When you’re being interviewed for a job, very few recruiters will ask you about your skill of living life to the fullest. They won’t ask you whether you’re happy or sad. The biggest question is: Can he or she get the job done? Can they fit into the Company we are building? Worse still since most job prospects are desperate, the would-be interview turns out to be a solo-view. The employer gets what she wants while the employee settles for what is available.
Since no one taught you how to thrive in life you fall into a cycle:
Tell me about your day. How does it unfold? Does your day blur together in the tiring buzz of messages, virtual and in-person meetings, team chats, and new projects put on your plate? Do you time to eat lunch or read a book? In extreme cases do you struggle to pick up your child from school? Have you told yourself you’d make sure to exercise tomorrow, and yet weeks go by without getting to the gym even once? If you have children, have you missed their football games, vowing to make it up next time? If you’re married, do you miss dinners with your wife or husband expecting them to understand and accept your apology that work comes friends you just cant seem to in months or years?
If this sounds like a typical day, week, month, year, or even decade, ask yourself, When was the last time you checked in with you? If you’re caught in a perpetually reactive work state with no time for intentional focus, it will lead to morale loss which in turn makes you lose your burn-in.
By and large burnout is a result of you being engrossed in what you have to do, exploiting your ability to get it done while neglecting the things you want to do. As you and I know, the things you want to do are not in your job description. You want to spend time with your family. You want to go back to school, live a comfortable life, and eat at restaurant without looking at the menu. You want freedom. You want your own business etc.
I don’t experience burnout because I am aware of how to manage my life but I have the blessed opportunity to enjoy what I do. What I must do is coincidentally what I want to do and I build the ability to do it better every day hence the high energy I exude. You might say, “Hey Sudesh as long as they give me money that is all that matters” Well go ask a mother of three who works fifteen hours daily and she can’t see her children for months.
To evaluate yourself look at the following lists:
Signs of a person with a high morale; living life without burnout
- Exhibits vitality that seems to come from an inner fire,
- Listens for the inner voice that tells them whether their actions resonate with their beliefs,
- Connects to their spirit and vitality,
- Brings their whole self to work,
- Maintains a healthy amount of ego that stems from strength,
- Stays “in integrity” and speaks truth even if it means not appeasing those who have the authority to fire them,
- Prioritizes life and work activities and consistently reinforces boundaries to optimize both,
- Keeps meaning and purpose intact, and
- Focuses on relationships as much as tasks.
Signs of a person experiencing burnout and low morale:
- Shows a loss of intuition;
- Works harder but not smarter;
- Is all motion and chaos;
- Displays a loss of connection with their inner self and with others;
- Loses touch with their hopes and dreams;
- Exhibits a loss of energy;
- Behaves from a place of negative emotions;
- Acts out of sync with inner integrity, beliefs, and values;
- Replaces all other relationships in life with work; and
- Is reactive versus proactive.
If you were to check in with yourself today, where are you?
