What you guys do if you burn out?

[reQ]

Happens to me from time to time, specially right now, i have a lot of projects going on but constantly feeling tired & not wanting to do anything, have to keep forcing myself to do any work. The only time of year i can take couple weeks off is during xmas holidays. For now i have to work 7 days a week & at least 10-12 hours a day.
So, how do you guys get that "recharge" when taking time off is not an option?

 

[rossmosh]

Stupid question: Why not hire someone to share the burden? In most industries, you only start making money when you can afford employees.

 

[Pauly]

Are you working from home or a shop?

if you have that much work. Then yes, look at hiring someone to help with the load.

 

[reQ]

Working from shop. I have another guy with me who handles installation on vehicle & also will be hiring another person after New Years. But it does not matter if you hire poeple or not, you still have to work yourself to make wheels spin. I seen way to many people who were acting "I am DA BOSS, i don't have to work, i will sit in my chair and act like a big shot". Just recently one of business like that went KAPUT (owner was a customer of mine).

I choose to work my arse off, yes. I just wonder how to keep sanity )

 

[James Burke]

It's not a matter of "if", but when. We all get there.

I've made it a practice to put myself first by taking charge of my physical health. It's way too easy to let a business force you into "cruise control", and the next thing you know, you've really let yourself go.

I try to walk at least three or four miles every day and do some basic stretching and moderate weight lifting.

Then there's the mental aspect of burnout...

Keep a journal of some sort, learn a new skill or involve yourself in a good cause that needs your particular knack. Believe it or not, there are some very healthy (lonely) elderly people at your local nursing homes who would absolutely love a visit since their family has all but forgotten about them. Don't forget your local school system. They need businesses to provide co-op training stations, and help with fund raisers as well.

Those things might seem like they'd be quite draining but I think you'll find the opposite to be true.


JB

 

[GAC05]

When you feel the most lethargic run your weak (non-knife) hand through the laminator.
I did it once (by accident) and the pain really helped me to wake up and focus.


wayne k
guam usa

 

[player]

Working from shop. I have another guy with me who handles installation on vehicle & also will be hiring another person after New Years. But it does not matter if you hire poeple or not, you still have to work yourself to make wheels spin. I seen way to many people who were acting "I am DA BOSS, i don't have to work, i will sit in my chair and act like a big shot". Just recently one of business like that went KAPUT (owner was a customer of mine).

I choose to work my arse off, yes. I just wonder how to keep sanity )

Wrong thinking. That's why you have to sell your entire existence 24 seven.

Your boss is an insane person. He pays you very little, and makes you work 12 hours a day 7 days a week. Oh wait, you are the boss....

 

[rossmosh]

Working from shop. I have another guy with me who handles installation on vehicle & also will be hiring another person after New Years. But it does not matter if you hire poeple or not, you still have to work yourself to make wheels spin. I seen way to many people who were acting "I am DA BOSS, i don't have to work, i will sit in my chair and act like a big shot". Just recently one of business like that went KAPUT (owner was a customer of mine).

I choose to work my arse off, yes. I just wonder how to keep sanity )

Sounds like you're a control freak.

Also there is a big difference between being a lazy boss that doesn't want to work and one that runs their business so that it can be as profitable as possible. McDonalds wouldn't be McDonalds if Ray Kroc insisted on grilling all the burgers himself.

 

[reQ]

Sounds like you're a control freak.

Also there is a big difference between being a lazy boss that doesn't want to work and one that runs their business so that it can be as profitable as possible. McDonalds wouldn't be McDonalds if Ray Kroc insisted on grilling all the burgers himself.

I hear ya. Might have to try & hire couple more guys & focus more on sales etc.

 

[player]

double

 

[player]

I hear ya. Might have to try & hire couple more guys & focus more on sales etc.

My experience when I worked all the time was my personal output went down the more I worked after 8 hrs. Plus the screw-ups are a killer. There is a balance point and working more seems to result in less production and more mistakes. I suggest you try putting in only 8-10 hrs a day, 5 days a week and see if you get as much or more done than you do now. Having a life other than schlepping signs 7 days a week is really important.

