Here’s one for the “You Never Know” files. It’s from an article in a business journal.
“I worked with a guy for 30 years. And saving money at a senior engineering job had him with a net worth of several million, and a paid off half million house.
He was going to retire at 65, and travel the world. And he was 64, and could already access his $2 million 401k if he wanted to. He died of a massive stroke at his desk one morning 6 months before his 65th birthday. You never know how much time you have.”
Wow. That’s a sad story. And it happens too often.
No, you really don’t know how much time you have. But you do know it’s limited. Right? And maybe you won’t die at your desk. But you might have to deal with burnout from time to time. Plan A: You deal with it, if and when it comes. Plan B: Have a System to avoid it.
You never know when you’re gonna go. So, I suggest plan B.
Because when burnout strikes, it can be almost impossible to be creative. Or focus on the day-to-day operations in your business. Especially if your business depends solely on you. And don’t tell me this doesn’t apply to you. Or that you’re immune to the effects of burnout because you love what you do.
I get it. I love what I do. But it’s not all of who I am. My business is only a part of me. And I don’t want the other parts to just fade away and disappear because I spent my whole life focused on business.
But how can you take a break, a vacation, when your business can’t run without you?
That’s the million (or multi-million) dollar question. Because when you find the right answer, you can enjoy time away from work. Time when you can focus on those other parts of you. Or your family. And friends.
Lots of studies show that mental and emotional stress can damage you even more than physical stress.
You can’t hold up weights, indefinitely. Because your muscles give out after a certain amount of stress. And your mind is like that, too, if you don’t give it recovery breaks.
Symptoms of mental stress include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Lack of memory or concentration
- Compulsive behavior
If you’ve noticed any of these symptoms, I recommend you set up a system for you business. But not just any system. You need one that includes what I call recovery time.
You could look all over the internet and put some tools together in a mostly random way.
Another option is to plug your business into a system where all that work has been done for you. And, as it just so happens, my RondaReady System fits that bill quite nicely, thank you.
And one section of my online system includes how to deal with dying at your desk. Well, not specifically. But it IS a focus section to avoid burnout.
So, if you think you’re showing signs of being that burnout person, get my System at the link below. But if you’re not Ready to invest that much in your business (and personal) health, use the second link below. (I recommend the first link because you never know…)
Stay Ready,
Ronda