How to Prevent Burnout.

((Not my car, but a man can dream…))

Let me tell you a story about a friend of mine, and his car.

A few years back, I brought my beloved 2007 Ford Explorer into the shop for some routine repairs. I still needed a way to get to my day-job the next morning, so I kindly asked my friend if I could borrow his car for the day. He graciously allowed me to take his wonderful sedan to work, but failed to mention one thing:

This man, this absolute MADman, had left his car with only 20 miles worth of gas in the tank… How he slept the night before, I’ll never know.

Frustrated, and baffled, I found myself thinking: “Who waits this long to fill their damn gas tank?!” 

Then it hit me… I do it all the time. Not with my car, but with myself.

Sounds weird? Yep! But, let me explain.

How often do we push ourselves to the absolute-limit of our energy before taking a break from our work? If you’re anything like me: all the time. We, wrongfully, see breaks as a sign of laziness; and believe that if we do take one, we’ll never get to where we want to go in our careers.

What terrible, soul-crushing lesson do we learn from this? Simple! Don’t stop working. Ever.

Need some sleep? Start drinking coffee. Haven’t showered in days? Nobody else has either. On the verge of a mental-breakdown because you’re only human and shouldn’t be expected to work ‘round the clock all-day-every-day? Wow, SO lazy…These thoughts and more can dominate our minds if we even think of slowing down.

Eventually it gets so bad that we end up burning ourselves out; requiring days, if not weeks, of rest before we feel like getting back on the road. I can tell you first-hand how bad that feels…

So, what was the issue? We never stopped for gas!! We said to ourselves, “I could pull-off at that rest-stop and get some gas, stretch my legs, and maybe even get something to eat; but then it’ll take me even MORE time to get where I’m going!” As all experienced drivers know: that’s wrong! Nobody in their right mind thinks that way when it comes to a road trip, but when it comes to a career? Well…guilty, as charged. 

You wouldn’t tell someone that, by stopping for gas, they’ll never get to your destination on a road trip. Our careers are exactly the same! In fact, it’s best to take breaks before you need to, just like when it comes to refueling a car! Otherwise, you may find yourself stranded…

In short: take breaks!! Your future-self will thank you!