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.
Showing posts with label Adventure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adventure. Show all posts
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Risk Factor
I just watched a great film. It was quirky but fun, just like I like. It was called "The Darwin Awards," starring a whole host of people.
Thing about this movie is that it reminded me of something I believe in very strongly--I believe that people need risk. Men especially. It's like a vitamin. Now their are false adventures, but mainly its about backing down or not seeking out adventures. Life is fraught with risks of all natures. You can't actually eliminate all of it, but you can live your entire life attempting to mitigate it. If you do that, you more than miss out on life, you begin to walk a path that will take you really negative places.
Certain things in life are like that, like vitamins. Relationship is another one. If you get close to people you risk getting hurt but if you don't...You have to get a certain amount of relationship to grow as a human being--be a well rounded person. In that same way you need risk. Risk is good for you when channeled well. Nearly every aboriginal culture has a rite of passage that involves some level of risk, often life threatening risk.
The transition from boy to man is brought on by dealing with risk. In our very young US culture we hardly have any rights of passage, many of the ones we do have involve risk like getting a drivers licence (you could crash and die). Many others like being able to smoke or strip dance, may not be so positive. Interestingly, they still involve risk, but of something that is likely to take you out down the road, after a lifetime of reduced capacity. Positive risks aren't easy to define but they don't look like that.
There are 3 levels of adventure. Level 1 adventures are casual. Level one's are like rafting, or a weekend survival camping trip. Level 2 are personal, like getting engaged. Level 3 are the major risks in life, life responding to a mugger or leaving your job to join the mission field. You can't always control when you're going to get a level 2 or 3 risk opportunity, but the only way to prepare to handle them is to accept that they are going to happen and work you way up to it. It's also important to get in a few casual adventures where you can to keep in practice. If you don't, your need for adventure and risk will push you into doing counterfeit adventures like drinking away your paycheck or having an affair.
For more on risk and adventure I recommend the entire line up of books by John Eldgredge found here. To read a fun-filled adventure I can recommend Suffering Rancor by Andy Bunch. (See what I did there? ;)
Thing about this movie is that it reminded me of something I believe in very strongly--I believe that people need risk. Men especially. It's like a vitamin. Now their are false adventures, but mainly its about backing down or not seeking out adventures. Life is fraught with risks of all natures. You can't actually eliminate all of it, but you can live your entire life attempting to mitigate it. If you do that, you more than miss out on life, you begin to walk a path that will take you really negative places.
Certain things in life are like that, like vitamins. Relationship is another one. If you get close to people you risk getting hurt but if you don't...You have to get a certain amount of relationship to grow as a human being--be a well rounded person. In that same way you need risk. Risk is good for you when channeled well. Nearly every aboriginal culture has a rite of passage that involves some level of risk, often life threatening risk.
The transition from boy to man is brought on by dealing with risk. In our very young US culture we hardly have any rights of passage, many of the ones we do have involve risk like getting a drivers licence (you could crash and die). Many others like being able to smoke or strip dance, may not be so positive. Interestingly, they still involve risk, but of something that is likely to take you out down the road, after a lifetime of reduced capacity. Positive risks aren't easy to define but they don't look like that.
There are 3 levels of adventure. Level 1 adventures are casual. Level one's are like rafting, or a weekend survival camping trip. Level 2 are personal, like getting engaged. Level 3 are the major risks in life, life responding to a mugger or leaving your job to join the mission field. You can't always control when you're going to get a level 2 or 3 risk opportunity, but the only way to prepare to handle them is to accept that they are going to happen and work you way up to it. It's also important to get in a few casual adventures where you can to keep in practice. If you don't, your need for adventure and risk will push you into doing counterfeit adventures like drinking away your paycheck or having an affair.
For more on risk and adventure I recommend the entire line up of books by John Eldgredge found here. To read a fun-filled adventure I can recommend Suffering Rancor by Andy Bunch. (See what I did there? ;)
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Real Life Super Heroes, update
Well, I had a great idea for a story but someone already wrote it. So without further ado, http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201108/real-life-superheroes-phoenix-jones?currentPage=2
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Cutting Edge Travel Trailer
This new travel trailer form Moby1 seems small but effective. Sometimes a little goes a long ways--this may be one of those times.
http://www.gizmag.com/moby1-expedition-trailers/21827/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=21e4e8103e-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email
http://www.gizmag.com/moby1-expedition-trailers/21827/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=21e4e8103e-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email
Friday, March 16, 2012
Walking Adventure
Adventure is one of the key things that keeps us alive. I used to see people on TV having adventures and wonder when I'd get to have an adventure. Then I'd turn around and face a giant problem and complain that my life sucked. Somewhere in there I got a clue. My entire life is now an adventure. It is what you make of it. The difference between a life of suffering and Martyrdom, and a life of grand adventure is perspective. The good news is that adventure can also bring perspective making it self perpetuating. I encourage every one of us to take a moment today to re-imagine your life in terms of adventure.
For me, adventure takes on many definitions. I've been to Alaska and Mexico in the same year by bus. I've spent a month in England studying history. I sang for my supper and ran from drug dealers in Canada. And so much more. One of the biggest adventures I took on was writing my first novel. For reasons I don't have space to go into in this installment, writing a novel was about the hardest thing I've done in my life. Harder than college, harder than pneumonia, harder than spending a night alone in the woods. We must challenge ourselves or we shrivel up just a little bit.
Here's a guy who knows what it's all about.
For me, adventure takes on many definitions. I've been to Alaska and Mexico in the same year by bus. I've spent a month in England studying history. I sang for my supper and ran from drug dealers in Canada. And so much more. One of the biggest adventures I took on was writing my first novel. For reasons I don't have space to go into in this installment, writing a novel was about the hardest thing I've done in my life. Harder than college, harder than pneumonia, harder than spending a night alone in the woods. We must challenge ourselves or we shrivel up just a little bit.
Here's a guy who knows what it's all about.
Walking Adventure
Adventure is one of the key things that keeps us alive. I used to see people on TV having adventures and wonder when I'd get to have an adventure. Then I'd turn around and face a giant problem and complain that my life sucked. Somewhere in there I got a clue. My entire life is now an adventure. It is what you make of it. The difference between a life of suffering and Martyrdom, and a life of grand adventure is perspective. The good news is that adventure can also bring perspective making it self perpetuating. I encourage every one of us to take a moment today to re-imagine your life in terms of adventure.
For me, adventure takes on many definitions. I've been to Alaska and Mexico in the same year by bus. I've spent a month in England studying history. I sang for my supper and ran from drug dealers in Canada. And so much more. One of the biggest adventures I took on was writing my first novel. For reasons I don't have space to go into in this installment, writing a novel was about the hardest thing I've done in my life. Harder than college, harder than pneumonia, harder than spending a night alone in the woods. We must challenge ourselves or we shrivel up just a little bit.
Here's a guy who knows what it's all about.
For me, adventure takes on many definitions. I've been to Alaska and Mexico in the same year by bus. I've spent a month in England studying history. I sang for my supper and ran from drug dealers in Canada. And so much more. One of the biggest adventures I took on was writing my first novel. For reasons I don't have space to go into in this installment, writing a novel was about the hardest thing I've done in my life. Harder than college, harder than pneumonia, harder than spending a night alone in the woods. We must challenge ourselves or we shrivel up just a little bit.
Here's a guy who knows what it's all about.
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