On social media, a question was posed by a fellow auto recycler on how to deal with burnout. You may know the feeling – not motivated, not excited to go to work, not able to quickly think of solutions to challenges like you used to, tired all the time, etc. And you may even ask yourself, ‘how did I get here?’ The answer is simple. One day at a time.
What most of us have in common is that we are self-motivated, highly motivated, and we desire to be the best at what we do. We take pride in doing a good job. That is all very good, until it becomes our main focus. I am not saying it is bad to be focused, simply that we may have a tendency to develop tunnel vision and lose sight of the other important things in our life. If we do that for long enough, burnout is sure to follow.
A few years back, I was encouraged by my doctor to eat healthier and try to lower my cholesterol levels. This came as a surprise to me as I am at a healthy weight, in decent shape, and stay active. Nevertheless, something had to be done. Part of this new healthy eating includes a salad every day at lunchtime. I have never had anything against salad, but it is definitely not my first choice. For me, the problem starting out was that salad is boring – just a big bowl of lettuce with some sauce on it. I very quickly grew tired of having that every day. There are a lot of healthy things that are great when added to salad. By adding some tomato, cucumber, carrot, cabbage, cheese, and switching up the dressing it becomes something we look forward to rather than, ‘ugh, this again?’
There is no reason we cannot do the same with our daily routine that maybe has us a little bit in a rut. In a funk. In a daze. I personally believe that happiness and fulfillment will never come out of our occupation. It will not come out of accolades from fellow recyclers or coworkers.
It can only come from something bigger than ourselves.
We were made for more than getting up, going to work, using all of our energy to do our job, coming home worn out and cranky, go to bed, and repeat. So, mix it up a little. For me, getting up early and spending time with my creator God is vital. That comes first, and no matter what happens after that, I am reminded that all of this is secondary.
Visiting with other auto recyclers almost always motivates me to enjoy the work we do in the industry. There is always something to learn, but more importantly, mutual encouragement is a very big boost to morale for myself, and I hope also to the other person.
Another thing that helps me stay motivated as a co-owner of the business is when I sit down with my business partner. We spend time reviewing our goals that have been written down, and daydream about future goals or anything we want to achieve. These times almost always get me back into an attitude of ‘Let’s get to work!’
In light of all that, if you have been feeling a little burned out, or like you don’t know why you are even doing this anymore, I encourage you to get some professional advice. Reach out to another professional auto recycler and just say ‘hello.’ Spend a few minutes chatting. Go to lunch. Go tour someone else’s yard or have them come visit you. It can and will benefit you both. You’ve got this.
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