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The fact that you can write such an articulate article tells me that you are much LESS burnout than you think you are. Give it some time and take care of the o

by gigamon 19y ago

The fact that you can write such an articulate article tells me that you are much LESS burnout than you think you are. Give it some time and take care of the other two legs of your three-legged stool first (take care of your health and your family which I suspect are also in need of some repair). If you don't have your health and you don't have the support of your family, you don't have a fighting chance to re-start your career. Also, you cannot look at your career one job at a time, it is a piece-wise continuous journey that happens to have multiple rest stops. The following is my experience, hope it helps. Why Startups Fail and Why Gigamon Should've Too http://www.lovemytool.com/blog/2007/09/why-startups-fa.html http://www.lovemytool.com/blog/2007/09/why-startups-fa.html --Denny--

brk 19y ago
Denny is an incredibly smart and dedicated guy, and I think you should consider his words of advice. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and "deer in the headlights", sometimes you have to step away from things for a bit (maybe a week or so) and just sort of process the whole situation in the back of your head. Think things through, determine what you need (and where to get it), and move ahead.
h34t 19y ago
Thanks for your advice, and the interesting read. I've had the past couple of weeks off to think about everything, and I think that's why my posting is anywhere near articulate... Two weeks ago I talked to my partners and they recommended that I take some time to think about what I need to make myself healthy again, totally irrespective of what impact that would have on the business. It was today when I tried getting back into work again by focusing on the most simple of tasks, and I got deer-in-headlights syndrome again -- for the first time since I started my break. One moment back-in-the-game and it felt like I'd had no break at all. So, more time is needed I think. I agree 100% that health and relationships are most important. I noticed that I was no longer responding to emails from family and friends, and my health was declining. I tried to take action on these more recently but it was a little too late to have enough impact. If the business was anywhere near stable, it would be a different story, but in our product development we're currently facing an uphill battle wearing rollerskates -- if we're not advancing, we're sliding backwards due to our burn rate and the seasonal nature of our market.
- gigamon 19y ago
  It takes a little bit of humor and a lot of humility (emphasizing the latter). And from your replys to the other comments, it sounds like you are well on your way already. I am writing my own experience as a Crashed-and-"Turned" entrepreneur and I have a slot to publish next Thursday (10/25). Please check back. <a href="http://www.lovemytool.com/blog/startup-for-less.html http://www.lovemytool.com/blog/startup-for-less.html">Startup for Less - Survival Guide for Bootstrapping Entrepreneurs</a> Good luck. --Denny--
  - gigamon 19y ago
    After reading the various comments, I was motivated to write up my own experience on how to survive Founder burnout. Below is my post. http://www.lovemytool.com/blog/2007/10/riding-a-bike.html http://www.lovemytool.com/blog/2007/10/riding-a-bike.html Please enjoy. --Denny--
- timr 19y ago
  If you haven't done so, take a proper vacation. Leave your current environment behind completely, don't take a computer with you, and don't allow yourself to so much as think about work. When I was in your situation, I tried to take pseudo-vacations (i.e. I stayed home for a few days, instead of going to work), but they were never enough. Only by forcing myself to make a drastic lifestyle change, was I able to break out of the fog.

by gigamon 19y ago

brk 19y ago

Denny is an incredibly smart and dedicated guy, and I think you should consider his words of advice. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and "deer in the headlights", sometimes you have to step away from things for a bit (maybe a week or so) and just sort of process the whole situation in the back of your head. Think things through, determine what you need (and where to get it), and move ahead.

h34t 19y ago

Thanks for your advice, and the interesting read. I've had the past couple of weeks off to think about everything, and I think that's why my posting is anywhere near articulate... Two weeks ago I talked to my partners and they recommended that I take some time to think about what I need to make myself healthy again, totally irrespective of what impact that would have on the business. It was today when I tried getting back into work again by focusing on the most simple of tasks, and I got deer-in-headlights syndrome again -- for the first time since I started my break. One moment back-in-the-game and it felt like I'd had no break at all. So, more time is needed I think. I agree 100% that health and relationships are most important. I noticed that I was no longer responding to emails from family and friends, and my health was declining. I tried to take action on these more recently but it was a little too late to have enough impact. If the business was anywhere near stable, it would be a different story, but in our product development we're currently facing an uphill battle wearing rollerskates -- if we're not advancing, we're sliding backwards due to our burn rate and the seasonal nature of our market.

gigamon 19y ago
It takes a little bit of humor and a lot of humility (emphasizing the latter). And from your replys to the other comments, it sounds like you are well on your way already. I am writing my own experience as a Crashed-and-"Turned" entrepreneur and I have a slot to publish next Thursday (10/25). Please check back. <a href="http://www.lovemytool.com/blog/startup-for-less.html http://www.lovemytool.com/blog/startup-for-less.html">Startup for Less - Survival Guide for Bootstrapping Entrepreneurs</a> Good luck. --Denny--
- gigamon 19y ago
  After reading the various comments, I was motivated to write up my own experience on how to survive Founder burnout. Below is my post. http://www.lovemytool.com/blog/2007/10/riding-a-bike.html http://www.lovemytool.com/blog/2007/10/riding-a-bike.html Please enjoy. --Denny--
timr 19y ago
If you haven't done so, take a proper vacation. Leave your current environment behind completely, don't take a computer with you, and don't allow yourself to so much as think about work. When I was in your situation, I tried to take pseudo-vacations (i.e. I stayed home for a few days, instead of going to work), but they were never enough. Only by forcing myself to make a drastic lifestyle change, was I able to break out of the fog.