Hiring people can result in you paying someone to do your job, but not as good as you with more mistakes, which they get paid extra to fix. I found myself supervising and fretting over the help, who would do an inferior job slower with lots of screw-ups and lost materials. Plus I would then have the added pressure of a larger payroll expense. It's a slippery slope. Good luck.

 

[visual800]

Ive done it way back and it will wear on you.

if I were you set strict hours mon-fri no weekend work. its not going to fall apart trust me. YOU are the one that has to make this change and once you do you will realize there was no sense in working like that.

Might also want to think about the length of time you tell your customers there stuff will be ready. As I said Ive been there and I promised everyone everything tommorow. It is not worth it

You are the boss start acting like one and enjoy your life

 

[HDvinyl]

Start drinking and try to forget about all the work you're doing while getting drunk?

 

[Gene@mpls]

Better drugs?

 

[neato]

Time for a price hike.

 

[TheSnowman]

Yep, I'm with Phillip. I bought a business that had been around 25 years are the prices my grandpa (previous owner) charged were too low, and he was known for that. I used to work 8AM to Midnight 6 days a week when I first started out, and I still was barely paying the bills. A bunch of geniuses over here on 101 said I wasn't charging enough, and I was scared, and reluctantly hiked up my pricing. Here I am 12 years later, working 8 hours, and going home for the weekend, and having WAY more income than back then.

I do still forward calls to my cell, so if a real person calls and I'm not here, I will occasionally take that call, and if I get something I can sub out that happens in the evening, I'll work on that from time to time too, but I'm sitting on the couch relaxing watching a movie or something at the same time I do it. The Merchant Members here really changed how I do business. I never want the headache of employees. I sub out design, I sub out a lot of production when possible, and I'm just the guy that coordinates it and keeps it all together...same as I'd be doing if I was the boss and had employees. The beauty is, subs don't make mistakes on my dime. Even if it's damaged in shipping, I don't eat the cost. I'm 100% guaranteed a perfect product when it arrives, and I can't even promise myself that doing the work in house.

Hope you figure out a way around it. Don't be afraid to turn work away or raise your prices. Heck, quit answering the phone if you don't need the extra work. That's what everyone around me does.

 

[Brink]

When you feel the most lethargic run your weak (non-knife) hand through the laminator.
I did it once (by accident) and the pain really helped me to wake up and focus.

Tisk Tisk! You are not supposed to defeat that safety eye on the laminator. And if you keep your foot on the pedal for manual run while your hand is getting smashed then you deserve to hurt. lol

 

[T_K]

A couple thoughts:

1) Your body wasn't built to run 24/7. If you're working 7 days a week consistently, you need to change something. Either turn down jobs or hire someone who can help with the workload.
It's just like if you ran back-to-back marathons. You can haul through the first one, but the second will try to kill you. You need time to recoup between them.

2) Force yourself to slow down. Generally, the only time I really find myself burning out is when I'm in "chaos mode" for too long. I make myself take a walk. I pause and stretch in between projects. I'm not a smoker, but I'll take a "smoke break - getting out into the sunlight and fresh air. I'll stop and have a chat with coworkers or a friend. Stop the caffeine IV for a while. Find time to give my wife and kid extra hugs. Basically, I've got to force myself out of the chaos rhythm and into normal mode again.
It's hard when you're feeling overwhelmed and people are breathing down your neck. But you can't make anyone happy when you're burned out.

 

[Gino]

Burn Out goes with the territory. Once you realize it, it means it's time to do one or two things and/or change some other things.

• Raise prices.
• Hire someone.
• Take better control of your environment.
• Go on a vacation.
• Delegate more.
• Upgrade equipment.

There are quite a few ways to combat it, but the main issue is.... you are burning the candle at both ends and something's gonna give out, soon..... hence the name burn out.

 

[reQ]

Thank you guys for input! I was told by my relatives before also that i have to set my hours and just work mon-fri for 8-10 hours and work 1 day on the weekend if i really have to, other way i will go nuts one day
My prices are comparable to other shops, somewhere higher, somewhere lower, but i don't really try to fit my price in their price range, its just the way it goes with my shop rate etc. Also, trying avoiding rejecting work due to being to busy, i just make the price higher & if i get it, good, if i don't - its not end of the world. Last week got 15k job that way, on which i will make decent penny.

Thanks again!