Avoiding the Fiery Train Wreck of Burnout

Steady momentum plus compounding interest will bring success.

A locomotive can weigh up to 125 tons. The fastest trains go between 155–200 MPH. But there are a few things to realize:

• It takes a LOT of energy to start a train moving.
• Once at speed, trains don’t require as much energy.
• It takes more energy to stop and start again than it does to keep going.
• If you continue to use the same amount of starting energy once the train is moving, you’ll end up with a burning wreck.

Don’t become a burning wreck. Once you get started, don’t stop. Keep enough fuel to keep the fire burning, but not too much. Easy, right? (Easier said than done.)

When you’re dehydrated, you want water

Psychologists Herbert Freudenberger and Gail North performed a systematic review of over 200 scientific studies about burnout. They found that burnout builds in 12 steps. The first three steps being:

• Compulsion to prove oneself (excessive ambition)
• Working harder
• Neglecting own needs

They also listed several warning signs of burnout, the most common being:

• Increased commitment to goals
• Exhaustion

I liken this to being a person stranded in the desert, happening upon a pump-style water well. The sun is beating down; you’re dehydrated; the rusty pump gives you hope. You frantically begin pumping and continue to pump despite being rewarded with only dry air. You swear you hear a little water gurgling in the recesses of its pipes.

And then the first droplet appears.

And then the water begins flowing.

You can hardly contain yourself now. You pump, and pump, and pump. The glorious water is generously flowing. You keep pumping, and pumping, and pumping.

Like the train, there are similar lessons to learn:

• It takes a lot of energy to start, and often yields little (if any) rewards.
• Once started, it doesn’t take as many pumps to keep the water flowing.
• It takes more energy to stop and then start again than it does to keep pumping now-and-then.
• If you keep pumping as you did at the start, you may break off the handle.

When the engine room overheats

Take a moment to realize if things are getting too hot in the engine room. Or, pay attention if your arm is getting sore from pumping the water.

I get it. You have places you want to go; you are literally dying of thirst.

If your engine explodes, you won’t go anywhere, and you’ll end up dead if you exhaust yourself pumping.

To be most effective, cool things down.

Great and wonderful things take time. The pyramids looked like stacks of dirt for years before they were completed. The tallest buildings in the world started as giant holes in the ground.

Novels, works of art, communities, and more are built with continual effort over time, not by bursts of action in short periods.

“Time is your friend; impulse is your enemy. Take advantage of compound interest.” — Warren Buffett

Start now and let your growth build upon itself. This method is a lot easier and grows much larger.

How do I cool down?

To be effective at maintaining momentum without burning yourself out, realize a couple of things:

• You don’t need balance, as much as you need harmony.
• There’s a difference between pausing and stopping.

The beginning of burnout is compulsion. Usually, you have an inner drive that lights the fire, and you explode out of the gates. One of two things happen. First, you do this “thing” with all your gusto and ignore everything else. Second, you find another “thing” that is also important and try to incorporate with your first thing. And then add another thing. And another thing.

We stress ourselves out trying to find balance. In our continuing efforts, we create crowded calendars and tumultuous to-do lists. 15 minutes of this, and 15 minutes of that, equals hours of needed therapy.

Harmony is key.

You don’t have to fit everything into your life. It doesn’t work. It WILL burn you out.

Pick one or two things and incorporate them into your life. Make your life about what you do, not making what you do become your life.

“A busy calendar and a busy mind will destroy your ability to create anything great.” — Naval Ravikant

Greatness comes with continued focus. Continued focus comes from an uncluttered mind and rested body.

When your engine begins to overheat, take a moment to ground yourself. There are various ways to pause and refresh, versus stopping and having to start again. Some examples:

• Meditate.
• Take a nap.
• Take five deep breaths, saying to yourself in each exhale, “I am okay. I am safe. I am loved. I am worthy.”

Summary — time is not your enemy, it is your ally

Burnout happens when we try to do much in too little time, and we keep repeating that pattern. Contrary to that method, doing a little bit over a long time creates increased value.

Rushing time will kill you. Using time will grow and heal you.

Yes, get your locomotive started. And yes, pump that water — you need it! But realize it takes time. Have compassion for yourself, take the moments you need, and everything will work out.

Ryan DeJonghe is the owner of YourEnergyHealers.Org, an online collaborative of Reiki energy healers offering services over video. He also likes to write stuff people enjoy reading. You never know what he’ll say next.

Connect with Ryan on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LifeisPresence.