I find when I am becoming burned out it is a sure indication that my days are filled with things I need to do but not things that inspire me.  I can work long and hard when I am inspired.  Burn out is a key indicator I am off track.  Forbes recently did an article about this very topic with 3 tips for combating burn-out.

Here is my strategy when I feel the heavy beast of burn-out eating away at my drive and my productivity.

The first thing I do is take time to break my daily cycle, whether it is an hour or a whole week away.

During this break I make two lists.  I list all the goals that would make me feel great if I was pursuing them or had accomplished them.  These aren’t plans, they are goals.  Things that make me stretch outside my current comfort zone and the successful outcome of would bring a huge grin to my face.

Then I make a list of what normally fills my day.

If I am not spending some time each day on things that move forward something on my first list I can be sure I need to change something.  Sometimes the change is drastic — like quitting my job.  But often it is just waiting until noon to answer emails and spending the first hour of each work day on a creative project rather than at the end of the day when all my “to-do’s” are complete–which rarely happens and I have little creative juices.

Making progress each day towards what really makes my heart sing is the key to my productivity — in everything else I do.  If you don’t know what makes your heart sing, take my free quiz and get a free meditation audio to help find it.