7 Ways Leaders Avoid Burnout

There is more than enough information on this topic out there, but I thought I would share a list from a book I recently read called You Don’t Need a Title to Be a Leader: How Anyone, Anywhere, Can Make a Positive Differenc by Mark Sanborn.

Burnout typically doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process of letting little things go until it’s too late. Our thoughts and actions move us far from our original reason for beginning! Try adding in a couple items from this list to help ward off becoming burned out!

1. Take Time to Reflect

I once heard someone say you need to think about what you’ve done as much as thinking about what you will do. If your schedule is too full to have time to reflect on life, then you may be headed toward a season of burnout.

2. Dream Big About the Future

Dreams keep us moving forward. When you have a goal and a vision, you live life with a purpose. Have you ever noticed that you work harder the week before vacation? You’ve got a plan for the future (even if short term) and you want to make it happen.

3. Mirror Those Around Who are Successful

Find some people around you who are successful at what they do. What can you learn from them?

4. Retreat to Advance

Often burnout comes when we don’t see an movement in our lives, work or homes. We want to be able to take the steps needed to be effective. This requires some planning. Take some time to plan ahead and you’ll be surprised how much it will help move things forward.

5. Mentor Someone

One of the best ways to distill what you know is to share it. Find a way to connect with others around you and as you lead them, you will learn more about what you know.

6. Enjoy the Journey

It would be silly to plan not enjoy your vacation, but many of us do just that with life. We take opportunities but don’t enjoy them. We intentionally take on things that will know will cause stress, things we won’t enjoy or things that we have complained about. Make a decision to enjoy what you are involved in. And if not, change something. I like Jim Rohn’s quote: If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree.

7. Live Like a Victor, Not a Victim

So often we tend to blame others for our problems. Don’t do it. Live victoriously. Make something happen. Get through it. Accomplish it. Grow! Trust the Lord!

Search for the Pony

Be positive! Living with a positive attitude is half the battle. There is an old story about parents who tried to help their twins. One son had an extremely positive outlook and the other was extremely negative. The parents, worried that their kids would have struggles because of their extreme attitudes, decided on an experiment. For Christmas, they bought the negative boy a new bike and several new toys. To the son who was almost optimistic to a fault, they gave a pile of manure. Christmas morning came and the negative son opened the bike and the new toys and immediately began to complain he wouldn’t be able to ride it because it might get scratched or his new toys may become broken. The parents couldn’t believe he found a way to be negative even with all the amazing gifts!

At the same time, they heard their optimistic son squealing in delight as he discovered his gift of a pile of manure. The parents were dumbfounded. What are you so happy about son? All you got was manure!

To which the boy replied, “With all this manure, there’s got to be a pony around here somewhere!”

Keep your attitude in check. It’s a life saver when we are getting through life’s toughest times. Hopefully some of the items on this list will help! You can pick up a copy of Mark’s little book here.