You fall violently ill one day and there are two physicians who are available to treat you. To your right is Dr. Black, an enthusiastic and skilled doctor who has no experience whatsoever in the disease that ails you. To your left is Dr. White, who is expert on the diagnosis and treatment of your disease, but really doesn’t care about patients, medicine or healing the sick at all.
You are really stuck like Buridan’s ass, aren’t you? Burnout, while not a clinical diagnosis, is a psychological term for long-term exhaustion, coupled with a lack of interest or motivation. Persons who are burned out exhibit signs of exhaustion, cynicism, and ineffectiveness.
It is quite common among professionals. Estimates as to the number of practicing physicians who experience burnout run as high as 60%. Burnout can be temporary. But if the burned-out entrepreneur, particularly a professional, does not take significant steps to ameliorate the causes of burnout, the effect will remain.
Do you feel burnout creeping into your daily business routine?