Sooner or later in golf, business, or life most all of us will experience burnout in one form or another. If you feel pressure mounting, here are some helpful tips you might consider.
What are your expectations? Establish realistic expectations for what you can and cannot accomplish. If you find that you’re driving yourself too hard, it may be time to let go of unrealistic expectations and readjust. Shorten your to-do list. Give yourself some slack and even shorten your to-do list if you have one.
Get back in touch with the people and things you value. Is your work fulfilling and meaningful for you? Are you spending time with people that bother or disappoint you? If not, check in with your values. What’s missing? Where are you compromising? What needs to be eliminated? What are you merely tolerating? Re-assess and re-adjust your priorities as needed. Make the choices you want to make by honoring what’s important for you.
Challenge yourself to think out of the box. Creativity sparks energy and enthusiasm as you rewire your brain circuits. If work has become a chore or you’re in a rut, try spicing things up a bit. Find innovative ways to do mundane tasks,, improve performance, or tweak what you do best and make it even better.
Focus upon and appreciate the tasks at hand, no matter how mundane you consider them. In this way, you eliminate the drag of the past and avoid the fear of the future.
Communicate clearly. Resolve conflicts; don’t run from them. Let people know what you expect from them, and ask them what they expect from you. Be clear and concise with what you say, and how you say it. Listen closely to the people around you, it will teach them to listen closely to you.
Manage your time. Poor time management leads to burnout. Set regular work hours. Keep your commitments and as much as possible Make appointments with yourself to get things done – and keep them! Being on time counts, show up promptly for appointments and expect others to do the same. Do not be bullied by others to work till you drop!
Learning how to say no is a key time management tool. Value yourself by establishing boundaries and limits. Learn how to do it in a way that is clear and consistent. Do not give away too much of your time. Let people know your policies and procedures. Be upfront with what’s acceptable and what’s not.
Along with managing time, make the time to do nothing! We all need to take time to relax, refresh and replenish. Do not keep pushing yourself. Keep a regular schedule for both your work and personal life, and don’t forget vacation time. You’ll come back with a fresh outlook and perspective.
Practice forgiveness. Stop blaming yourself or others. If you’re playing the “woulda, coulda, shoulda” game, your beliefs are in need of change. Blaming yourself or others for things that have gone wrong doesn’t work. What does? Learn from your experiences and make changes to ensure that you get the results you want the next time.
Recognize and deal with your emotions. Don’t become upset with yourself for having negative thoughts. They are a blessing for they signal to you that you will want to change your underlying beliefs if you want to create different results. Keeping your feelings inside usually leads to trouble.
Ask for help. We all need a little help once in a while. You cannot do everything yourself. Do not be afraid to ask friends or associates for help, or hire a professional when needed.
Take care of #1. If you’re run down, you’ll burn out faster. Make sure you get enough sleep, eat right, exercise and de-stress on a regular basis. If you are cheating your body, you lose energy and health, which are key differentiating factors between people who are accomplished and those who become frustrated and burnt out.
Laugh, smile and enjoy the ride! Life is too short to worry and be serious all the time. Find ways to make your work and life fun and enjoyable.
