Advice on Career Burnout
I love Marie Forleo’s video tips. Today’s was especially good because it spoke to me personally. Earlier this year I was coping with burnout, a result of taking on too much and focusing on the things that didn’t play to my strengths. Since then I’ve been narrowing down exactly why I got started in this web world and what my goals are. Bringing my mind back to that place has helped me to focus in on the tasks that matter most to me and helped to alleviate feelings of burnout and indecision.
Marie gives some awesome tips for avoiding burnout in the video above and I can definitely relate…as a blogger and as a web designer. I’ve often felt pulled in several directions that don’t quite fit my personal mission. Sometimes I’ve felt obligated, other times I felt lost or unsure of which path to take to reach my goals, and that indecision has put me in positions where I have allowed myself to be pulled off course. To me, this is one of my biggest challenges…focusing on my personal goals and sticking to them.
The reality is that we each have our own mission and while one person’s path may work for them, it may not be the right path for you. We each need to define our own own mission and outline our own path.
Defining Your Mission
Whenever I meet a new entrepreneur or blogger who is going through something similar, in being pulled in too many directions or away from their niche, I advise them to outline a mission and action plan for their business or blog. It doesn’t have to be anything spectacular, or even professional, just something to keep as a reminder to stay focused. It’s advice I wish I had heard sooner.
Earlier this year when I attended the LATISM Top Latina Bloggers Retreat, I had an epiphany. One that seems so silly because you would think that a person should already know this. The epiphany is: [tweetable alt=””]My mission matters, and it must be my first priority.[/tweetable]
I’d heard it before, but it didn’t become fully clear until that day. What became clear to me was that in order to make my mission my first priority, I really had to elevate it and make it a part of everything I do. At our retreat we were each given a small, brightly colored piece of paper and asked to write out our mission and share it with the group. It occurred to me that I hadn’t really done this before. Sure, I had written out my intent and goals, but that isn’t really the same as defining your mission, nor does it ensure that you will set it as a priority.
Here is what we were asked to define:
- What is your mission? What do you hope to achieve?
- What promise(s) do you make to the individuals that you serve?
- What are your values? How will they help you keep this promise?
- Who is your audience and how does your mission benefit them?
Defining the items above has helped me to be more clear on what my mission is and how I can best fulfill it. It has also helped me to stay on target. I have a pin board on my wall next to my desk that is full of tasks and my mission is right at the top, providing a constant reminder.
In Marie’s post this morning, she also included a link to this free course about defining your strengths and weaknesses, which I will be watching today. I hope you’ll join me in watching.
I would love to hear your story. Have you ever lost your focus or felt like you’re just not in it anymore? Did getting back on track help you or did you come to the realization that a change was necessary?
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