How to Predict Your Burnout and How to Cool Down Mirages of 'success' will lure you to walk faster but internally these made up illusions of goals we fixate on, will deplete the very same energy that would be needed to participate in your own race

By Sanil Sachar

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

graphicstock

This relates to the majority of the human race. It relates to the hard workers. The passionate. The go-getters.

How to Know When You've Met Your Burnout –

A burnout is a self-destruction due to expectations that are mythical in nature. It is a behavior that will make you believe to "work hard' means that being idle implies a backtrack in progress. You'll get fixated by the idea of constant progress and tend to forget progress is a consistent slow-moving train. Only if you take time out to stop and observe from the outside, will you acknowledge the miles covered. But if you don't acknowledge these warning signs, like a cigarette butt, towards its fag end, you could burn out.

The Path Towards a Burnout (When it is Time to Pause) –

On the journey leading to burnout, you will feel like a parched man trying to quench his thirst in the desert. Mirages of "success' will lure you to walk faster but internally these made up illusions of goals we fixate on, will deplete the very same energy that would be needed to participate in your own race.

Be vary! Don't identify the lack of fuel in your system as a sign of working hard. Working hard however does not equal working smart.

Working hours on a stretch, adding tasks to post-it notes that become a page long are only means of "staying busy' and trying to forget the impact continuous overload can have on all the work you've done. Try and find respite in the form of gratification and rewards, but the moment the mirages of success keep going further away, it is no longer progress but the idea of a fantasized image of progress you have vigored to conquer. This is a recipe for disaster, concocted for one, and it is in this moment where you should pause.

Cool Yourself From Your Burnout –

If this happens to you, then pause and stop what you're doing to take time out to sleep, play sports, read, go out with friends. Do anything and everything you are working hard enough to achieve but in a smaller dose, just so you experience your reward. It is through the burnout that you will realize the biggest asset to your work, is you. The improvement in work comes from time, experience and conserved energy. A sprint makes you cover the shortest distance the faster you go, but a marathon makes you cover the distance more times than once. Make your decision wisely.

There are days when things don't go your way but there is no reason to think that is the end or that you need to work 10X in that moment to overcome it.

Things won't go as planned; they won't go how you imagined. This sounds daunting, it sounds scary but a lot of it is a part of our life we have signed up for the moment we begin to work on something we are passionate about. You pretend you are walking towards a "finishing line' but these aren't finishing lines. They are paths to progress, or a doorway to another level, that enables you to go ahead and figure out another way to yet another doorway.

If you're listening to motivational music with the hope to prepare yourself, you're forcing preparation, and you'll pull a muscle in your mind that will cause the pain of exhaustion. When all you're trying to achieve is the pain built by development and strength.

Waking up early and sleeping late is a short-term remedy. You will go through this on several days, but when someone says sleep is for the weak, then no sleep will ultimately make you weak. It's your choice, but remember, you are in a marathon, not a sprint.

Most importantly, the moment you begin to value what you want over yourself, you forget that you are the person going after a continuous goal. This goal isn't just to succeed. It is to grow, learn and keep going, so don't just value what you want, value the person going for it.

Sanil Sachar

Entrepreneur, National Best-Selling Author & Angel Investor, Co-founder - Huddle, Co-owner - Trusox

Sanil Sachar is one of the co-founders of Huddle, a sector-agnostic incubator in Gurgaon, providing 360-degree support to multiple startups. He is also a co-owner of the international sports brand, Trusox, focussing his efforts on propelling sportspeople's performances with his products, within and outside India. Sanil is a national best-selling author, and one of the few Indian writers to be published in all forms of literature, with over 120 poems, 25 short stories, scripts and a novel to his name. An angel investor, he actively looks for startups solving need-based issues to get involved with and help through their evolution. His investments are sector agnostic and have made him venture into co-producing an award-winning Indie movie, Mantra. A sportsperson by passion, Sanil's principles off the field are inspired by those he learned on the field
Business News

Video Shows Neuralink's First Human Brain Chip Patient Playing Chess: 'It Has Already Changed My Life'

The company, which was founded by Elon Musk, wants to know who's next.

Leadership

8 CEO Mindset Quotes That Keep Me Honest and Inspired

In this article, I'll share a collection of my favorite inspiring quotes for CEOs and why I think they're useful to remember.

Growing a Business

The Former Owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers Has a New Passion Project. Here's Why He's Fighting to Create a Safer Internet.

Frank McCourt Jr. built a successful career before dedicating his energy to a new passion.