From Burnout to Fired Up

“How can I prevent burnout?” was the question of the week. This question came from an attendee at a Job Fair, especially dedicated for international professionals.

What is burnout?

The Dictionary give us these 4 definitions,

• the reduction of a fuel or substance to nothing through use or combustion.

• the failure of an electrical device or component through overheating: "an anti-stall mechanism prevents motor burnout"

• physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress: "high levels of professionalism which may result in burnout"

• denoting fabric whose pattern is produced by using chemicals to burn away areas of the pile or the fabric itself: "burnout velvet"

Burnout expresses so clearly an imbalance in your inner fire. There is no fuel, no motivation, to bring you into action. The excitement of what you do has vanished. Your motivations could have vanished by putting too much on your plate.

What are the benefits of burnout?

What a question! Can Burnout have benefits?

YES! It does.

Burnout is a symptom. Burnout is not a problem. It is the result of having said yes when wanting to say no. It’s the result of pleasing for fear of rejection. It is the result of our desire to fit in, of being a good boy or girl.

Burnout in fact is a great friend. It’s a great opportunity to go back to basics and reassess what is what should really remain on our plate.

Burnout is here to prevent us from wasting our one precious life. It shows us that we are not in the path towards our greatest contribution and our greatest joy. It reminds us that we deserve better and that we are made for something greater.

What not to do?

Keep on keeping on.

Pretending that nothing is going on is terribly dangerous. It's not normal to hate your job. It's not healthy to have no enthusiasm or motivation to do what you used to love. 

In her journey of awakening, a dear client of mine put across this point eloquently: "I cannot imagine there is a job where I could be happy". 

If you are disenchanted more often than not, burnout might be louring around. Don't suppress those thoughts and feelings. Give them space. Listen in. 

What to do?

I’ve created 3 simple steps you can follow to either get out of burnout or prevent it.

1. Start with NO

Our dear Simon Sinek tells us to start with WHY, I tell you start with NO. If you are in a burnout (or afraid you may have one), your first step is to regain your energy. NO will give you that.

Start saying no. Start exercising having power and control over your life. Experience that the people who matter still love you when you say NO. Experience that the world doesn’t collapse when you say no.

Saying NO will grant you space to start thinking and feeling with enhanced clarity.

2. Continue with WHY

Now you can listen to your heart. What is that which you’ll do even if they didn’t pay you? What is that which makes you terribly excited, passionate and/or profoundly happy? What is that which provokes you? What is that cause that you want to alleviate or accelerate?

Reconnect with that which call you to be BIG. Reconnect with that vision that will make you wake up early in the morning every single day. Reconnect with the memory you would like to live in the minds and hearts of your family and others.

My why is to stop the chain of pain and suffering by the mindless repetition of outdated thinking patterns. I want to help people to be better than yesterday: better than their ancestors and better than themselves. I want to bring this to the future generations. Better than yesterday is my WHY.

What is for you? Remember!

Don’t pretend not to know. Remember what makes you happy. It’s not far away or complex. It’s in the tip of your nose. It's repeated in your favorite films, in your top songs, in your most passionate conversations. It’s in what seems irrelevant.

3. Keep sane with YES

Once you remember your WHY, a very short list of Yes’s will emerge.

How would you like to accomplish this “WHY”? Advising, designing, speaking, writing, caring, cooking….

Concentrate on some few and specific actions. They are none negotiable. They are your Yes’s list. Here you have my list,

• On Sundays I write this blog

• Every afternoon from 3 to 8, I’m 100% mom: play, laugh, cook, listen..

• Speaking, writing and coaching are also in my Yes’s list, but not between 3 and 8 in the afternoon.

• Self-care: morning and evening ritual

• Sunday Night Meeting (aka Love Meeting) and the Monday Morning Meeting (aka Stuff Meeting)

• Periodical call/meeting with specific friends and family members

ALL the rest gets NO. I don’t need to decide what to do with every single exception. If they are not in this list, it’s a no. You cannot imagine how much I get done and how healthy I feel.

Copy me!

Say YES to yourself. Say YES to the life you want to have. Concentrate in that list and just that list. You will see how your inner fire starts to rewarm you. You will see your energy soaring and your life becoming a dream come true.

Inspire us! Let us into your secrets.