In my previous post, I shared with you my run-in with Burnout. I was at a point where I was feeling frustrated with the direction my business was going and wondering how to take back control. I was sick and tired of dealing with the same old problems over and over again, and questioning if I even WANTED to continue. I had little creative energy left and felt very disconnected from my business and my clients. Not a fun place to be in. Kudos to my team for keeping things moving along.
I came across an article that explained it like this:
We start our business with clearly defined goals. For many of us,
it was simply getting into this business. We plot, plan and dream.
We spend hours thinking of our company name and logo, our products, advertising, networking, marketing, and more. Once into the business, we then focus on getting work, clients, customers, jobs, getting ourselves paid, moving 100 mph in the hectic pace of a successful
(or struggling) business.
We work hard to have more money at month’s end than the beginning. Our goal was to be profitable. And then, perhaps a bigger car or a better house. No room for burnout here.
At some point along the path, we met those temporary goals. But then we never replace them.
Or, we’re just not motivated by them anymore. The big house, nice car, nice vacation…it doesn’t fulfill our need for purpose, meaning, and lasting value.
That’s where I was. And the only option I was able to see was quitting, which wasn’t an option for me. I felt stuck. On a particularly tough day, I reached out to a friend who I knew would understand, just needing to talk, not really looking for answers. Somehow, the act of writing that email lifted a million-pound burden off my shoulders, and I was able to think more clearly and focus on the problem.
I reached out to another friend, and same thing. It was like a light came on in the dark. Although they both gave me solid advice and encouragement, I had to take the step and take action. Even the smallest action was better than sitting around feeling depressed and miserable. (There are some very important principles here I will talk about more another time, and it’s not what you think.)
It’s been said that for any challenge, struggle, or failure, defining the problem (and, I would add, seeing it clearly for what it is) is 80% of the work. And that’s what that first step helped me do.
If you’re finding yourself in the same boat as I was in, here is a good place to start: first, know that you’re not alone. Second, reach out to a friend you trust. Be honest and transparent. If you don’t have that friend, I’ll volunteer.
Third, sit down and answer this question:
If you could be free from the day-to-day of the work that you are currently doing (and there was zero loss of quality in your work, relationships, and finances), what would you do with your time?*
Stop here ponder that question for a few minutes.
This questions detaches your practical, temporary goals from your life/value goals.
Meaningful goals are rooted in our values. When reached, you feel like you’ve accomplished something, you feel like you’ve made a difference. Without that sense of accomplishment, we start to feel useless. We begin wondering why we’re doing what we’re doing, questioning our abilities and even our self-worth. That’s the smell of burnout.
Practical goals are things like how much money we want to make, buying a home, a business, equipment, a dream vacation, dream job, dream car, dream body, etc. They are rooted in our wants, not our needs. Once we accomplish them, we’re back to that same place of feeling like we’ve accomplished nothing. And we get back on the roller coaster for another wild ride.
If you took time to answer the question, it should shed a lot of light on what you truly value in your life and clear up the burnout smoke in your head. It did for me.
After you get your answer to that question, the next logical question is: how can I do that NOW with the time and resources I have NOW?
I’ll share the value goals that I discovered for my life next time. I’d love to hear yours.
*Thanks to my friend and mentor Ben Glass for this excellent question. (BenGlassLaw.com and GreatLegalMarketing.com)