Are You Too Stressed and Burned Out to Battle Your Burnout?

I recently ran a beta-testing group with one of my products, the “Nip Burnout in the Bud” e-Course. The purpose of my test group was to do some research & development so I could make changes to the product for its next release. The overall process had its ups and downs, but it was a fabulous learning experience for me and I know most participants got a great deal of value from the course, based on their feedback thus far. However, what most amazed and amused me was the fact that more than one person either dropped out or did not participate fully because they were either:

• too busy
• too stressed
• didn’t have any time in their schedule

Surely, we’ve all experienced the challenge of being too busy, stressed, or strapped for time. What was most surprising is that these are the same people who just a few weeks prior had volunteered to be in the group. At the outset of the group, I laid out the expectations for participants. So, what happened?

I think the irony was best captured by one participant that dropped out (who happens to be a coaching colleague):

It know it sounds silly, but I’m too burned out and busy to take time to handle my burnout.

Okay then! I have a sneaky suspicion that she is not alone!

The danger with charging full speed ahead without addressing your energy leaks and overwhelm is that at some point you will just run out of steam. It might come in the form of a big breakdown or more subtly as a downward trend of diminishing performance (and satisfaction), but rest assured it will come.

This approach is a lot like being too busy driving your car to stop for gas. It might work for a little while, but at some point the little needle lays down on the far left on the big “E” and you have a most unwanted transformation — into being a pedestrian.

• What do you KNOW needs to be handled in your life or business that you just keep avoiding?
• Do you find yourself too busy to even step back and assess the state of your schedule and priorities?

If so, you probably need to carve out some time to address it now, before your needle approaches empty. If you’re not sure where to start, drop me an e-mail and I’ll help get you started.