Motivation and Balance
I’ve mentioned before that I have Adam Grant’s Something to Think About Calendar on my desk. This one struck a cord:
“Burnout is being overwhelmed by work.
Boreout is being underwhelmed by work.Having too much responsibility is exhausting.
Having too little is deflating.Motivation depends on balancing what’s meaningful
with what’s manageable.” — Adam Grant
Everything in life is a balance and perfect balance is nearly impossible. Some days/weeks/months/seasons/years are up and some are down. Usually, though, there’s a mix of up and down throughout.
We all crave meaning, and we require a manageable life. There are really only two ways to get to manageable: reduce how much we’re doing or increase our capacity. What can you cut out? How can you improve your ability to manage what you’ve got?
Increasing capacity involves multiple strategies, some of which will be particular to you. It can look like improving efficiency and productivity. It can also look like delegating or paying someone else to do some things.
All of it requires introspection. Look hard at the things you “have” to do and ensure you really have to do them. What story are you telling yourself? Are all of the things you’re doing truly necessary?
xo,
Beth
