What are you looking for?
“I can do anything, not everything.”
Happy Sunday. I hope everyone has had a great weekend, and enjoying springtime.
Here in California, we are experiencing the “super bloom” of wildflowers due to the extreme rains and it’s really gorgeous. And if I get a little reflective, it’s yet another reminder that there will always be a new day, a new season, and no matter how rough things might seem at the moment, this too shall pass.
I heard an ad this weekend that made me think a lot about burnout. I know that may seem a bit random, but stay with me…
Often when we think or talk about burnout, we focus on the triggers, symptoms, and tools to avoid or manage it. That may look different for different people, and the symptoms may get more extreme if you don’t take a different course of action (i.e. take a break!). These symptoms may be stress (physical or mental), fatigue, trouble sleeping, physical pains, distraction or trouble focusing, and many more.
This week instead of talking about how to identify burnout and what do to when you are experiencing it (because let’s be real avoiding it is pretty unrealistic), I wanted to talk about another symptom of burnout that we often ignore.
I call this the “grass is greener on the other side” symptom. This shows up when we feel like we are really unhappy with a situation, personally or professionally, and we think we need to quit, escape, or just get out. However, as much as you may want to “escape,” it’s critical to pause and really understand what’s going on, otherwise, you may find yourself either regretting a rash decision or in the exact same situation all over again (hence the grass is greener on the other side). Instead, assess whether you actually just need to rest and have pushed yourself to a breaking point where you feel trapped and like there’s only one path out. Spending the time to reflect on what’s going on (I highly recommend journaling as a great tool for reflection where you can identify themes, and maybe identify burnout sooner, or try the why game where you keep asking yourself why until you get to the end of your answers) and then adjusting where needed to ensure you’re acting from a place of clarity.
Now you may find from your reflection that a drastic change is still necessary. If that’s the case the reflective practice of understanding what needs to change and why will provide you with a plan you can act on with confidence.
Remember, burnout happens to everyone. However, pay attention when you experience it and spend the time to understand what you are feeling, why, and what you really want going forward. These are challenging questions to answer, but only you can answer them for yourself.
P.S. Getting to your ‘why’ as a leader can be challenging and it’s one of the reasons we decided to create the Mastering Self Workshop starting May 13, 2023. More info is below
P.S.S. If you haven’t taken a day off in a while, and really unplugged this is your PSA to make that happen.
“It can be tempting, in our goal-oriented society, to push ourselves beyond our capacities in pursuit of success. But when we do this we tell ourselves that our work is more important than our health. Without our health our success means nothing. No promotion, no raise, no accolade will mean anything if you aren’t happy and healthy.”
The Mastering Self Leadership Workshop is now open for enrollment! Live, virtual classes begin May 13, 2023 so don’t miss out. This will be a small group learning format so we are limiting participants. Join us for 4-weeks as we reflect on where we’ve been, understand how we are perceived, harness our potential to have the impact we desire, and set goals aligned with our leadership values. Join Now! 💻
Video: Are you running away from something or running to something? Marion Bevington - TEDxAinleyTopWomen
Book: This one is a classic, but I was recalling how much I enjoyed reading it again recently. The Alchemist by Paolo Coehlo is a must-read for anyone.
My favorite newsletters: The Hustle, Morning Brew, Seth Godin’s Blog, Atlas Obscura, Oprah Daily, Newsette. Are you a newsletter fan? Reply and let me know which newsletters you read 🗞️
My favorite podcasts: The Daily, NPR News Now, Marketplace, Marketplace Tech, Don’t Keep Your Day Job, The Highest Self, Planet Money. Do you listen to podcasts? Reply to this to share your recommendations with me! 📢
Are you burned out, frustrated, working twice as hard, and struggling to get team support? Be the Leader Employees are Seeking provides a comprehensive roadmap to manage the people side of the business. It uses the H.U.M.A.N.S 1st Technique principles that are curated by decades of real-life experiences and proven success.
Whether a NEW, SEASONED or CURIOUS leader, implementing the H.U.M.A.N.S. 1st Technique offers insight that will begin to repair the workplace, spark positive relationships and initiate great success.
P.S. Reply to this newsletter and let me know what you are reading 📚
Consider how many different pieces of content you see in any given week. See something that really resonates with you? Share it with us so we can feature it in our Social Media of the Week section!
This week’s feature is from Michael Caruso:
The three stages of career development…
Maybe you can relate to this (funny) social media post about meetings.
It’s easy to get caught up in meeting culture and wanting to be included, However, as you gain more experience you will learn that meetings can be a huge time suck. Sure there are meetings that are necessary and provide value, but many companies fall into the trap of overdoing it with the number of meetings.
I’m at step 3 according to this post. 🤣 Where are you?
