The best solution for over-achiever burnout is to focus your time and energy on applying your strengths to your main goal. Take generous time off for rest and creative thinking. However, even focused on your passion, requests from many different directions can overwhelm you. Here I find the advice of a preacher friend helpful, “Sometimes you have to say no to the good things in order to say yes to the great things”.
Getting comfortable with “polite no” has several advantages. First, it protects your agenda from being “politely hijacked”. Second, it gives you the opportunity to recommend someone else “that is better suited for this specific task”, earning the appreciation and favor of the recommended party. Third, if you do subsequently take on the challenge, you can control the terms of your engagement better. Fourth, you gain the respect of the individual trying to convince you of the merits of their project, particularly if you ultimately accept the project.
Practice giving a polite no to at least 3 people this week and notice the improvement in your productivity.
Juggling It All
