63 Magazine - Issue 1

Hello! This is why you have managers! Talk
to them about it. Don’t be afraid to be
honest with what you’re facing. Your
manager understands and is there to
support you. They can work with you to
figure out how to climb over that wall.
4. Look at how you spend your time.
“When you get burnt out and hit that wall,
it’s often because things have gotten so
crazy that you’re not managing your time
in the best way. This is when you need
to reassess. For one week, write out on
your calendar what you’re doing each
moment of the day. Then the next week,
take a step back and see where you’re
spending your time and reevaluate.”
Often you hit a wall because you’re not
handling your time wisely. And I know
your first reaction is going to be, “ALL MY
TIME IS SPENT WORKING, I HAVE
NO TIME.” I get it. It’s annoying to have
someone insist you need to adjust the way
you spend your time when you feel like
you’re constantly working.
But take yourself and your emotions out of
it for a second. Figure out what habits need
to change. Maybe if you shifted around
when you do certain things or how you do
certain stuff, it will make you more efficient.
And if you’re more efficient, maybe you
might find a little extra time to go to yoga
or do whatever it is that helps you relax.
5. Create systems.
“I create systems that support my team.
These allow us to dig in when we need
to get the job done, but also create a
team culture that is needed to move
forward. These systems make sure that
we don’t get stuck by just doing what
we’re doing now, but always having
a vision of where we need to go.”
Just like Marlon needs systems to manage
his staff, you need systems to manage
your volunteer teams. If you have a system
set up for each task you and your team
need to complete, you can simply follow
the system. This will help keep you less
distracted and stop y ou from worrying
about little details all the time (because
they’re taken care of in the system). It
will allow you to dedicate your time to
the parts of organizing you love most.
6. Adapt.
“Even on this campaign, I’ve taken a step
back and said, ‘Okay, the way I used
my time in April is different than the
way I’m using my time in November.’
But, if I had just done the same thing
from April to November, then I’m not
growing, nor am I supporting my team in
a way that they need to be supported.”
The best way to get over burnout is to never
have it, right? Well, yeah, we don’t have
any magic pills for you or anything, but we
do know that if you adapt your schedule,
your systems, and your management
priorities as the campaign evolves, you’ll
be better prepared to avoid burnout.