For the past month or so things have been nuts! I’ve been in a new city almost every week. It felt like I was one of those people in films who travel to the past / future and ask the first stranger they see, “What day is it?… No, the year?” Great Scott! 

Ok, maybe it’s not that crazy but it would take me a minute to figure out the day of the week and maybe the month. It’s a strange feeling and at least I live in Chicago where we have seasons, otherwise who knows how bad it would be. But it’s also kinda awesome. I’m busy with work that I like, traveling for shoots and for conferences. Maybe I’m a little under rested from the work and all the fun events that have been going on but I’ve never been one to sleep in. 

I’m still trying to blog and share my experiences on growing a business but the posts have been a little slow lately. The slowness has been from being busy but also from not wanting to burn myself out. Working around the clock doesn’t make the work fun so I’m trying to make sure to take time for myself and family when I can so I can keep improving myself and my business.  The simplest place to begin is with ourselves first and then expand from there.

Finding a way to prevent burnout and keep your sanity is key in helping you stay successful. We all need at least one or two things that aren’t work related or family focused. Even if you love your job and it’s low stress, you still need something that takes you way from it and helps clear your head and rejuvenates you when you get back to work. For me it’s been starting the day with a run almost everyday and doing the HopCast. The run leaves me feeling more energized and excited for what I can accomplish at work. As for the HopCast, it allows me to first and foremost, enjoy great beer with some amazing people. It also allows me look and learn from another industry that isn’t mine. Allowing me to look and think about my own business in new ways. 

What’s your thing that helps you to decompress or relieve stress and how is it making you better at your job?

I’m sure we’ve all wished there were more hours in the day so we could get a little more done and be able to bill just a couple more hours. I find myself wishing this at least once a week with nearly every project I’m working on. I think if only I had time to do this or if I spend just a few more hours I can do it that way. Sometimes you can squeeze in a few more hours on a job but it’s not always going to make the project better. If you push yourself too far and stay up longer then you should, trying to take hours away from sleeping there is a good chance the following day isn’t going to be as productive as it could have been. Was that extra three hours of work worth the following day working at a slower pace? Recently, finishing up a few 15 plus hour work days at Daily Planet ltd. really proves this point. The project needed to get done and of course I was going to put in everything I could to accomplish this. There were a few moments during these long hours that I found myself staring at my computer screen moving the same couple of keyframes back and forth. No real work was getting done I was just putting in time. My brain needed to rest and recharge and I’ve said before how important it is to get away from your computer and take a break. But when the deadline looms and the clients sitting their waiting to see something that isn’t always an option. As many of you know, I put in a lot of hours practicing my craft, collaborating on new projects and looking for what my next great idea might be but there is a limit, even for me. As I was putting in more and more time each day on this recent project, I realized there was a limited number of hours that allow me to perform creative tasks. Sure, some of this project was waiting on 3D renders and then having to composite those into After Effects and it all wasn’t work, work, work but for the most part my mind wasn’t able to rest for more then an hour or so before I needed to jump back into it. It was a constant push and we were working longer hours. Of course we got it done and it shipped off to wherever it needed to go. The long hours and practically sleepless nights paid off for this project, but for me I was drained and pretty much exhausted. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one because I know a couple other people on the project put in even longer hours then I did. It took me several days to recover from this and as a result I didn’t want to work on a few other things I needed to accomplish.

In this case adding more hours of work to this project got more work done, but on the whole I ended up needing a long recovery time and that resulted in lost productivity in those following days when I was zapped of creative energy or any energy at all. This isn’t some sort of data entry job where the work is so second-nature that you don’t have to think about what you are doing. If you are doing creative work more time working does not necessarily equal more accomplished work. In the future when I find myself starting the day earlier and earlier and finishing later and later, often working more and more hours just to feel like I was accomplishing something; I have to stop and think if I’m really getting more done.

There are some days where you sit down in front of your computer with a fresh cup of coffee or tea and just stare blankly at the screen, there is too much to get done and really no way you can physically and mentally do it. You need to take this as a sign that you need a break and you’re on the verge or burning yourself out.

I’ve been working a full time job as well as doing freelance work on the side for the last three years. Why? Well, mostly because I love what I do. I enjoy learning from each project and meeting new folks. When I look back over the past year, in addition to my full time job; I’ve done graphics for five music videos, been working on three different blogs, have a weekly craft beer podcast, done a handful or explainer videos for different startups and helped to create the Chicago Motion Artists Users Group. No matter how much I enjoy what I do I’m always worried about burning myself out. And with a heavy workload, demanding clients and no free time, it is easy to become overwhelmed and completely burnt out. The problem with me is I’m a workaholic and have an inability to stop at times, which has worked both to my advantage and disadvantage. I know many other freelancers and entrepreneurs who are hustling just as much and are dealing with the same thing. Still pushing yourself isn’t a bad thing but it could come with a price. How do you avoid the burnout with the constant go, go, go? Everyone you ask has their own tips, but it really just comes down to taking a break from the computer; if it’s for five minutes, two hours, or a week. It doesn’t have to be a safari trek across Africa either. It’s all about finding what works for you. I love checking out new restaurants to eat at, so having lunch with a friend, or dinner with my lovely fiancé works wonders. Or I’ll find myself just hanging out with friends, chatting over a fine craft beer. Sure it may not be anything exciting but it’s enough of a break to take my mind off work in order to refocus. When your body and mind starts to suffer then the effects can be seen on your work. Making time for yourself not only can improve your general health but it may even help you to get through that creative block you’ve been having and spark a great idea.