Professional Development Burnout: How the Pressure to Constantly Improve Can Leave You Feeling Exhausted
Hey there fellow entrepreneur!
This may or may not come as a shock, but I have spent thousands of dollars on many different courses, programs, and books, to fulfill this need within me. Some were a bust, but most of them I thoroughly enjoyed!
Just looking at my bookshelf gives me such a feeling of accomplishment (and I have tons of books and even more on my Kindle.
If you’ve yet to take the Strengths Finder Test, I highly recommend it. My results proved to be true: Learner. A learner, YES I AM.
As you can see, I was not shocked. I LOVE LEARNING! … AND it can also be exhausting.
I used to be an avid podcast listener, consuming as many as 20-30 podcasts that I loved. I would rotate what I listened to in batches (each month I would listen to 5 podcasts and binge their content from the past few months rather than listen to all 30 podcasts each week).
But in 2022 I decided to stop because there was just too much information coming in. I actually realized that this “learning habit” was part of what was keeping me anxious.
Now, this may not be the case for everyone - which is why it’s important to know what is the underlying cause of your anxiety - but for me, it was information overload along with physical clutter and noise.
Ladies, can we just take a moment to acknowledge how exhausting the push for professional development can be?
It seems like everywhere we turn, there's a new course, program, mastermind, retreat, or book promising to make us better, faster, or stronger. And while I'm all for learning new things and continuing my personal growth, sometimes this external push for self-development feels like too much.
Let’s face it: We are not ROBOTS. We are not “Rosie” running around serving the Jetsons up whatever they ask for, as fast as they ask for it, and with a smile on.
It’s just not possible and living up to those exceedingly high expectations will only lead to failure.
The never-ending pursuit of perfection
It happens every single day –– we're bombarded with messages telling us that we need to be constantly improving. We need to be more productive, more organized, and more efficient. We need to learn new skills, network more effectively, and stay on top of the latest business and marketing trends. Information is coming at us from multiple directions, and it's enough to make your head spin.
It’s not uncommon for us to feel like the world is against us or like we’ll never make progress because we constantly have to strive for more. These high expectations can lead to massive amounts of anxiety and stress… and eventually, burnout.
The pressure to always be "on" and connected
And don't even get me started on the emotional energy it takes to always be striving for more. It's exhausting to constantly feel like you're not good enough like there's always something else you should be doing or learning. It's like we're never allowed to just be content with where we're at. We often don’t recognize the emotional impact of always feeling like we have to be more or do more, to improve who we are. And those exact emotions are often the cause of much of our overwhelm (and exhaustion).
If we keep the apps open on our phones, we are getting hit with Slack, email, messenger, podcast apps, and ding-ding-ding… calendar notifications, you name it. It just feels like the weight of the world in the palm of your hand, doesn’t it?
The good news is: It’s in our control. When we spot it, we can do something about it.
When enough is enough
This leads us to this truth, there comes a point when you have to say enough is enough. You have to recognize that you don't need any more fabulous advice right now.
You don't need another productivity hack or time-management strategy.
You're already doing the best you can, and that's more than enough.
Setting those boundaries, though –– are your responsibility. You have to know your threshold and say, “I’ve had enough, and here’s what I’m going to do to fix it.”
And… be cool with that.
The importance of being intentional
So, what's the solution? How do we navigate this push for constant improvement without burning ourselves out? I think it starts with recognizing that we're already doing the best we can. We don't need to be perfect, and we don't need to be constantly striving for more.
It also means actually setting boundaries around our work and personal life (not just talking about them). Being more mindful of when and where we're working and making an effort to disconnect and unplug when we're not working. Taking breaks throughout the day to rest, recharge, and engage in activities that bring us joy and fulfillment.
Takeaway
At the end of the day, the push for professional development can be downright exhausting. But it doesn't have to be. When we are intentional about where we invest our time and energy, and we choose to recognize that we're already doing the best we can, we can find a healthy balance that allows us to grow and thrive without burning ourselves out.
So, to all my fellow women entrepreneurs out there, I invite you to take a deep breath and give yourself permission to be good enough as you are. Trust yourself, trust your instincts, and focus on the things that truly matter. You've got this!
And if you’re looking for more support with growing your business, without having to learn more things, I invite you to book a discovery call to talk about how laser coaching can support you in growing your business (and use all that knowledge that you already have - let’s put it to good use and work together to implement aligned strategies)!