As part of my undergraduate degree I had to complete a ministry leader internship. During the semester that I was to do the internship I found myself in between churches and searching for a place to serve. One of my professors had set me up with a list of churches, and who to contact at each one. I started working down the list, calling church after church. Since the internship required the hosting church to allow me to lead from the stage on Sundays, I cold called a lot of churches without making much headway. Finally I got to the name of a pastor of a well known church. I called him and was encouraged when he agreed to have lunch with me.
We met at a Mexican restaurant that had just opened up across the street from Paradise Valley Mall. As we chatted, I found out that he had been working at this well known church for nearly 20 years (longevity is a trait that has always impressed me). The more I learned about him, the more I eager I was about learning from him. Finally I came out with it and asked him to oversee my internship. He took a long thoughtful pause and responded, "To tell you the truth Tim, I've felt pretty worn out lately. I'm actually thinking about resigning." That was not promising. He had become exhausted by the constant change in his role. His job description was in a liquid state. I'm sure that made it difficult to set and accomplish goals. What's more is a midst all the change, he was not doing the job he felt called to do. My stomach sank into my feet as I sat and listened to him talk about some of his struggles. He was twenty years down a career path that I had just began to travel. Was this where I was headed? By the end of our meeting I was beginning to question my career choice. And while I was pretty discouraged, he had never actually said no to overseeing my internship. As we ended our lunch, he told me he would think about it and get back to me. I did not have high hopes. Burnout is a very scary thing. And the condition is not limited to ministry leaders. Every person at every level of every organization is susceptible to it. I have spent a lot of time talking to very experienced people about how to avoid it. Here are five things that will keep you from getting burned out.
1. Pray. I know what you're thinking, "That's your answer for everything!" You're right. This is the first and only place to start. If you your success depends on any measure of power, start with the One who has all the power in the universe. Spend some time praying. Specifically asking God to accomplish what He wants to in your life. I frequently pray like this, "Lord, help me become ready to be changed in whatever way You want to change me".
2. Challenge the status quo. Getting into a rut is the human way. Once we find something that works, we tend to do it that way again and again. It makes sense, and no one would get very far if we didn't do that. However, as the world changes around us, some habits or systems become obsolete or inconvenient. These ways need to be put to rest. Search your life for things that have stopped benefiting you. Then challenge yourself to find a better way to get things done.
3. Invest in what drives you. Nearly every job changes over a long period of time. Sales associates at retail stores battle with change in procedure in the same way a corporate CEO battles with the management of growing and shrinking corporate departments. Eventually, your job might look nothing like the exciting opportunity that drew you to the company. If at all possible, always stay invested in the things that you excel at. Even if it means using your lunch break to do some writing or work on a side project. Or (and this is just a thought) you could subscribe to a blog that helps challenge the way you approach your life.
4. Work to achieve balance through regular rest and recreation. It can be tempting to over work yourself so that you can accomplish more. Especially if you work in a competitive environment. But overworking yourself will take its toll and quickly bring you to the point of burnout. The best way for you to be the most productive version of yourself is to work toward balance of hard work, recreation, and relaxation. Coincidentally, balance is one of the most difficult things to achieve for people today. Start small. If you don’t have a hobby, find something you can do for 30 minutes once a week. Whatever you choose to do, never forget: people with good balance are never burned out.
5. Invest in people more than programs. Programs do not maintain themselves. They require constant work to keep up. When you invest in the people that maintain those programs, they are far less work for you. It can be argued that building people is a lot of work too, but there is no contest when it comes to the reward you get when you help someone realize their potential. Programs will eventually suck the life out of you. Growing people will empower you.
6. Learn to say no! Maybe your workplace is competitive and saying no means you could miss the chance for a raise or promotion. Or maybe you’re like me and you’re just really bad at saying no. In either case, take heart. There are ways to do it effectively without destroying your opportunities. One of my heroes, Michael Hyatt, wrote a great post, about effective strategies for saying no.
Eventually, the pastor of the well known church called me back and for one reason or another agreed to oversee my internship. That experience ended up being one of the most influential times of my life. Today that pastor still works at the same church, and we stay in touch regularly. I have been so encouraged as I've seen his ministry revitalized and is energy restored. Through him, God tested and increased my resolve that Christian ministry is what I am supposed to do. So I'll leave you with the questions God brought me to ask: What were you made to do? Are you doing it? Why not?
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