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The “Burnout Syndrome”

The Scientific American Mind may not be sitting on your coffee table, but it is on mine. Or at least the June/July issue is. I was flying back to Portland from Kansas City after attending a 2-day FastTrac certification program.

(FastTrac is a series of hands-on business programs developed and sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, MO. The programs are designed to help entrepreneurs and business owners start up, operate and grow their businesses. In Maine FastTrac is offered as part of the Center for Entrepreneurship at USM. The FastTrac program is of the highest quality and it also compliments Bold Vision Consulting’s programs and I’m happy to be certified as a FastTrac facilitator for USM.)

So …let’s get back to the Scientific American Mind. As I’m now in Detroit on a 2-hour stopover between Portland, ME and KC, MO, I’m walking past rows and rows of magazines, Detroit souvenirs and unhealthy snacks and see this headline screaming out at me: BURNOUT Needless to say, I stopped dead in my tracks, turned around and headed to the rack to check it out.

As a small business owner - in particular the owner of a business just celebrating a 1-year anniversary, (Yours Truly) can be at high risk of burnout. Even though business is developing as it should, it is never easy, there are never enough hours in the day and sometimes having to do it all AND find any time to decompress seems impossible. You add that all up and it’s easy to see how burnout happens.

“Even though your job or career might be extremely fulfilling, it can also be extremely demanding--and you feel overwhelmed. You are not alone.” This is the lead-in to the article. Great, I’m not alone. So I read on. Burnout “tends to hit the best,” those with “the most enthusiasm who accept responsibility readily.” That’s good, too. I’ve never been called demure and I don’t shy away from a challenge; in fact I thrive on challenges. Isn’t that a prerequisite for owning your own business?

“If someone works 12 hours a day, every day, yet still has found a way to relax, he will very likely have no problem.” Uh, oh. What slacker are they talking about, working only 12 hours a day? …finding a way to relax? Hmmmm. He can find a way because he’s only working 12 hours a day …no wonder.

Seriously, though; this is what most of us find to be the biggest challenge and why many of us burnout. Finding a way to relax; decompressing as I like to call it; finding a work-life balance as the challenge is more widely known; THIS is the challenge.

The Scientific American Mind article goes on to describe a few individual “burnout” situations and how each person responded to their crisis. For example, Larry, a 28-year-old consultant working 60 to 80 hour weeks collapsed outside the door to his apartment with a terrible headache, a racing heart and vertigo. Twenty-eight years old! Burnout is getting more and more prevalent. According to a November, 2005 Harris Poll, one third of workers ages 25 to 39 say they already feel burned out by their jobs.

What really woke me up was “The Burnout Cycle,” a list of the 12 phases (according to the author, Ulrich Kraft, a freelance science writer in Berlin) that lead to “Burnout Syndrome.” The phases include things like neglecting your needs, denial of emerging problems, inner-emptiness, being obsessed with handling everything yourself….and the list goes on. I admit, it is hard work NOT to burnout. Reading this article was a good reminder to get back to the basics in a few areas of my life, including exercise and limiting the late night oil I burn at the office. I’m telling you this as I sit here typing at 6:10 p.m. and when I finish this I’ve got to finish preparing for a workshop at the Unemployed Professionals meeting tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. Like I said, NOT burning out takes work! And a lot of practice.

So, take a deep breath, look at all you have on your plate and be realistic about what you have to do and what you can actually delegate. Then also be realistic about what you physically CAN get done in a single day; a single week or month. Do what you know you should do without arguing with yourself, do it and then reward yourself by leaving the office at a reasonable hour and enjoying a nice evening with family, a good friend or a good book.

This and a heavy dose of BOLD-ness will do you well. Remember …success and the good life - it all starts with a vision.

More about FastTrac –
FastTrac programs are primarily focused on the more “tangible” and traditional skills needed to be successful as a business owner, i.e. How to read financials, How to price your product or service, Delivery and Distribution issues, HR and Management issues, etc.

Bold Vision programs focus more on the “intangible” or “off-balance sheet” skills that are equally as critical to business success –critical to plain ‘ol success for that matter, i.e. keeping focused on your longer-term objectives while managing the day-to-day business operations, Perseverance, Time Management, Follow-Through, finding some life-balance when you have to do it ALL, etc.

For more information about Maine’s FastTrac program, call The Center for Entrepreneurship and Small Business at USM – (207) 780-5919 or visit USM’s website at http://www.usm.maine.edu/cesb/fasttrac.html .

For upcoming Bold Vision programs and events bookmark the Bold Vision Calendar and check back from time to time.

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