Burnt out? Try redefining success

Chances are, you’re working hard, hustling along, and doing your best to stay ahead of things. But when you strive for success, you can risk burnout by concentrating on a limited definition of success. It’s possible, however, to reduce the likelihood you’ll burn out and ensure you stay energized by redefining what you’re trying to accomplish and how you’re making the effort. Burnout is especially prevalent. According to Gallup, three out of four employees experience burnout. If you experience it, you’re likely to have more sick days, feel less confident, and be looking for another job. In addition, if you’re feeling burned out, you may also experience exhaustion or depression. But it’s possible to rethink and reassess your goals, so you can avoid burnout in the first place. FOCUS ON PROGRESS One of the hallmarks of burnout is feeling ineffective. You feel like no matter what you do, it’s not good enough or that you just can’t do anything up to your standards. One of the biggest things you can do to combat this feeling is change your mindset and focus on small wins. Often, we feel like we have to do big things to have successful days or weeks, but a study of 12,000 people from Harvard found something different. Researchers asked people what constituted their best days at work and their worst days. The single most important factor that drove the good days was feeling they were making progress. It was small steps and the feeling of moving things forward each day that mattered most. A survey by Woohoo reinforced the idea, finding that people’s best days included advancing goals, doing meaningful work, and making a difference. Redefine your success to making progress rather than hitting the one big win. Know that each day you may not accomplish the big objectives, but you can make a difference with incremental, consistent effort. FOCUS ON LEARNING Another attribute of burnout is feeling trapped. You may be unfulfilled and feel as though you have nowhere to go in your job