Burnout Series: O is For Offside
Image via DALL-E
Next up in the Burnout acronym is the letter O for offside.
I'm a huge sports fan, but I wasn't very good at sports. I played basketball and baseball as a kid, but my asthma and body size were barriers (self-imposed) to pursuing a career in sports.
I could have made changes. I could have taken better care of myself as a child. I could have chosen to be a little bit more athletic and practice. Yes, A.I., I said practice. We're talking about practice.
You can improve yourself, stay in the game, and be balanced when you're burned out in the game of life. You're offside. You're out of bounds. You're not doing the things that you need to do because you're too busy fighting this burned-out state. Your body is constantly in flux, pedaling to the floor continually, which has your body using all its energy to repair the damage that burnout causes.
You're not in the game when you're offside or out of bounds. You're not in the game of life. You're not doing the things that you want to do. You're too damn tired to do it because your body is using all of its energy to fight the damage that you're doing to yourself with the burnout.
Burnout is a choice.
That may not be popular, but you chose to be burned out. The path you chose created the situation. You say, well, I'm working too many hours. My boss is a jerk. Blah, blah, blah, blah. All true. I don't know your boss, but your words are valid. You haven't given me a reason to say it's not, but don’t forget you chose to work there.
You continue to work there at the time of this recording. Jobs are still plentiful. Now, that may change. We do have economic ups and downs in life. So consider that. But in this world of opportunities, there are the things you can do. Yes, I know there are other factors. You may have a mortgage payment that requires earning a certain income level. Again, it's a choice. No one has signed that lease agreement or mortgage document for you. You did.
You chose that. You chose where you live. You choose what you eat. You chose your partner. You chose your job. You chose the car you drive. You choose the clothes you wear.
You chose to subscribe to Netflix instead of going to a gym. You are choosing these things, your choice, and your life. You do what you want. However, your choice impacts your life. What you choose today impacts your life down the road.
Sometimes, it might be even shorter than that, but your choices create these situations. If you're burned out, it's a choice. You chose to be out of bounds with your life. You can also choose to get back into the game, and that's crucial. And my hope for you is that you are making that choice.
Next up in the BURNOUT series will be the letter U.
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