Getting Motivated: Avoiding Burnout Part 12

bythemethod | July 17, 2008

Table of contents for Avoiding burnout

Avoiding burnout often entails taking a pro-active approach to life. When you take control of your life it greatly reduces the stress you experience from others.

It is very important to understand why you are doing something. You cannot decide if something is worth doing until you know why you are doing it.

This time I want you to think about your purpose in doing what you do. What is it that makes you do what you do? Are you doing it for power and glory? Is the money the reason you do it? Is it to do with helping people or creating purpose for others? Is it about creating a good productive working environment.

Part of my motivation is to help people not to have the monday morning feeling. I’ve had times in my own life when I had that feeling every day of the week and I know how miserable that can feel.

Life doesn’t have to feel bad in fact I believe it should feel good. Knowing what your purpose is can help motivate you.

So make a list (it doesn’t have to cover everything but the more you can list the better) of the things that you have to do today. Now think about why you are doing them? If the why comes because you have been told to do them then try to understand why that person has asked you to do it.

Then think hard about whether the why is enough for you. If it isn’t then you need to think if it is worth doing at all. If you have been told to do it but still can’t understand why then ask someone. A good manager of people should help you understand why anyway. If the only answer seems to be ‘for the good of the business’ then think about the people the business serves or the fact that you will benefit if the business prospers, or even just that you like to do a good job.

Knowing the why should help you to feel motivated to complete the job.