A Surefire Way to Burn Out, Pt.1

Yep it’s summer! July 1st only a handful of days left until 4th of July! But before you go firing up the grill and roasting those marshmallows, listen up. Yes you want to soak up the rays of that gorgeous summer sun, but not only should you protect yourself from sunburn, but also from burn out.

Here are a few things you DON’T want to do to make sure you’re not partied out before the party (your dream life) starts:

Put all your party eggs in one basket. Here’s what that means. Yes, you want to become the best writer there ever was or the most successful teacher or talk show host or self-help guru on this planet. Here’s the thing though. Crawling in a hole and surrounding yourself with all things related to your one dream, is not just insanely boring, but it’s one step toward the death of your dream. Yes, it’s important to learn and know everything you can about your passion, but filling your brain up with it is also a surefire way to kill it. Keep informed. Learned what you must. Talk with those interested in your passion as well. But then, go out, chat with non-writers, be among the rest of the world, stick your head out from under the ground long enough to smell the sweet flowers around you. Then, go back and dive in!
Make everyone your God. Yes sometimes I fall for it too. When times get tough, the weak get listening. And at times our ears fall on the grand population whose words swallow our own. While I think it’s good to learn and observe from those we admire, we also need to keep our own thoughts and good advice in check. A successful guru can chant all he wants about his great pyramid or his gargantuan empire, but in reality we need to live our own lives. So unless you want to give up too early on your dreams, listen compassionately, filter and find what feels right for you.

Sorry guys that’s it for now! Will be back next week for more ways to tip the scale towards burn out. I’ll be on an interview so wish me luck. (Trying not too put all my party eggs in one basket here.)