“The No. 1 cause of burnout is doing the same thing over and over again and not seeing results.” – Steve Kaczmarski
Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, especially common in people that would consider themselves an “overachiever”. It is often the result of too much energy output and not enough input fuel to keep going. This can lead to great suffering and a feeling of being stuck in a never-ending cycle of stress and exhaustion. However, it’s important to remember that you are not alone in your struggles. But there is hope in overcoming it!
In the last 2.5 weeks, I have counted 20+ emails that were sent to me from leaders & business owners that are feeling “stuck” or “burned out”. And this is separate from people that are on my team that are under pressure, or in my close sphere of influence, or just general messages I have received through socials or via text. Well it is a very common thing in leadership to see this, the # of inquiries received was enough to prompt me to do this teaching. Now, more than ever, in the unchartered waters we are navigating through with the economic climate and struggling workforce, we have got to keep preparing each and every day or we will be spending all of our time repairing!
Burnout is a strange thing to me. This year so far has been a busy journey for me to say the least. A few highlight things to note…
In our business
- We’ve opened a 2nd location
- Launched (2) additional crews at our main operations.
- Opened up (4) new managerial positions
- Have grown nearly 10% in NEW maintenance clientele
- Had to part ways with (2) different operations managers from different departments, having to completely restructure roles and responsibilities in the busiest part of our year.
Personal mentoring and leadership
- Delivered keynote talks and masterminds in (7) different states
- Been on over 300 Zoom calls with different leaders / business owners all over North America
- Been a guest on 14 Podcast / interviews
Family leadership
- Been on (4) Family Vacations
- Went camping on (3) weekends
- Attended an unknown amount of soccer games and tourneys with our son
- Watched our daughter perform in numerous theatre and voice productions
- Been on 17+ date nights with my wife (verified via calendar)
- Chaperoned our son’s 5th grade camp trip
- Chaperoned our daughter’s 9th grade band camp
- Oh yeah, how about sending our oldest child to high school a few days ago!
Again, these are just a few of the highlights that stand out. This doesn’t include things like blogging, things I do on the daily, or even every week or other week like drumming at church or serving on a non-profit board. It’s also not meant to be braggadocious like I have some sort of supernatural energy. Even though it does kind of appear that way sometimes, and coffee may play a role on many days! 🙂
I absolutely love WHAT I do, and I love WHO I get to do it with, and those TWO factors more than anything else are how I stay energized for the work we do. And by spending time every day intentionally seeking God’s guidance over my life, I can see the vision clearly and concisely. I’m in more places now than ever before, chasing the biggest vision ever for myself, my family, and for the leaders under my charge, and I wake up every single day knowing that what we get to do together will transform the world, one day at a time!
But I’m more and more increasingly aware of just how many people don’t wake up with that feeling. There are hundreds of thousands of people who wake up every morning feeling burnt out. And that number is only increasing. I looked up the origin of the phrase “burnout” and found that it has a few different definitions that all boil down to one commonality. Whether you’re talking about a fire that burns every available source of fuel, a jet that runs out of fuel, or the breakdown of a battery because of too much current draw, “burnout” happens when energy fails.
People worldwide are experiencing burnout because they’re running out of energy for what they’re doing. While in some cases that’s a sign that people may need to find a new job, I believe that in many cases, it’s a sign that people need to find a new source of energy. Or, perhaps more accurately, REDISCOVER their energy. Even when nearing burnout, some leaders refuse to pause their fast-paced lifestyles and continue down the path of destruction until it is too late. The most successful people have prevented or overcome burnout by following some simple things!
I have doven deep over the last few days to look at the ways that keep my batteries fired up in a time where most people would never be able to handle the day to day stresses of energy release over my many life sectors! Here are (4) that stood out to me as my direct sources.
I Prioritize Personal Growth and Development Time: I set aside regular time every day for personal growth. Whether it’s reading, attending seminars, having mentors, working out, praying, goal setting, journaling, date nights, daily walks with my wife, and more. When we invest in our own development, we gain fresh insights, renewed inspiration, and a greater sense of purpose that can reinvigorate our leadership journey. This is probably my #1 item I find when leaders are experiencing burnout, an area where they are lacking.
I Take Time Away From My Normal Daily Environment: I’ll be the first to admit that I could probably be diagnosed as a workaholic. But it’s because I love what I do. So when we take a family trip away, or me and my wife get those date nights, or I go fishing, even something as simple as taking my daughter to school every morning, just that small bit of time in a different environment with people I love gives me a full recharge. Like leaving your cell on the charger overnight. By morning, it’s at 100%… So am I. Every new day with a great daily routine sets my sights on attacking the day instead of the day attacking me!
I Stay connected with My Core Values and Visit My Vision Often: I take time to reflect on why I started in leadership to begin with and what truly drives my growth. I encourage you that by reconnecting with your core values and long-term vision will help align your daily activities with a greater purpose. This clarity often reignites passion and keeps you centered on what matters most.
I Delegate A Lot And Empower Others: Burnout often occurs when leaders take on too much. By delegating responsibilities and empowering team members to step up, you not only free up your time but also allow others to grow. Seeing your team thrive and contribute can be incredibly fulfilling and can help you regain energy and motivation. Now when I say delegate, I don’t mean have your people sweep the floors, or your admin run off some copies of documents for you. Those are tasks. I’m talking about delegating authority and empowering others around you to make decisions like owners! When you focus on delegating all tasks, you create followers. When you focus on delegating authority, you create leaders. When you saw that list above for business items, you didn’t think that was all me did you? None of that would be possible if I didn’t have epic leaders around me. In all areas of my life! And I’m talking about leaders that are OWNERS of their roles and position!
“In dealing with those who are undergoing great suffering, if you feel “burnout” setting in, if you feel demoralized and exhausted, it is best, for the sake of everyone, to withdraw and restore yourself. The point is to have a long-term perspective.” — Dalai Lama
Remember, there is a difference between stress and burnout. Stress is generally short-lived. Burnout on the other hand left unchecked feels never ending.
Burnout isn’t to be taken lightly, but it’s also not a hopeless situation. If you feel like your fire is getting dim, taking time to fan the flame can go a long way. If you’re tired, you can take a nap. If you are depleted, then you are no good for anyone. Not even yourself!
Now, more than ever, we need leaders who can burn brightly without burning out. Stoke the fires of passion, purpose and people, and wake up each day loving what we get to do and who we get to do it with. Focusing on those (4) Items I shared above CAN and WILL reignite your leadership. I promise you. I know. I have been in your shoes. I know what it’s like to feel like a hamster on a wheel. And everybody is looking at you wondering when things are going to get better.
What do you need today? You might just need a nap. Or maybe you feel rested, but you just need a different type of rest. Whatever it is, my prayer for you is that you find it, and you feel a complete restoration and recharge of your leadership!