Ahhh, Burnout. It happens to the best of us. Especially when working in an office environment. And one of the reasons it happens is because we get caught up and mired in activities that we believe are productive but are actually soul-sucking. We recently interviewed Todd Dickerson, a prominent and very busy SAAS business owner to get his take on burnout and how to avoid it.
Schedule your Workday
To avoid burnout, Todd stresses the importance of blocking out specific time slots for dealing with Proactive Activities and Reactive Activities. For example, a Reactive Activity would be one where you’re answering all the emails and chats that pour into your inbox from management and employees, without any filter as to what’s a priority and what isn’t. You’ve just made everyone else’s priority your priority. And at the end of the day, you’ve accomplished very little if anything at all. You REACTED to everyone else’s needs.
And yet, you feel drained and exhausted putting out fires and solving other people’s little problems without having anything to really show for it. Your ‘to do’ list is still sitting on your desk without a single ‘done’ checkmark on it. This is why it’s so important to take control of your time and activities and block out a time to be solely proactive rather than reactive.
Prioritize One Thing
The second tip focuses on prioritizing a single activity that will move the needle forward the most. In the book, ‘The One Thing’ by Gary Keller, Todd borrowed a key piece of advice that has helped him avoid burnout in the workplace. Todd lasers in on one important task at a time. By doing this, he completes the task and feels rejuvenated and accomplished. When we examine the effects of burnout in this popular guide published on Thrive Global it becomes evident that a well-organized schedule focusing on one thing has tremendous impact on productivity and eliminating the overwhelming feelings associated with burnout.
Keep Things Simple
The third and final tip for reducing burnout, reducing reactivity, and increasing productivity centers on paring down the number of people who report to you each day. The more people you allow to steal your time and attention or report to you directly, the higher your chances of burnout. As a leader, your time is extremely valuable. The key is to surround yourself with a very small group of individuals that report to you, no matter how big a team you lead or manage. Keep things simple, organized, and structured.
Key Takeaways
Control your environment. Prioritize. Keep it simple. Set healthy boundaries with your team. Avoid reactive activities and focus on productive activities. By sticking to these guidelines, you’ll feel energized, enjoy waking up in the morning, look forward to going to work, and you’ll avoid burnout.