Avoid burnout: sharpen your axe

“How do I know if I’m burnt out?”

I was asked this question the other day, and it made me pause. As a workaholic and go-getter, I’ve never given it much thought. I’ve been told to “double down” on efforts to achieve some level of success, and we’re constantly bombarded with quotes of “Just do it”, “Action cures all fear”, and “If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.”

Is there a limit before the rubber band snaps? I found this definition by Queensland Govt on burnout helpful:

Burnout is a state of complete mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion. If you are experiencing burnout, you may notice it is difficult to engage in activities you normally find meaningful. You may no longer care about the things that are important to you or experience an increasing sense of hopelessness.

Here’s an insightful story:

A woodcutter got a job from a timber owner for a good salary. He worked 8am - 4pm daily. His boss even gave him an axe.

Determined to do his best, on his first day of work the woodcutter chopped down 14 trees. His boss was pleased and said, “Well done!”

Highly motivated, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring down 12 trees. On the third day, he tried even harder. He started at 7am and finished at 5pm. He doubled down on his efforts but he was only able to bring down 9 trees.

“I must be losing my strength,” the man panicked. He went to the boss and apologised profusely, explaining how he could not understand what was going on.

“When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” the boss asked.

“Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I’ve been too busy cutting down trees.”

He took his boss’ advice and sharpened his axe. Immediately, he was back to chopping down 14 trees a day. Since that conversation, the woodcutter begins the day by sharpening the blade of his axe.

To avoid the risk of crashing and burning, we need to sharpen our axe. But how?

I believe everyone deserves rest, but resting doesn’t just mean sleeping and doing nothing. It can also mean taking the necessary time to seek self-renewal and continuous improvement so that we can increase our productivity and gain an overall healthy state to enjoy life.

To give you a framework, here are 4 quadrants you can focus on to renew your daily strength and stamina.

Taking a vacation won’t cure burnout. It’s just a pause, a temporary solution. Unless you identify the causes and “sharpen your axe” to address them, your problems will persist.

For workaholics like me, it’ll be a little harder. It’s in our nature to attend to what’s most pressing in our daily lives than to pick up a personal development book or reconnect with an old friend. But as I write this, I remind myself that if I’m operating in a poor state of mind or chronically tired, I won’t be able to give myself completely to the community I’m serving. But that’s just me.

Find the inner motivation to sharpen your axe. If you don’t, you’ll grow blunt and ineffective, and eventually be discarded as firewood. ●