Preventing burnout - TMR #10

Think back to when you first started your first business…

If you’re like most people, you’ve either started that first business out of necessity or just because you discovered you can get paid doing what you love.

But either way, there was surely a drive that kept you showing up every single day, doing the work, and getting things done.

Now, fast-forward 2 years. 5 years. 10 years!

Somewhere in there you felt defeated. Burned out. Bored. Disinterested.

BUT, you’ve always found something slightly different to do, or something new to try, that has sparked a small level of interest back into what you’re doing. Perhaps you invested in a coach, or you got a new tool that can produce 10x faster, or you were able to hire a small team and step back some.

And those were all fine and dandy until that feeling of burnout struck again… but this time, it stuck.

Unfortunately, this is the beginning of the end for more entrepreneurs.

You’ve either been there or are surely getting there.

I’ve been there. Countless times.

What I’ve discovered, and am constantly reminding myself of (by writing this), is that burnout is a natural process and it derives from a lack of vision. Remember that.

When you cannot clearly define your ideal future and where this business is taking you, it is easy to get bogged down with all the boring pieces of business.

Sure, when you started you didn’t have a vision — but you didn’t need one. It was fun! It was new! That excitement and external motivation carried you through each and every boring day—each and every small failure or obstacle in your path.

But once that “newness” wears off, you’re left only with whatever intrinsic motivation you can muster. And without a clear vision, and a real desire for that vision, you will surely burn out.

Going back to what wrote about last week, “will or want” plays a big role here. Do you want your vision to come true, or do you “will” it?

Without a vision, you can do neither. You’re just running the mouse wheel, day after day, working a low-paying, stressful job that you call a “business.”

The moment you get clear with what you want, and why you want it, your business will change for the better. And sometimes that doesn’t even mean you’ll hit huge financial success, but maybe it means you’ll be content. You’ll be happy and satisfied with the level that you’re at and can finally enjoy life.

The end goal is different for everyone.

Your job is to find out what is important to you, paint the dream, and will it.

Remember, burnout comes from a lack of vision.

Clarify your vision, and work accordingly. Burnout will be a thing of the past.

Decide today, or waste another week running in circles. This is your Monday Reset.