Member-only story
I’m Feeling Burnt Out
An honest reflection of the situation
It feels strange to be writing this.
As someone who writes about entrepreneurship, it may seem I have everything figured out. (*Emphasis on seem*)
The truth is I don’t.
I’m at a crossroads in my life, and decisions are flying at me fast, like buying my first property, getting a work visa, and tying the knot — all whilst navigating self-employment.
Sure, my life is great. I have a great relationship. I love what I do for work. But it’s exhausting, and I’m worried I’ve lost my mojo.
This moment was probably inevitable
I’ve been writing online for three years.
At the end of 2022, I quit my job in SEO to do this full-time.
Before quitting my job, writing was my hobby. It was basically therapy in disguise. It helped me let go of my teenage angst.
And it isn’t that becoming a full-time writer has killed my love of writing. It’s just changed things. Writing is now work. And like any job, it has its sources of anxiety and frustration.
I love it. But it’s still work.
After quitting my 9–5, my life became this wide-open thing with no rules, no work calendar, and no meetings.
Most of my communication with clients is done over email and Slack. I haven’t even spoken to two of my clients on the phone.
Initially, it was exhilarating. Yet I knew this was a dangerous type of freedom that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
And so my day-to-day existence has become monk-like and regimented — but on my own terms. I wake up. Meditate. Eat breakfast. Start working and switch off around 12pm to hit the gym.
Each day is a handful of writing sprints, with other things to break up any creeping monotony.
I’m extremely grateful for the goodness in my life, but I feel like the monotony is starting to suck my life away. I feel lethargic. Nothing excites me. I find myself writing about the same old sh*t over and over again.
I hit most of my 2023 goals.
