Harnessing Frenzied Energy: How to Boost Productivity Without Burning Out
Aug 20, 2024
Remember when I smashed it out of the park for a super productive July and then set up a Go Slow and Savor Challenge for August?
It’s backfiring. It is so hard for me to go slow and savor. I am not winning at my challenge, despite my best attempts. I am trying to spend time watching movies, reading books, going to bed early, and taking sniffing walks with the dog. I am still not able to go slow and savor.
I have so much anxious energy. Is it Lions Gate? Every planet in retrograde? Super Blue Moon? (For real, though, I’m not just saying that.) My firstborn is back at college (not our first rodeo with sophomore year but it still throws my equilibrium off), my little one started school (junior year, inching closer to you know what), my dog is in a bandage after having a growth removed, and my mom is headed into back surgery. I did what any self-respecting person who wants to control everything would do and I started…updating my website!!?? This is the business equivalent of deep cleaning the refrigerator.
Trust me, I have no business doing this. The minute I put my finger on it, I mess it all up. I have done this before. I know this. I have paid people—actual professionals—to fix it for me. But I saw someone who had a prettier website than me, and I decided to make this my top priority for what could have been a slow and relaxing week.
I worked myself into a tizzy of panic and urgency. All of my own making. Me? I’m the drama? Yup. To further add to the plot, I broke my computer screen so I could run to the Apple Store more times than needed to eventually leave my computer there for over a week. With a website under construction and an out-of-state trip on the calendar to be at the hospital with my mom for surgery, I totally effed everything up with my frantic energy.
The problem? Mainly my ego.
The problem with having a super high month is that what goes up must come down. So immediately after I hit a peak, the descent starts. It kills me. I don’t want to admit this, but it's true. Here are some more hard truths. The more people who sign up, the more people who cancel. The more people who love you, the more people who will reject you. The more subscribers, the more unsubscribers. Growth is not static. You don’t get to the top and stay at the top. You drop back and then multiply. Even steady growth is not always consistent or predictable.
I’ve been growing my business with intention for over 5 years. I know some things. I have to be so careful with the scoreboard as my measurement. In the short term, I can push, but when I hit my productivity limits (and remember, I am someone with the disease of never being enough when it comes to alcohol, attention, love, work, and achievement), I have to be careful.
When I am headed towards burnout, I am not enjoying myself. I am in a rush to do the next thing. My health and self-care fall to the back burner. The result is bad sleep, no movement and just sitting on the couch, obsessed with my computer screen, ignoring my family. I seek affirmation from the wrong places, like Instagram follower count, podcast downloads, and more.
The irony is that I am efficient, but my coaching suffers. My health suffers. My parenting suffers. That’s the whole reason I got into this business—for these things to stay good. I can’t allow burnout to happen, and luckily, I know how to take care of myself.
So I went to spin class and took that frenzied energy out on my bike. Because I am reading The Fourth Wing, the bike was actually a dragon. I was slaying. But then, because they played Beyonce’s Texas Hold Em, the bike was also a bull. I was laso'ing my heart out. I nail the choreography because I am as good of a dancer as I am a coach. This is where I really shine. I really pop. Straight arms. Hearing the beat and hitting the mark. Pounding it out and smiling to myself in the mirror. Maybe letting out a little hoot and holler. I love my energy. Too much for many, but just right for me. Channeling it has brought me so much joy and success, too. Then I sweat it out in the sauna, the steam room, and the shower for the ultimate reset.
Next, I decided I would not allow myself to gather any more information. No more midnight podcasts for my busy mind. Meditation only. More walks, movement, sunshine, and grounding. Connecting with my husband. Cooking. Music. Books. Candles. Sharing my feelings. Less screen time, slamming the laptop shut and walking away. And then, doing even the hardest part, asking for help. SOS, someone fix my website. Acceptance and dialing down my self-importance. My website is going to be wrong and mismatched for a bit. The sky is not falling. It will be okay. I am not perfect, and I don’t have to be.
Then I got back to what I love. Facetime with the sorority girls in MIZZOU. I made a French toast breakfast for my 16-year-old baby on her first day of school. I scheduled an appointment to take my dog to the vet. I shared my humanity in the Insider Group. I held my new clients hands through early sobriety and celebrated client success at 30, 60, 90, and 365 days alcohol-free. This all happened this week.
It turns out the website is going to be overall improved in so many ways. Sometimes we drop back for forward motion. Things get lost before they are found. You always make a bigger mess when doing a deep clean or reorganization. Improvement, whether in a business, on a website, or within yourself is not linear. We know this, but experiencing it can be a challenge. Keep the faith. If things are feeling extra messy in your life you might be on the verge of a big breakthrough. It's always darkest before dawn.
Need a little extra support? Reaching out for help is always the answer.
