The Overachievers Guide To Thriving Without Burnout

Do you ever wake up in the morning and the awareness of the coming day brings a certain dread? Or, if not dread, does the thought of the day ahead “spark joy?”

In year ten of my corporate career as a software engineer, I began to feel burnt out, all the weeks that I forced 70 or 80 hours of coding out of my brain had started to take their toll.

Common search terms in the Goooooogle were:

• “how to make a living as a poet”

• “Why do I get bored in my job when the learning stops?”

• “what is wrong with me?”.

I had no idea how to understand the reasons I was not happy and felt exhausted all of the time. Earlier in my life, money was scarce. At this point in my career, I had surpassed my salary goals by multiples.

I had purchased and sold one house and purchased my second home, all before the age of 40.

For reference, I grew up shopping at OxFam, Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. I am a lover of thrift-store shopping and a lifelong treasure hunter. However, the time required to find a shirt or shoes that really pull it off professionally, for me, is just too much.

Therefore, it was a baller day for me the first time I kitted myself up from brand new H&M clothes.

Burnout In Year 10

The burnout wall has warning signs in retrospect.

In the moment, I mostly laid on the floor of my office.

It is difficult to understand intellectual burnout if you are a person who has nothing to prove. Also, you are so blessed.

The rest of us, we really need to catch ourselves in the act of trying to prove we are worthy to the whole damn world.

It is chronic.

But, it is fixable. You can fix this BEFORE you hit the burnout wall.

Trust me, you will want to learn the tools to protect your brain and ultimately your livelihood so you can stay in the game as long as you wish.

And… If you decide to leave the corporate world, you can do so with planning and adequate funds.

*If you are on your startup journey or you are curious about it, let me know what’s on your mind in an email: [email protected] 🐝 

There Are Warning Signs

Here is a list for you to keep. Use it to make sure you are in alignment with your goals and self-image. A tool like this is also called a self-inventory.

1. Am I thriving? (Answer without self-judgment)

2. Do I have command over my reactions to the events and people in my life? (i.e. do I lose my temper or become depressed, etc.)

3. How is my energy level throughout the day?

4. Do I have energy (and time) for the people and activities I love (if these are not already closely related to my work or work life)?

5. Am I excited about what lies ahead this year?

6. Despite wanting to stop because they are bad for my health (mentally and/or physically), do I continue behaviors such as drinking, eating junk food, and the like because I use them as comfort or relaxation from work?

7. Am I getting exercise every day?

8. When was the last time I was curious?

Use the list as a check-in and to help understand your own personal benchmark for each of the areas that are important in your life.

Peace My Friends — S

Be kind to yourself; begin now.

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