Finding Motivation & Avoiding Burnout :: Liz Kazeck

As we find ourselves in the middle of the semester, I am having trouble finding the motivation I need to get through what's left of it. This past week, we discussed burnout in class and I cannot seem to shake that idea. With social entrepreneurial endeavors, I imagine this is a huge morale issue/risk that can be debilitating to many individuals hoping to start something new. As these entrepreneurs pour their hearts into new organizations I can imagine how demoralizing it must be to see few results from all their efforts. So what can we, and other social entrepreneurs do to get past this hurdle?

I found an article with a few tips to help us maintain our sanity as we begin to feel the effects of burnout (even if you are not experiencing any of these feelings, the tips may help you understand some things that may be important to volunteers or co-workers in your organizations). The article highlights 12 things we can to do protect ourselves from losing motivation. A few are described here.

First, take care of yourself. Our work won't be able to continue at a high level if we are working ourselves sick: sleep well, eat right, and exercise to reduce stress on the body. We can also take care of ourselves by making sure we schedule time to do nothing. As we are in the middle of working, this can be a hard thing to do. We just have to remember the importance of taking time to unwind from the stress of our endeavors.

We also need to set realistic expectations for what we hope to accomplish (day-to-day and overall). Practical steps can be taken to ensure this happens by shortening our to-do lists and prioritizing what we do actually have to get done. If we do happen to drop the ball or overlook something... we cannot beat ourselves up. We must learn not to blame ourselves or others for things that may fall through the cracks. Instead, the article tells us to learn from our mistakes and carry on. We also need to learn how to say no. As social entrepreneurs we want to give. Sometimes, we give so much that we find ourselves running on empty. This can be overcome if we establish boundaries on what we can and cannot commit to do.

Finally, we have to be honest with ourselves. We have to deal with our emotions. We're not in any of this alone. We have friends, family, and coworkers supporting us in our work as students and social entrepreneurs. Turn to them and let it all out! Let the people around you know what you are feeling. Need more than just a good venting session? Ask for help. Others will see and understand the value in what you are doing and will be willing to help, they may just not know how.If they cannot help, at least they know not to add to your stress.

Good luck staying motivated through the rest of this project and the rest of the semester. I hope these tips on burnout will help you avoid/overcome it! They have already helped me to get a better hold on what I am feeling.

And remember: the work you are doing is worth every second you are pouring into it... so enjoy it! Whether it is all easier or stressful behind-the-scenes, you are making a difference and you deserve to smile about that!

(Source: http://www.business-sanity.com/resources/articles/avoid-burnout/)