Looking at the Bigger Picture: How to Set Goals and Avoid Burnout

Looking at the Bigger Picture: How to Set Goals and Avoid Burnout

I’m writing this from Spain on the last days of our honeymoon and I have to say, it’s been such a nice feeling to take a little rest. It’s been one of those periods in time that you’re simply running and almost feeling directionless in all the things to finish and accomplish.  I have been reflecting on it and thinking about the fact that this has been the first holiday and actual break in over four years. It’s a bit shocking when I look at it like that and then wonder why I’ve felt so burnt out and exhausted with everything happening! Ooopsies!

A lot has been leading to this moment as I look back in time though. Not just leading to the honeymoon of course, but certainly of the feeling of burnout, of needing some down time. These months felt in many ways like they were just about getting by instead of flourishing in the moment. My husband was hard at work in getting the EP completed for Isiliel. I was busy booking shows, working on courses and with several clients getting work completed in advance as well as other part time work. I can’t deny that when I got to the time off, I was frazzled. Nerves completely shot, I feel like I’ve just been disconnected from myself and what the real goals are. Wondering really – what is my purpose.

This post isn’t exactly about burnout though. While it’s a real problem, especially for people in creative and freelance fields and especially now when there seems to be more pressure than ever for an output of content and work at levels unthinkable before, today is more about giving yourself time to look at the big picture and letting yourself get back to your roots in creativity and what makes you thrive.

I’ve really unplugged myself over these weeks only posting a little bit of content, letting myself not reply to some messages, letting some emails wait a little bit. It was my goal on this holiday for calm, quiet and getting back to a peaceful mind. So I sat down on the beach and let myself dream, I let myself plan and set goals and really line myself up with the end of the year and what I want to accomplish. I’ve set up new refreshed routines that fit with life as it is, I’ve written detailed listings of the things I want to invite more of into my life and the things I want to have less of. This also helped me make some solid and realistic goals to achieve, which I’ve really needed. I do a monthly checkin with myself as well on my personal wellbeing, my business and looking at where I need to tweak things and to celebrate everything that's going well too. This has been really helpful as I continue to grow and I recommend this practice to anyone that is a dreamer, a big achiever and ambitious to make sure there’s time for a check in.

The thing is, like a soft and sandy beach, punching your way through it won’t help you reach your destination, it gets more compacted, more difficult to get through, it's like a cement floor. But slowly brushing the same sand away and approaching with care is the way to find the treasure below. Same goes for people. Pushing from one thing to the next – go, go, go, never stopping for a breath really makes us lose sight of the big picture and the plan to achieve it. I wonder with that harsh approach, if it makes it more difficult to achieve our dreams. It applies to anything that you set out to do. If you lose the “why” we are doing all those things, they’re less meaningful, less effective and really leave us feeling depleted.

If you’ve been feeling this way lately, and perhaps you can’t get away to unplug for a while, here’s a few ideas to help claim that space again to open up your mind and soothe your spirit.

1.    Clear your schedule for a long and silent walk. Phone free.

2.    Find your favourite beverage, sit with a notepad in a space and do a mind dump (everything goes, anything on your mind comes out!)

3.    Give yourself time for a different creative / productive hobby or take a workshop for something you might be interested in trying.

4.    Pick up the phone, call a friend you haven’t connected with for a while.

5.    Head out somewhere new for a few hours, people watch, simply sit and embrace taking in your surroundings. You can draw, you can write, you can simply observe.

These are conscious things you can do to take a step back. Zoom out from the things that have been weighing you down. It’s shocking how restorative just a couple hours can be. Of course, most of us don’t have a couple hours to do something like this every day, but making this effort when things begin to get too much, it’s a wonderful place to start and reconnect with yourself and what you’re after in life. It’s a bit like that saying that you should meditate for five minutes a day, and if you’re too busy, you should meditate for an hour a day.  Short mindful practices are a game changer and not only nurture creativity, but your whole being.

Let me know if you’ve been needing a time out to unplug lately and if you’re looking for help with unplugging, goal setting, and figuring out your why, get in touch! I’m ready to take on the rest of the year and feeling fabulous!  What have you got ready for yourself?

A photo from our honeymoon, a reminder to look at the big picture, connect with your purpose and know that your opportunities are as big and deep as the oceans blue.