Well, here’s my report from a weekend watching burnout and bouncing back.
I actually bounced back in just two days, which must be a record for me.
I actually don’t think burnout comes from doing what you love. I can do that all day and all night. I think it comes from one of two things: (1) doing what you don’t love and grumbling about it and (2) resisting doing what you don’t love.
Seeing this, if and when I begin to feel close to burnout next time, I’m going to look at what it is I’m doing that I don’t love and drop it.
I love research and writing and have been doing that most of my life. And not only doing it, but doing it and doing it and doing it. I have a number of books in the garage that have never been published or seen the light of day.
I can remember writing books and then saying, “OK, what’s next” and putting them in the drawer. It actually never occurred to me to publish them. It was just the research and writing itself that I enjoyed.
“My God, look the sun went down.” “Uh, what day is it?” “Better get to bed so I can get up tomorrow and start in again.” No burnout there.
But answering email or administering things are examples of things I’m not much fond of doing. And so I either do them and grumble or resist them and burn energy. That seems to be what drains me. Simple research and writing is invigorating.
What is also causing inner conflict is the need to overrule my standards in this area. My standard is that you read every email that comes to you and respond to every one. Well, that is just no longer possible. It’s not do-able. And I’m a victim to my standard. So the standard has to go.
This must be the time that this news outlet was destined to grow because fortuitously people are coming forward to assist with research and writing. Sarah has already taken channeled messages away from me. (Thanks, Sarah.) Ann is writing and looking to bring other writers in. (Thanks, Ann.) Some people have offered to moderate comments and that should soon be delegated. I may soon figure out how to delegate emails!!!!
I may find myself in Seventh Heaven (or should I say “Fifth Heaven”?), back to researching and writing, in which case I’d be merrily chugging along from now till 2012. “Hey, ma, look! It’s 2012!” No waiting there. Waiting? Why, the time flew by. It was 2010, then 2011, and, look, it’s 2012! Even sped-up time flew by.
I’d like to take this occasion to thank the Observer Corps and introduce you to them. They’re around 20 dedicated and accomplished people who enjoy research and are steadily sending in article ideas. And they do a great job of covering the bases. Not only that, but their interests vary and range the gamut. That saves me from having to do what used to be for me a daily round of sites.
The original Observer Corps was the volunteer company of airplane spotters in England during the Second World War, who made sure that England’s military had eyes if the radar system was knocked out. It regularly was when Goering targetted it during the Battle of Britain.
I very much appreciate the work of the OC. You’ll know who’s among them by looking at the name that comes after “Thanks to….” in various articles. They’re our eyes and ears and are doing yeoman work for all of us.
Ryan, our webmaster, is looking at creating new functionality for the site where the OC can actually post an article, which sits in the “pending” file and I or Sarah or Ann can go in there, add graphics, edit the item and post it. That will be a big step forward (thanks, Ryan!). At some point we’ll need to reformat the site more towards an OpEdNews design to allow you to look at headlines and choose what you want to read.
I’m in the process of reading your comments on “Lucy and the Chocolate Factory” but so far it seems clear that people are here for the news and not as much for contact. Once we have one or more comments moderators, that task will be delegated as well and I’ll be freed up to produce that news, along with Ann, Sarah and future writers. No comments moderator, no comments. I’m becoming somewhat hard-nosed about not doing what I don’t wanna do.
All things considered, it seems like we’re right on course. Ok, galactics, bring it on! China? Russia? India? America? Who’s gonna disclose? Better get a move on.
Oh, and I want to thank everyone who wrote and shared their personal histories with burnout and delegating, etc., which have been very helpful to read. This is a very sophisticated group. Google Analytics don’t really tell the full story, The level of accomplishment doesn’t show up as much there as it does in your telling of your life stories. … Now how can we find a way to get some of those up? Remote viewers, contactees, telepaths, mediums, Indigos, Crystals, on and on the list goes. Oh and the odd starseed! (Actually a lot of starseeds. Take us to your leader!)
Ah, so much room for expansion. So thank you all. I’m going to do what I love – and not do what I don’t love – and the invigoration will follow.