Welcome to the last episode of our monthly mini-series focused on burnout. As we wrap up the month, we can't close out the topic without talking about what I call life-preserver techniques. We already know the clues of a potential burnout situation. How do you handle one of those situations? What if you find yourself moving towards burnout? 

The first action you must take is to do what we said a few weeks ago, accept the truth.

The truth of the matter is that you have seen one or more clues that this is a marathon or "Groundhog Day Perfect Storm" situation. 

Yes, you are amazing, yes, you are strong, yes, you are an overcomer, but in this situation, you do not win by pushing through.  You win by being strategic.

We can’t be strategic if we aren’t accepting that this is a situation where “pushing through” just won’t cut it. 

So again, step 1: accept that this is a Groundhog Day Perfect Storm situation.  The way you thrive in the space is not by pushing harder, it’s by working smarter.

This means step 2 is to get strategic.  The company is facing a pretty tough situation, right?  That’s why you’re living through this insanity.  If we go back to The 1 Rule of business success that we teach here at Legend Leaders, then we are reminding ourselves that our job is to add value to the organization.

In this instance, you must ask yourself, "What are the best ways for me to add value?"

The answer won’t be slogging through the mud and pushing harder, the answer is coming up with strategic solutions to work smarter.  This could be creating internal programs to grow in other areas of the business while one sector is being negatively impacted for example.

The point is that we must find a way to keep adding value and we can’t do that if we just put our heads down and push forward.  These Groundhog Day Perfect Storm situations tend to redefine what the company values.  To stay out of burnout, you must acknowledge that and pivot accordingly.

The third action is to be intentional with your time.  If you have faced the truth, and realigned yourself with what the company values in this situation, then you have to be the leader who spends his/her time where it matters.

Meaning that you can’t be involved in peer-to-peer gossip or complaint/frustration sessions for the bulk of the day.  While those conversations may seem to make you feel better, they actually create negative momentum in your performance.

Overcome that mindset and the desire to belabor the problems by taking your calendar and getting intentional with who you’re talking to, and what you’re talking about, and ensure everything you’re spending your time on is helping to add value in this phase of the organization’s life cycle.

When you do this, you will be surprised with the time you get back that you can then use to still have your downtime, take those mental breaks, enjoy your family time, etc.

Said differently, trade the non-productive conversations for personal downtime and you will be better off for it.  It will ward off mental exhaustion and allow you to be even more strategic and intentional in your dealings.

So again, 3 steps:

1. See the truth of the situation

2. Get strategic to add value

3. Spend your time productively

As always, if you’re uncertain about any of this, send me an email, and let’s talk through it ([email protected]).

Moreover, if you want your entire team/company to learn how to avoid burnout, send an email with the details.

Be Legendary!