SEAN BOROKOVSKY

ARE you working longer hours, with less time for yourself and your loved ones? Do you want to find the balance but don’t have a clue where to start?

You know that feeling. Where you’re that close to finishing a project, or achieving a goal, or crossing a task off your to-do list but you just can’t muster the energy. You’ve lost interest.
You’re exhausted. Drained. And you don’t know why. That’s burnout!

Here are the seven biggest mistakes employees and managers make — and how to avoid them.

Achieve in increments

When you only focus on a big goal, it’s easy to get burned out by the daily grind. It’s like driving toward a mountain in the distance. You can drive for hours, but the mountain doesn’t seem to get any closer. And spinning your wheels gets real tiring real fast.

The solution is to give yourself a way to measure and record every little step forward you take.

Train your muse

One of the biggest myths about inspiration that it’s random. One day you’re inspired and motivated, the next day you’re burned out -– and there’s no way around it. Or so they say.

In fact, inspiration is just like any other skill. It may start out as unreliable, but it can be trained and developed into something you can rely on.
So how do you train your muse? The best way I’ve found is immersion. Surround yourself with things that inspire you and reflect your goals.

Work less

Cut down on the amount of energy and time you spend working. If you have sick days or hollidays left, take advantage of them. Or, if you’re self-employed, force yourself to work fewer hours each day – even if that means turning down new projects.

Working less doesn’t mean you have to slack off or get less done. It does mean that you eliminate unnecessary tasks, take strategic breaks, stop multi-tasking and delegate when possible.

Define success realistically

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having big dreams and big ambitions. But if you’re constantly frustrated by a lack of progress, it might be time to take a step back and examine your goals. Are they achievable? Are you holding yourself to a reasonable timeline?

Get more sleep

You’ve heard this before, I know. So have I. But that didn’t stop me from going against my better judgment and tiring myself out by staying up late to work.

Getting enough sleep takes a conscious decision – and, just like any good habit. What’s keeping you from getting the rest you need?

Take it slower

The world tells us to rush things: “Get there faster. Make money quicker. Retire sooner.” And while these things aren’t necessarily bad, they can easily get us in over our heads. If you’re feeling burned out and overwhelmed, it’s time to slow down.

Set clear boundaries

Burnout happens when we allow work to overflow its boundaries and interfere with every other part of our lives. So set strong boundaries. Once you’ve set up your boundaries, make them public.

If you would like to receive a free report titled “What nobody ever told you about chronic fatigue, burnout and how to avoid it”, email me at sean@corenergy.com.au

Sean Borokovsky is a performance Coach with the Coaching Institute, a member of the International Coach Federation and a certified NLP Practitioner living in Sydney.

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