Last week I spoke to a friend who was angry about her lack of productivity. Her struggle was not due to laziness or lack of motivation, but rather a severe case of burnout that haunted her, just like No-Face haunts Chihiro in Spirited Away. At that moment, I could see her desperately searching for more energy to get through the day, like when the bag of chips is almost empty and you put it in your mouth and tilt your head back to suck down the rest of the salty deliciousness.
But instead of encouraging her to persevere, I took a different approach.
“You know, it’s okay to take a break.”
She laughed and said, “That’s what my therapist keeps telling me.”
If you’ve ever described yourself as a perfectionist, someone who tries to please everyone, or base your self-worth on your measurable performance, you know that it can be hard to take breaks.
Athletes learn from the beginning to idolize hard work. Hard work is the cure for every ailment. You want to get stronger? Work harder. You want to play better? Work harder. You want to be a pro? Work harder than everyone else. The hardest workers deserve their own titles and recognition, regardless of their actual performance. Cal Ripken Jr.’s streak of consecutive games won him the Ironman title. The MLB gives a Heart and Hustle Award to the player whose heart tells him to work the hardest. And every year we read stories about players and coaches who are the first to arrive at work every morning and the last to leave at night. Read the rest of this entry »