How To Minimize Or Even ELIMINATE Burnout
Ever experienced burnout?
Sucks doesn’t it?
In this post…I’m going to show you an amazing exercise that I believe is a great defense against burnout. Not only will it get you through the burnout phase faster – it will also help eliminate it or at least make it occur much less often.
No matter what your profession is – whether it’s a banker, copywriter, athlete or a monkey trainer – you WILL experience burn out from time to time.
Virtually every single person I know has experienced a serious bout of burnout at some point in their lives, and if you haven’t yet…you will.
To put it in plain English…burn out is inevitable.
It makes you depressed, causes you to be ultra-stressed out… and it costs you money.
What you need to do is figure out how to minimize your burn out rate and, if you understand this concept well enough, possibly even eliminate it altogether.
How To Say Sayanora To Burnout For Good!
One of the most powerful exercises I’ve ever done involved taking a break from what I was doing, getting out a piece of paper and pen, and jumping into my own subconscious mind to see “hypnotize” myself into realizing I shouldn’t be burned out and that I have the best “job” ever!
The reason you need to get into your subconscious is simply because the chances are… on the outside you really don’t consciously know what you’re writing for.
You may think you’re writing for money, but you’re really not – You’re writing for the experiences money buys. You’re writing for the vacations, the toys, the time you can spend with your family, the trips taken to places you thought you’d never see, and the freedom from the stress caused by not having enough money to pay the bills.
You may think you’re writing so you can write from anywhere in the world, but you’re not – You’re writing for the ability to not have to listen to a “boss” for the rest of your life telling you when and how to work. This is a VERY common trait and one of the biggest reasons people become entrepreneurs and copywriters.
You may think you’re a writer for “time freedom”…but you’re really not – You’re writing for the ability to take time off when you’re sick without needing to lose a sick day, the freedom to watch your kids when they get sick, and the chance to go golfing and have a beer with your buddies on a Wednesday afternoon.
As you can see, you’re not really a copywriter or entrepreneur for the reasons you think. Although it may seem like it on the surface, you need to really dig.
Then dig a little deeper…
Then get one of those giant hole-digging machines, sticking the huge claw in the dirt, and dig even further.
You see…time freedom, writing from anywhere in the world, and money are all SURFACE level desires. Sure they sound great, but you’re a copywriter and entrepreneur for the individual memories and experiences that the copywriters lifestyle can bring you.
So Here’s What You Do
Get out a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. DON’T use your computer.
Draw a line down the center of that piece of paper and on the left side, write “SURFACE” at the top. On the top right hand side write “DIGGING DEEPER”.
Then on the left side, write down the reasons you’re in the profession you’re in. Why did you pick that profession?
You might come up with “high salary, time freedom, etc.” like I just showed you.
Then on the right side of the page, list out all the individual benefits those surface level desires bring you.
For example money brings you fancy toys, a less stressful life, the confidence in knowing you can provide for your family, experiences you’d never be able to have without having that much money, and many other things.
Do your best to come up with at least 5-10 deeper desires for each of the surface level desires you write down.
Then…SAVE THAT PIECE OF PAPER.
I recommend looking at it daily, but if not just do yourself a huge favor and save it. Then, when you’re feeling burned out…take a 5 minute break and simply meditate on that piece of paper. Realize what an amazing life you really do have and why you shouldn’t feel stressed. Try to visualize all your dreams you can achieve by the profession you’re in.
This simple exercise has helped me so much I can’t even begin to explain. Just by simply listing out the reasons why you’re in the profession you’re in somehow makes you feel much better – and can not only reduce the time you feel burned out, but possibly even eliminate it all together.
Now take out a piece of paper, give it a shot, and let me know what you come up with!
