Mindset Monday - Burnout or Burn Bright
“The difference between burnout and burning bright is usually an alignment issue with your purpose and mission” – Chris C.
For the last few weeks I have been navigating some unruly waters in a professional sense. A combination of stressful days, some good problems to have, and outside factors I was allowing to effect my focus. Lots of apps, closings, long hours, referral partner stress, market instability, trying to pin down these refinance opportunities before rates slip through of my grasp. You know real estate/mortgage stuff. All converging at once.
I was letting the chaos of the days take me out of my rhythm.
I felt burnout coming on. We all go through it, probably a couple times a year for most of us. Not all of us are able to identify it early or have mechanisms to help us deal with it quickly and decisively. If we aren’t diligent and let it take hold too long it can take longer to snap out of.
Burnout isn’t from over work. It isn’t from too much of something. You don’t just need a vacation. Some of that may be playing a part, but its not why you are burnt out.
You are burnt out due to one of a couple reasons.
You are out of alignment with your purpose. You have been doing the “work” so much you haven’t made time to remember why you do it. Why what you do matters. Why it matters to your clients, your partners, your family and to you. I don’t mean to make a paycheck. I mean the real why. What motivates you to serve others and what impact do you make on the world by doing it.
You have softened the boundaries between work, and who you are as an individual. If we don’t have a process to avoid this, we make our job our whole identity. We wear the stress and anxiety like a badge of honor and we break contact with what makes us fulfilled outside of our work. Eventually that false identity can’t support the pace and it cracks.
Here is the challenge to help avoid burnout. Create a couple anchors for yourself.
Put your mission statement and your “why” front and center in our office. If you don’t have a personal mission statement, write one. Take your time here. Not just a few words you think sound good. Not the companies core values. Your mission statement. A mission statement should be anchored to your values and beliefs.
Have a ritual in place that you do with regularity that fulfills who you are. Go to a place that is important to you. Do something that you are passionate about. Establish a favorite hike. Take a cooking class. Teach a cooking class. Join a running club. Join a kickball team. Something that puts YOU and who YOU are first and create a habit around it.
If you feel burnout coming on fall back on these mechanisms. It doesn’t take much to pull you out of a funk when you find yourself in one. A few small pivots and acts of alignment and you will feel the weight lift.
Have a great week!
Written by Chris Catania
Chris Catania entered the mortgage industry in 2005. As a seasoned Branch Manager and coach at Fairway, Chris has consistently been at the forefront of providing, creative problem solving, exceptional service and tailored financial solutions. His commitment to excellence and deep understanding of the mortgage landscape have made him a trusted advisor and a leading figure in the field.
Beyond his professional achievements, Chris is a Army veteran, devoted husband and father. He is an avid outdoorsman and hunter. Chris also brings his leadership experience and skills to the community as a coach, where he mentors individuals, teaching them the values of teamwork, discipline, accountability and perseverance. Chris Catania's blend of professional acumen, family dedication, and community involvement truly sets him apart as a respected professional and valued community member.
