The Burnout Remedy
A mindset shift to remedy burnout:
From avoidance to prevention.
From confusion to hope.
Hey friends, let’s talk about burnout. I’ve been asked a few times recently how I haven’t burnt out from writing four to six hours each day. Finishing a book in less than four months, to say it became overwhelming sometimes is an understatement. For spurts of time I was living, breathing, thinking, consuming, and focusing solely on creativity. There were nights I couldn’t sleep because my mind was stuck in a never-ending cycle of editing. I have to admit that maybe halfway through the book I found myself procrastinating. I realized that I was subconsciously removing myself from being present in this process. I was losing motivation and could feel the clock ticking as I avoided looking at my writing.
I knew I had to change my relationship with this process so that I would be able to fully invest myself mindfully while I was writing, as to not risk losing impact in the messages I was sharing. It’s hard to share uplifting messages authentically when you’re lacking motivation. And I knew that it could become apparent through my writing when I was fading. I needed to learn how to avoid this so that I remain clear and consistent in my tone and in the strength of my words.
I can imagine this is similar for musicians who consistently play their radio hits at concerts. I remember when I went to see Amos Lee perform in Chicago. It was only a few months after his hit song “Colors” was released. I remember seeing posters in the crowds with “Colors” written across them, or some of the lyrics displayed. Throughout the performance, many of the audience members shouted “Play Colors!” It got increasingly annoying. My friends and I assumed he was saving that song for the encore, and hoped that the crowd would stop distracting him and enjoy the concert. It wasn’t until the end of the show that he finally acknowledged those who were screaming about “Colors” and told the crowd he didn’t want to play that song.
While I was surprised at the time that he didn’t want to play that song, I feel as if I can understand a bit better, now. He had probably played that song hundreds of times since its release. And sure, he probably could have played it one more time that evening, but would it have been a worthwhile performance on his part? Would the audience have been able to feel his deflation while singing that song? Would the crowd lose interest in that song all together? There could have been a few reasons for his decision, but mainly I think he wanted to ensure that he was fully invested in his performance then and there. He knew he could do better if he sang another song, and that show ended beautifully.
With that in mind, I began to wonder how to ensure that my book ends beautifully. How could I ensure that I remained fully invested in my expression? I wanted to learn how to prevent burnout, not avoid it. When I consider avoiding something, it isn’t because I need to, it’s because I want to. We avoid the things we don’t want to encounter, and that is typically because of embarrassment or shame associated with it. I knew as I was writing this book that I was invested in this mission. I was so excited about inspiring creative potential and the prospect of becoming an author. However, I pushed myself to continue writing when I was struggling because I felt guilty for taking downtime. I would tell myself “If you’re a writer and you want to be an author, you can’t burn out, otherwise, you’re not really an author.” This couldn’t be further from the truth, but it is unfortunately the story I told myself. Let me tell you, those moments produced some of the worst writing I had ever written. I soon began to realize the pressure wasn’t worth it. I would usually delete everything I had written during that time. I would have to start that section again later.
This is when I began to consider the idea of prevention as a tool. When we prevent something negative it is to ensure the quality of that experience. For example, we might wear slip-on shoes when we are going to the airport so we don’t get frustrated during the process, or upset others by holding up the lines while tying our laces. We take these small but effective preventative measures to enjoy the process. There’s no guilt associated with these steps. There’s only hope for a positive experience.
The Small Steps to Prevent Burnout:
I started developing these preventative directions by creating small goals that I could build upon. It began with constructing the outline of the book and then finding the main topics I wanted to cover in each of those chapters. When I was able to find connections between those subjects is when I was able to get a better formula in place for writing each chapter. The goals would evolve from writing one chapter, to writing ten pages in different chapters, to getting 5,000 words in for the day. By having smaller goals to focus on, I was able to maintain consistent quality input. I may have surpassed the goals some days, and other days I wouldn’t come close. However, by having these gentle steps between phases of writing this book, I didn’t sacrifice my authentic interpretations.
Make a Schedule:
To keep this going I started by scheduling when I would write. I would put aside an hour or two in the morning to focus on researching and writing and then take a break. Sometimes I would keep writing if I was in the flow. But when I was ready for a break I would go for a quick walk, chat with my family and friends, or enjoy an iced coffee. Having dedicated time for writing and breaks reduced the demand of my distractions. Additionally, these moments with nature and my community were refreshing and would bring me back to a light-minded place, rather than drowning in details and words. This routine allowed my brain to prepare for creative thinking and writing each day, without me having to make much effort to get ready. I knew the writing was coming, so my mind slowly began to wander in the hour or so beforehand. I would contemplate what I had written the day before, and ponder over the topics that were about to come. I would continue to slowly and mindfully reflect on the mission for this book and wanted to keep that goal at the forefront.
Plan Downtime:
I would also schedule one day each week to not write at all. Normally it was Sunday, but sometimes I would throw in a Wednesday or Thursday for the week. By experiencing my downtime on different days of the week, I gave my schedule a refresher as well. Writing didn’t feel like a monotonous task, but rather, it felt like a balance of creative alignment in my life. Rest is so important. Not only for the mind but also when you’re typing at a computer for hours on end your wrists, fingers, and eyes take a toll as well. Making time to rejuvenate your thoughts, your body, and your mindset is key to maintaining that consistency.
Enjoy The Process:
I knew as I was getting closer to finishing the book I wouldn’t want to stop writing. I would want to keep pushing myself to achieve this goal. Luckily, at that moment I was speaking with one of my writing mentors, Richard Speer. He reminded me to slow down and to enjoy this process. He has written many books throughout his life and suggested that as I am approaching the end, I take a week or two off from writing completely. While this suggestion surprised me, and I thought to myself “I could never do that,” I tried it anyways. I gave myself a couple of days towards the end to remove myself from the process altogether. Not to create distance from the book, but to reward myself. To give myself some space to reflect on my writing and see if any other aspects of my mission were sparked. And, to my surprise, there were.
Keep it Fresh:
I decided to continue my interviews on creativity and further my knowledge of these varying perspectives with new interviews, new blogs, new collaborations, and more. If I hadn’t taken some time to reflect on the progress I had made, I might not have know how to go forward. I needed time to make a plan for the future, and to prepare myself for the next phase after completing this book. By focusing on the aspects that fueled my curiosity for this topic, I knew my writing wouldn’t suffer, my vision wouldn’t fog, and my message wouldn’t fade. My preventative measures ensured that I wrote authentically and mindfully in alignment with my goals.
If you’re at a point where you are lacking motivation, please take a moment to appreciate your downtime. Allow it to fill you up. Allow it to cultivate the fuel for your fire so you can continue on your endeavor fully invested.
There’s always time to create.
-Rose
To find out more about my process, head over to my website to get updates about my next book: The Creativity Gene: 5 Universal Traits to Spark Success. If you loved this tidbit, wait till you see what experts in a variety of fields have shared with me! Also, check out the upcoming blogs over the next few weeks as I continue my interviews on creativity with professionals from around the globe!