I rarely post two blogs in a single week. Life is busy enough without me flooding your inbox with another task to be completed. But there’s a tension in the air. Have you felt it?

Many of you have reached out and spoken with me as to how tired you are. I’ve heard quotes like;

“I’ve hit a wall. I don’t know what to do.”

“I’ve lost my passion. This used to be fun. Where did the joy go?”

“I dread the day. Not because of my people, but because of the decisions I will have to make. To be honest, I’m tired of making decisions.”

Any of that hit home? Does any of it sound familiar? Do you feel you’re starting to get in over your head?

What do you do? What’s your next step? How do you get the excitement and joy back in your building?

Let’s start with remembering why you started all this. Think back to the early days and what fueled you. There was a dream. You saw people being impacted, helped, and served. Spend a few moments each day remembering why you began the organization. Try to touch that passion point in your memory. Allow the excitement to spark a passion once again.

Remember the battles you’ve won. How many deadlines have you met? Consider how you managed to make payroll when funds got tight. You have a story of how you lost a contract that you thought for sure would close but then out of nowhere another client signs an agreement. When we get tired and beaten down we begin to doubt our ability to lead and make decisions. Pause and look behind you. There are a million decisions that you got right. Own those. Embrace the fact that you have skills and talents. Stop believing you’re an idiot. You’re not, you’re just tired.

You don’t have to make every decision. There’s a team around you who have brains. Get their ideas and solutions in the mix. Put everyone in a room, present the problem, offer your initial solution and then ask them to make that idea better. Leave the room. Tell them you’ll be back in an hour to hear their ideas. You hired people that you trust, now trust them to come up solutions. Give your brain a rest. Give theirs a workout.

Get perspective. This is a hidden weapon for me and one that allows me to keep moving forward during difficult seasons. Each of us needs to be reminded that others have faced bigger decisions than the ones we’re having to make. This is why I read about Abraham Lincoln. Perspective allows me to be reminded that I’m not leading a nation that’s at war with itself. People are dying because of war plans I’ve approved. Perspective takes me to FDR who had to tell a nation that Japan attacked and now the nation would be at war. For some reason, it helps me to know that if those leaders could carry those heavy loads then I can bear what I’m carrying. Find a hero from history. Let them give you perspective. Their life will give you faith to take the next steps.

Finally, I’d like to plant a few truths in your heart. Don’t just read over these but own them. Read them daily if needed.

• · You’re gifted. You can see a future that others can’t. Take them to that future.

• Get out of the day to day. Take a few days off. Change the scenery. Talk about other things. It’ll do your heart and mind some good.

• You haven’t failed. You can change direction. Learn from what’s happened and be better because of it. Let it be a lesson and not a label.

• Believe the facts, not what you’re feeling. When you get tired, the mind starts to race to strange places. Remember who you are, your purpose, your wins, and what you’ve learned.

• Know where you’re leading the team. Cast a vision for where you want the organization to be three years from now. Dream big. People want to know where they’re going and why it matters. That will fuel excitement in you and the team.

• Stop using certain words. Failure. Loser. Idiot. Unseen. Unappreciated. Stop using the negative words to define yourself. What you tell yourself is often who you become. Reframe where you are in life. I’m a learner. I’m growing. I don’t know everything, but I can figure it out. Fighter. Winner. Dreamer.

Pick yourself up. Dust off your clothes. Breathe in the hope that today brings. Your team needs you. Let them see you enduring and fighting. Ignore the comments from the cheap seats. You’re the one in the arena. They have the courage to mock. You have the courage to get in the battle. Rise up. You have a life to live. Let’s make much of it.

I’m here if any of you would like to chat.

Believe in you,

Brian