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.