Deadlines and burnout

I'm burnt out.

Obviously, this is not as worse as last year but I'm burnt out af. Deadlines are the worst of it—especially the ones that have no remuneration because you're in the review stage.

Burnout usually happens because deadlines are so close with each other, and this is usually not your fault because the clients are independent of each other. This means that if 2 clients got onboarded at the same time, they expect to get their job within the same time range that your process promised.

You, Praise, as a creative, go ahead to onboard more clients than you intended—usually because you lost track of how many you already had.

It's the last week of February, and just like me—you see the mound of deadlines and boom—your entire body shuts down.

You're burned out.

Mine was something around a user story map, logo presentation, 2 pitch decks, 2 company profiles, preparing for the Ovalay class, recording a tutorial for the Workbook Tribbe, prepping the notes for my consultations from last week, a website for my Dad's church, some graphic design for my mum, helping out a friend setup GSuite, finish my strategy course, a very complicated UI design review—and these are the ones I can remember now.

Yours might even be worse, but how did I handle all these?

First, I ordered them in two categories—important and secondary. Important ones are sorted out within 48 hours, while the timeline is simultaneously communicated to the respective recipients. The secondary ones are rescheduled by reaching out to their recipients and informing them (usually I add a perk).

Next, I delegated. Akin Theodox and Kilani Ibrahim have been absolutely helpful. However, they've kuku grown wings and are now flying. Anuge just recently joined the fray as my delegatee.

What I did was, simply, structure the tasks and delegate the repetitive ones.

Next, I actually worked regardless. There's always the part of doing your best. However, my client is more likely to appreciate his promise being kept (delivering on time) than me doing my best—except if my promise was doing my best.

I'm too tired to do a bang presentation—I'll do the bare minimum, which is usually better than most. Something like that.

Lastly, sleep, music and food. If you're burned out, chances are you lack one of those three, food and sleep especially. So—don't lack them. I'm still trying to take this advice. Lol.

It's a crazy feeling being burnt out, I know. I wish you the strength to see it through.

A professional is not a professional if all he needs to work is creativity.

Ciao.

PPS: I started taking writing classes because I want you to drool when you read my newsletter. Wish me luck—even if I don't need it—'cos you love me.

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