$50,000 Burnout Lesson

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt

The topic of burnout has gotten me out of my newsletter slumber. I’ve seen a few posts on LinkedIn about it over the past few weeks, so it’s a good topic to discuss as we start the new year. I’ve been through it a few times and have some dollar signs attached to it.

Burnout once cost me $50,000 about nine years ago. However, in retrospect, it was money well spent. I was three months away from my vesting period for 401k contributions, which was $20,000. I could’ve stayed around another three months, but I didn’t want to. Things were pretty bad and weren’t what I wanted in my life and career. In addition to walking away from the $20K 401k money, I also took a $30,000 pay cut to switch to another job. I needed a reset. I couldn’t just outsmart or out-hustle my way out of it.

Financially, we could take the hit. It was a good drop in income, but it wouldn’t bankrupt my family, we wouldn’t lose our house, and we could still eat every day. I recommend structuring your life so your lifestyle isn’t based on your potential unhappiness. Make it so that hitting the “exit” button is an option. You have to make hard choices. Usually, those hard choices have a price tag.

My burnout occurred when I had young children and wasn’t prepared for the pressures of leading a team and high-visibility enterprise projects. Also, I was getting no support from my leader. It was more of a daily finger-pointing exercise to determine who was to blame. Also, I had a purely remote development team, so my early mornings were spent in status meetings. I could go on and on, but I won’t.

I remember one time going to my parent’s house for a visit and being completely distracted the whole time, to the point where they noticed. My father came by my house a few days later and said something about it, which was outside his norm. When your burnout is noticeable to friends and family members, it’s potentially time for a change.

My faith also helped. I would stop by my local church on my way home from work and sit in the parking lot and pray. Having a prayer life and religious beliefs help frame your perspective. You realize there are things more important than your career, money, and things. Your life has a purpose and is guided by a higher calling.

In my twisted way of thinking, my burnout was a sacrifice I made for the company. One of the best things that happened to me was from a previous leader. When I finally decided to leave, I thought I was letting the organization down. However, he told me, “You helped us figure out this data stuff. We didn’t know what was possible and you helped us with that.” It was his permission to leave and not feel bad about it. I made a contribution.

I once said in a post that a few things happen a day after you leave:

• Everyone shows up to work

• The business still sells its products and services

• Your leader decides to either repost your position, switch it to another role, or do nothing and keep the savings from not paying a salary.

I also needed the time to reassess my priorities. I needed a personal retrospective to understand how never to feel that way again and identify its indicators.

• What went wrong?

• Did I push myself too much?

• Could this potentially happen again?

For those who are experiencing burnout, the first step is acknowledging it. Then, take the steps to determine how to get yourself out of it. Life is short; I’m frequently reminded of this as I learn about family and friends who have people close to them passing away. Many of the material things we worry about losing aren’t worth it.