ask myself what’s the worst that could happen if I don’t keep going. Sometimes the answer is that nothing will happen, and so I know I’m okay to take it easy. Other times I don’t like what I see and realize I better just buck up.
Yeah, the no growth thing is a bummer. Plateauing as they say. I have a “What’s the point” article this week on FS.
Fear is a STRONG motivator as well. Fear of failure, fear of loss. I don’t think we will really lose everything online thanks to search. We just won’t gain as much. This is the angle of the post I’m trying to understand… there’s always more to gain, but should we always try and gain more?
It reminds me of what Ramit said last year at Fincon about creating a business model that constantly requires you to keep working to generate revenue. I didn’t like it at the moment because I was earning a decent amount, but I slowly realized that I couldn’t keep up at the pace I was going. I cut back, outsource some work, and have refocused my efforts. Burn out comes and goes and when it’s gone, I plug away. I don’t have an easy answer, but I know what it’s like.
Yep. Although I don’t think any business can be run automatically. There’s always got to be somebody running the ship. It’s strange, b/c even though I have all this free time, I’m still wearing down. I have a HARD stop at 12noon to no longer be online for the majority of days until I meet someone for lunch and get a couple hours of exercise.
I think this upcoming vacation will do a lot of good. I can post your post next week fyi. Just let me now.
I have to admit since I’m so new to the blogging lifestyle I don’t think I can completely relate to what you’re feeling right now. You’ve been at this a lot longer than me and dedicated your heart and soul to your sites and network… and trust me – it’s paid off. You’ve created something amazing and built a community that builds off of each other. That will continue whether you decide to keep posting or not.
I’ve been surfing the net, building websites, beta testing for new applications and running gaming guilds since I was 9 years old. Knowing that a lot of my life has been shaped by the Net, I think I’ll end up staying interested in my online endeavors in some way, shape or form. I always try to put my best foot forward, and sometimes I admit that I feel a little overwhelmed coming home and tackling the list of “to-do’s” on my website site after my 9 hour day job. That being said, I also understand that it’s necessary right now. Whatever you decide, I have to agree with some of the above comments – take a vacation! You mentioned balance is important. You’ve already achieved something great here. Take comfort in that fact and take some time away to clear your mind. When you come back, try making a loose schedule of play time and post time that doesn’t put so much pressure on you to make your scheduled posts. You’ve earned a little less structure at this point, IMO.
Cheers Sam.
Thanks mate. Appreciate the encouragement. I don’t know how old you are, but starting at 9 years old is AWESOME! I imagine a new generation of internet gurus and entrepreneurs. The internet wasn’t even available until freshman year of college for me.
Good luck with your endeavors!
Maybe you just needs a vacation in Hawaii! Sometimes, I feel a little burnt out – I need time to unplug and take some time off. But, on a traditional school schedule, I can’t until summer. ;) So, until then, I’ll keep chugging along and pushing myself just a little bit (I search for motivation – that helps.)
That’s exactly what I’ll be doing. 10 days starting next week!
I hope you enjoy your summer vacay. That is an awesome break for teachers. Any plans?
Sam, I think you already hold the answer: in life you make money from only two sources:
– your labor (business or job (or blog)
– your capital (investments)
At some point all of us need to transition from the first to the second. And that only happens if we build up our investments.
Indeed. My capital investments already cover all my living expenses and then some, so I view blogging as a hobby with side benefits. I’ll have an updated post later this year.
There would be more hunger if my capital investments, or I call it my Financial Nut was smaller. How are your capital investments doing on your end?
When I started blogging, I was already contented with the fact that someone out there, except for my family and friends, reads my blog. After some time, I learned that I can earn from my blog. I worked on my traffic and advertisements until I reached the $100 per month mark. Afterwards, I created more blogs and worked to earn $100 per week. When is good enough good enough? I think when I am already earning $100 per day from my blogs! LOL. Seriously, I am not pushing myself. I am simply enjoying what I am doing. The mere fact that I can earn from my passion is good enough for me. But of course, if I can keep on increasing my earnings, we would be happier.
Let me know how you feel when you get to the $100 per day mark! Best of luck.
One of the things I did when I came up with my editorial calendar was I made a list of all the financial topics that I hadn’t had a chance to teach my children. I have a senior in high school and a college sophomore. After I write a post, I send it to them. Tomorrow they will get one on how to navigate car insurance when it is time to buy on their own.
I’ll have to wait to let you know if this helps avoid burnout….haven’t been doing this long enough to burn out!
I hope you fund your muse. I’ve learned a lot from you in a short time.
What a great way to stay motivated! Like writing specific financial help letters to your most beloved. I think that’s a great motivator! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing Sam! For a second, I thought you were a blogging machine. Nice to know you are human. I’m been battling some burn out myself. The baby eats up all my free time after work. I’m trying my best to find blogging time during commutes, lunch, before he wakes or when he’s sleeping. Challenging work and sometimes quite difficult to stay motivated. Recharge with your vacation and you’ll be good as new!
No prob buck. Need to send the machine in for a tune up and will be gone for 10 days very shortly :)
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