How often do you hear yourself saying that there is just not enough time for you?
Burnout is a sate of exhaustion that occurs often among the busy-bees trying to create ‘the good life’. Signs of burning out is frustration, addiction (to sugar, coffee, shopping..), pain, broken sleep patterns (being too awake at night and tired during the day) just to name a few. Here is how I prevent my burnout episodes:
I used to get so caught up in getting ahead and achieving things that I can prove that I’ve made it. Too often there I’ve asked myself ‘why am I doing this?’ and ‘what motivates me on a daily basis’. Sometimes the answer would be ‘money’ but it’s not just the money, it’s what I want the money to do for me and how much is enough to get what I want.
One thing about money is that it costs me time. My time is my life. I’m sacrificing a portion of my life to get something in return. It’s fair to think about the return on investment to see if it’s worth it.
Then I identify and reevaluate what and why I want that holiday, car, laptop or whatever will bring me more joy and excitement. You see, gratitude is essential for what I already have. It’s not the motivation that there is a lack of joy and excitement. It’s that I just want more variety and new experiences that support my personal development.
How can I get more joy and excitement into my life?
Then once I’ve identified my motivation, then I expand the list of things that bring those things into my life or have in the past. For me it’s solitude, being outdoors in nature (especially with lots of trees around), and writing.
Now I’ve created an expansion of possibilities. The things on the second list do not cost me very much. So instead of seeking the emotional satisfaction that costs me a lot of time I choose to wake up an hour earlier and spend that time alone next to a tree, and write. That is a fantastic return on investment for me.
How can you reduce time-thieving activities to create more space in your life?
Social media, YouTube, click-bait links, gossip articles, annoying notifications, spam e-mails, online shopping for things that you already have several of or don’t need. The list goes on, but only do these things if they help you achieve your goals. If watching an inspirational video gives you the spark you need, then sure watch it. If you find yourself watching another cute animal or epic fails videos then chances are that you’ve been tricked into the time-thieft zone. If you have identified this, then congratulations. You have been blessed with awareness. Now you have the power to do something about it.
That’s the perfect time to exit the page and reevaluate if this is bringing value into your life.
What is your energetic exchange rate of what you choose to do daily?
