At the time it was easy to justify: there was a lot of work to be done as there were some emergency situations at the time, the work I was doing was for a greater good (humanitarian aid), and besides, if I didn't do it, who would? The department would fall apart without me.
I burned out. I didn't just get tired - I lost all joy. My blood pressure was high, I was so anxious that I couldn't turn my mind off to sleep when it needed to, and I ended up being depressed. I burned the wick at both ends, and all that was left was a shell of a woman who for so long had wrapped up her entire identity in her work.
As the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20 and looking back I can identify a lot of the lies I believed about work and business and a lot of lessons I learned along the way. When I decided to launch out on my own and start my own company, I put specific boundaries in place as to how I would work and how I would run my business so that I could avoid burnout this time around.
Being a workaholic is not a trait to be admired. It is unhealthy and is not a long-term, viable strategy for a successful business or a sane life. And if you think you are the exception, you're wrong.
This week on Twitter I'll be posting Lessons from Burnout - short little tidbits of things I've learned through the hellish experience that being a workaholic brought with it. You can follow along here.
Welcome to 
9 comments:
Very excited to read your take on this, Liene. I'm a little embarrased to admit that I was working just this afternoon - and Sunday is my "sworn day off"!
--Jeannine
cool, i'll be looking forward to it.
I can relate! What I struggle with the most is the fact that while I work almost every weekend, I also feel that I should be available during regular business hours to field inquiries, etc... That translates to a 7 day work week!
Today's brides (our clients and potential clients) seem to be conditioned to look for an immediate response and 24/7 connectivity.
I'm looking forward to reading your comments this week.
Amen sista'! I think taking on too much is easy for women (because we CAN do it all doesn't mean we should) and for people who are just starting businesses (because if we don't, who will?) Our calendar should reflect our priorities and it rarely does.
I know I can benefit from this. Thanks Liene for sharing your ideas and thoughts on the subject. We've all been there. Spread too thin!
I am definitely following your take on this. I know I spread my self thin in certain areas. I am trying to learn to say NO.
This is definitely a tip that is near & dear to me considering I was a workaholic in my previous life. (I was that person that thought I had to be there to make things happen when actually my team of 200+ ran on auto pilot)
I vowed when I started this business that I would not do the same things that I did in Corporate America. So far....its not the 80+ hours a week, but its definitely not 45-50. However since I am working in my purpose it doesn't feel like work!
I am loving the twitter lessons!
Thanks for sharing!
Great post, Liene. I sometimes feel like I'm alone when I talk to other entrepreneurs and they make comments like "sleep is for the weak" and boast how much they work. I mean, I work hard, but I know when I am going to turn off the computer and go make my husband dinner...
I've loved reading these! They have been a great reminder to stop and focus and get things done to avoid burnout. Awesome!
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