Burnout, Burros, & Horses (part 2 of 2)

Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9 Continued from yesterday… What happens in a true burnout? A metamorphosis – a change in character, substance, and appearance. Top executives are often guilty of pushing their employees to the point of burnout. Their answer to the problem is usually to give the individual time off – perhaps even several months - to refresh him. But it doesn’t work. The fire cannot be re-lit. All people have a natural propensity as to how much work they will take on. It’s kind of like the difference between a burro and a horse. A horse loves to run. S/he will accept every assignment, take on incredible amounts of work and say no to nothing. Burros are much smarter than horses. Don’t be offended – I, myself, am a horse! Burros refuse to go into overload. Put too much on the back of a burro and it will sit down. It will refuse to move – a burro knows when enough is enough! Burros can be very frustrating to their senior management. They know when to say no to excessive responsibilities and overtime. However, they are a much more stable part of the workforce. As a senior manager, the trick is twofold: keep the burros motivated at their maximum level and don’t let the horses take on too much. On the personal side, you must know who you are. Most people do. If you are a horse, you must pace yourself and give yourself permission to say no to some projects, promotions, and commitments. If you are a burro, recognize that you will likely need to prod yourself to test your limits and to maintain your maximum healthy level of productivity. Horses must learn to restrain themselves and take a vacation. Burros need to learn to keep themselves motivated. God never forces us to take on responsibilities that will drain us of all our energy or destroy one of our life domains. God made both burros and horses, neither is bad. God gave us all a capacity for work – find yours, fill it, but don’t exceed it. To avoid burnout, ask yourself the following questions: • What action do I need to take regarding my thinking wavelength and the work that I do? • In what ways may need to adjust my expectations regarding others? • In what ways do I need to adjust my communi8cation with others? • Do I have a tendency to take on too much work and put myself in overload? If so, what changes do I need to make? • Do I have a tendency to say “no” when an opportunity seems overwhelming? If so, what do I need to do to make sure that I don’t miss an appropriate opportunity? Suffering from burnout? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com