Burn Out!

I'm not immune to burn out. In fact I get both kinds of burn out. Here's an article that does a great job of describing and explaining one type of burn out. Don't get confused when they use two definitions to describe their type of burn out. I have another type of burn out I'll explain here soon.

Mind tools also has a great self test to find out if you might be suffering from Type 1 burnout. You'd think you'd know when your burnt out but you might be long before you realize it. Like a marriage, the magic can be gone before the arguments really set in.

Type 2 Burn Out is the kind we see from Sherlock Holmes. It's burned out on not having a challenge. The mind tools article above hints at this a bit when recommending ways to avoid burn out. Suggestion #1 and #4 seem to suggest that part of burning out is finding meaning in what you do or discovering what you're made of. These are great for treating both types of Burn Out.

I think there are several things that will treat either type of burn out. I call it seeking adventure. Let me paint a picture for you:

A man sits alone in a holding cell. His hair is disheveled, his clothes are torn and dirty, and there's a tissue in his nose to staunch the bleeding from a hit he took that day. He leans back to let light from a small window illuminate his face, but his blood shot eyes are out of tears.

How did he get there? What will happen next? You tell me. Will his pregnant wife come to bail him out? Will the real bank robber be caught, but only after he's broken out of prison by the other robbers wanting to know where he hid the loot? The real question is--what sort of story is this. If we view our burn out as part of a larger story, the story of our life, what are we living? A tragedy? A comedy? Is what you face now just an inciting incident to spin your life in a whole new direction?

I encourage everyone to frame their lives as an adventure. It can radically change how we view things like burn out.