I often hear or say, “If only I had time to do nothing! I would get so much done”.  My four week plan to do just that is near an end, and I am approaching my launch back into the commercial game with confidence and caution.


The concept of burnout is well documented, so I will let you read the details elsewhere such as here and here.  Of the many options available to you as you skim-read, please feel free to:

1. Dismiss it as something that happens to others less strong than you (“It won’t happen to me”);
2. Self-diagnose yourself as a likely candidate (“It is me”);
3. Empathize with the concept as something you have experienced (“It was me”); or
4. Pat your clever self for avoiding the issue (“It could have happened to me”)

I am guilty of having been outwardly sympathetic but secretly intolerant to those speaking of “soft” ailments such as burnout or chronic fatigue.  My perspective until recently was “Unless it is a heart attack or stroke, then get back on your bike and pull your weight.” (option 1 above).  I gain little comfort in the awareness of my character flaw, as the past several months culminated in what I can only describe as a burnout situation.

I will not bore you with not-so-salacious details.  Such a task is reserved for my current 6,000-word Master’s assignment and not the point of this post.  Suffice it to say it was a combination of environmental, structural, and personal factors, all positioned with the most honorable of intentions, applied to a foundation of many years and a few careers without a break.

So what would you do with four weeks with nothing planned?  While not as strategic as it looks, in hindsight I can break up my experience into phases:

Phase 1: Escape and Reconnect (Stop the train!)

1. Reconnect with my wife: chats in the park are a good first step
2. Reconnect with my kid: Beat The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, and we are currently entering Crypt Level 2 on Baldur’s Gate.
3. Escapism: Good run of VideoEzy coupons to get those movies I planned to see “someday”
4. External perspective: Recommend coffee with friends for necessary external inspiration and perspective.
5. Create: For me, this is flash animation and this blog you are reading.  For others, it is working in the garden or other such torturous endeavors.

Phase 2: Identity and Meaning (What do I have to work with?)

Who am I outside of the structures I associate with?  Turns out, this is a bit of a misnomer.  Research shows we define meaning for ourselves solely based on social interaction, primarily within organisations.  Practically, listing “identity markers” is a good start, such as production manager, father, husband, Ipswich resident.  I should note that this is built on existing awareness of personality and strengths and an assumption (to be challenged) that your roles align with your personality and strengths.

Best thing to come out of this reflection is that you are not your performance.  Failures do not make you a failure, any more than successes make you a success.  Unfortunately for some, this is a long road to walk down in our consumerist society, deifying and demonizing commercial performance in the celebration of the individual.

Phase 3: Vision and Goals (Where am I going?)

This is where you define what you are going to do with what you have.  Long-term goals need to be kept in check.  Thinking back two years ago, I never would have picked where I am now, and I can assume likewise for two years forward.  Main emphasis is on general direction, practical steps to go in that direction, and controls to minimize barriers to get you there.  It is in here I identify what led to the burnout and define proactive steps to not get there again.

Phase 4: Application

Reflection is academic without re-application.  I am looking forward to applying my perspectives with my organisation and experiencing the refinement that comes from the reality of the situation.  I have had my head deep in organisational change literature for a few weeks now, and I am excited about the confirmation and challenges that will come to my assumptions.  The world is full of people who cycle through Phase 1 to Phase 3, offering advice.  Effective change comes through application, not advice.

Phase 5: Balance

Repeat and recycle.  Ideally, this four step process would happen on a regular basis, with elements of each phase built into daily, weekly and yearly activities.  I suppose that is what they call “balance”.  Need to get me some of that, perhaps Target is having a sale.

Choose Your Own Adventure

I acknowledge that what I write here is not groundbreaking.  The general premise of reflection and action are built into all sorts of operational frameworks such as quality, project management, and personal development.  But what I defined above has something that none of the others has.  It is mine, and I own it.  Feel free to take it and use it.  If you are anything like me, however, you will have to discover yours for yourself.  You have my condolences in advance.