Passion Burnout – When your dreams take you down.

A Burnout of your own making

I’m going to shape this idea around entrepreneurship, because I think it’s relatable to many of you, but it can also pertain to creative endeavors (like acting, singing, or writing) or even the incredibly important work of making and raising kids.

The reason passion burnout is different than career burnout is that the pressure is entirely self-induced.  We are typically pushing ourselves too hard rather than a stressful job situation that’s being driven by someone else.  Said differently, passion burnout is entirely of our own making.

I’ve seen this in the work I do with wellness coaches, entrepreneurs, and fellow authors and bloggers.  We’re all passionate folks, trying to make a name for ourselves and an impact on the world, but by taking on too much, we drown in a sea of our own unrealistic expectations.

We create crazy dreams that we can’t wait to grow into because we see other people’s success as a model for what’s possible.  What we don’t see however, is how long it took to create that success and how much support others have contributed to the effort.

Related: The power of self-acceptance & resolving limiting beliefs (Episode 15)

Many passion seekers move in the general direction of what they’re looking for, but aren’t 100% sure exactly what it is.  They’ll know when they get there, they say.  But take it from someone who has done this – you won’t know.  In fact, you’re probably so busy running in “general directions” that you have no time or awareness to stop and say – is this it?  

Honestly, when was the last time you stopped to ask yourself – does this path feel right for me?  If you haven’t, now is your chance to do that.  Don’t just think about your final destination – think about the journey.  Is it what you want?

When you have clarity, but it’s still not working in your favor.

Stop doing everything.

This is just as much of a business lesson as it is a burnout recovery practice.  The reason we hit these mental brick walls is that we’re trying to do all the things.  Burnout happens when we compromise ourselves to the point where we have nothing left to give.

Where are you doing this to yourself?  
If you’re working on a side hustle – hire help before you think you can afford it.  You will grow faster and more efficiently if you can create opportunities to outsource early and often.  If you’re in a season where you’re pushing toward a creative goal, something else needs to give.  Whether it’s asking for help with the kids, taking some vacation time just to focus on getting your book finished or giving up TV at night so you can start getting up at 5am to work before your day job – you have to give up something to make room for something else.

This is often the hardest to accept.

Women in particular aren’t great at asking for help and they’re even worse at being selfish about their dreams.  But here’s the thing – if you aren’t selfish, you won’t get where you want to go.  You have to accept that “me first” is a perfectly acceptable mindset because it gives you the permission to pour into yourself before you spend the rest of your day pouring into other people and all the things you want to accomplish.

It’s okay to stop

I didn’t mention this in my podcast, but it’s worth pointing out that if something is burning you out, the world won’t stop if you put down your passion for a while or for ever.  We hear so much about not quitting, but sometimes that’s the most loving thing we can do for ourselves.  I went through this experience, continuing to push forward on something that was dragging me down.

It turned out that letting go was the best thing I could do in the moment, and I ended up opening myself up better opportunities!!  If you’re not sure when to quit or stay the course, I have something that might help you figure it out.

TLDR Takeaways

• Be clear about what you’re going after and keep checking in along the way to make sure it feels right.
• Get honest about your limiting beliefs and make a point of working through them (I find journaling and EFT to be very effective at working through them).  It bears repeating – if you don’t get past yourself, you’ll continue to hit that mental and emotional brick wall instead of reaching your goals.
• Be selfish about your dreams – invest in yourself and ask for help.  You. Are. Worth. It.

Need Help?

Are you burned out from your side hustle that you’ve been pushing hard with because you’re equally burnout from your day job and desperately want to escape it? I feel you, friend.  There is only so much time in the day and you’ve only got so much energy to give.  If you’re struggling to prioritize your time and energy, I can help.  Personal coaching can give you an objective perspective on your situation and help you get clear on the best actions to take, given your limited resources.  If that sounds like something you could benefit from, consider investing in personal coaching with me.