How Did You Get Here? [#2 in Burned Out Series]
Last month, I shared that I was in burnout.
The overwhelming response has been beautiful, breath-taking, and a bit overwhelming. The beauty is in that it touched so many of you to the point that you felt compelled to say something or reach out. I am truly thankful for those of you who expressed care and concern for me.
The response is breath-taking because it resonated with so many. Yet I find myself swinging between joy because I wrote something that mattered to so many and sadness because so many are experiencing it too.
If you think you might be in burnout, I encourage you to do three things.
Take Maslach’s Burnout Inventory. It is a scientifically developed measure of burnout.
Read this article from HBR on how to measure burnout accurately and ethically.
Begin the work to get out of it. Remember Einstein’s definition of insanity, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
Which brings me to why the response is a bit overwhelming. Many of you have asked me some form of this question … “How did you get here?”
It is truly a great question. Unfortunately, I don’t know. YET.
I have begun the work. Getting out of burnout takes time, grace, and candor. Here are three things, I have already done.
Last year, I became ruthless about reducing the load I carried from work, family, and other activities. It allowed me to carve out more time to process. I believe this is what ultimately gave me the head space to identify that I was in burnout. I still need more time. I am realizing it took me about three years to get here so it’s going to take time to get out of it.
I am giving myself and others a lot more grace and seeking the positive. I made a few very strategic decisions over the years. They got me the results I’d hoped for. Unfortunately, there were some unintended consequences. I choose to be thankful for the decisions and the results. And I choose to learn from them and be thankful for the new opportunity this presents me. Further, I am owning that I took some BAD advice from a wise person -- “be more resilient – take the hit and keep going.” I refuse to judge the person or be angry about the bad advice, instead, I choose to find the gift in the wisdom. Yes, I am taking the hit of burnout, AND I am still going. There is so much more hope and joy in this approach!
I am doubling down on my candor. Mostly with myself. I have a running list on my desk that asks me three questions. What do I have already? What do I need moving forward? Where’s the opportunity in it all?
These three things are a beginning, not an end. I’ll keep you posted on my journey; if for nothing else accountability.
Always learning, always growing,
Susan