Have you ever had a career burn out? I certainly have. In fact, just recently I was so discouraged, I almost gave up. This was it, I was done. For good. But one thing stopped me in my tracks: my dream.
My sweet, sweet dream. How could I leave it behind? How could I walk away, now? After everything, I knew – I couldn’t. More so, I didn’t want to. Not truly. But I did need a break. I was burnt out, discouraged and certainly not feeling like myself. I needed to find my grit again. I needed to find myself. Here’s how you can do it too:
1. Make A List.
First, put everything down on paper. What happened? What went wrong? What went right? What would you change if you could? This list isn’t meant to be negative – it’s meant to help you refocus your goals. Its meant to help you say, “Okay plan A didn’t work, here’s why. Now, what is plan B? Why is it going to work this time?”
2. Write A Letter.
It’s time to write a letter to yourself, or maybe to that broken dream. Get all of your emotions out on paper. But you don’t have to send it. You can keep it. Or burn it. Whatever you do, use this method as a way of healing. Write away your feelings rather than bottling them up.
3. Wait.
It seems like a silly sentence, but it’s true: you can’t rush patience. You can’t rush inspiration. You can’t rush the process of healing. But you can find yourself during this time of pain. With healing, you can find your grit. When I was going through this, I took long walks, I hiked, I stared at art, I reconnected. For the first time in my life, I started to find myself. By the end, I knew it needed to happen. Now I am so glad it did.
4. Try & Try Again.
I know failing seems scary, but this is the most rewarding step. When you can get back up after defeat – were you ever really defeated? Did you ever really fail? Not in my book you didn’t.
Alyshia is a freelance writer, inspirational speaker and soon to be college grad. Her work has been published in magazines like Girls’ Life and by businesses such as Bossbabe and ThredUp.
