How to Avoid Doomsday Mindsets and The Resulting Burnout… One Day at a Time

“If I didn't care for fun and such, I'd probably amount to much. But I shall stay the way I am, Because I do not give a damn.”

― Dorothy Parker, Enough Rope

It happens to the best of us: worry, anxiety, panic, burnout, fear of failure. These thoughts are not always unfounded, but they are very often not as helpful as people like to believe. The problem with them is that they accumulate and eventually trap us in the doomsday mindset, which makes you operate on less capacity because of the mental strain that does actually lead to physical drain.

Here’s a thought: have you ever tried to drive somewhere without looking at a map (or for you moderns, the GPS)? Do you go without a full tank of gas or the funds to afford the refuel? Do you leave without a spare tire, insurance, or any understanding of basic auto repair as seen in the owner’s manual? Do you leave without any way of calling for help, charging your phone, or even forget your license? Do you keep alert for news reports on weather conditions or accidents? As long as you say no to all of the above, then what do you have to worry about that’s beyond what you have prepared for and can’t possibly foresee, which you have no control over?

This is the same way of preparation and preparedness you would benefit from adopting in order to minimize the fear and worries that lead to the doomsday mindset. What we can derive from the analogy above is that the doomsday mindset comes from imagining the worst case scenario and having no way of preparing for it, feeling helpless and like there’s nothing you can do.

The doomsday mindset will neither make you happier or wealthier, but it will most definitely bring a lot of misery that can affect others just as easily. But like people who thought the end of the world was definitely going to happen in 2000, then rescheduled it to 2012, believed it was finally here in 2016, and again in 2020, the world is still here, but not necessarily in the best shape it could (and should be). There were things we could predict and prepare as best as we could, and there are things that were not on everyone’s radar that had us scrambling trying to make sense of things and stay safe, sheltered, and fed.

Here’s a good framework to look at how to prepare yourself and minimize the doomsday mindset, whether you are a founder, employee, fiscal sponsor.

Short-term goals and daily diligence keep you (and your mind) busy

Some people worry that they aren’t doing enough to prevent the worst case scenario. Funny enough, they are often the people who are not doing anything or are not doing the right things appropriate for preventing the worst case scenario.

If, for example, the thought of 52 weekly deliverables is something you dread, how does it sound to you if it’s one deliverable a week? The mind gets overwhelmed by large numbers, but the inverse is that the mind doesn’t care for trivial numbers.

By breaking up your goals into small, bite-sized weekly and daily tasks, you can assure yourself that you’ve done your bare minimum contribution to preventing the apocalypse.

Returning to the car analogy, if you remember to do a regular oil change, have auto insurance, do your annual check-up, and wash your car daily, you won’t have to worry about sudden failures that could have been prevented.

Stay informed and communicate with purpose

What is most peculiar about people is that they feel the need to be in control at all times, especially for things that are beyond their control. If, for example, you find that it is unlikely you’ll meet your quarterly or annual goals for raising funds, then there is little to be gained from panicking and doubling your work in the vain hopes of believing that by suffering more, you may change fate.

Instead, you can remind yourself of your designated responsibilities and focus on those first, then if you’ve fulfilled all of them to the best of your ability, you can check with your colleagues, partners, and collaborators to see where they could use more help. If everyone sees that you have your responsibilities taken care of, and you in turn can check in to see where internally some people may be struggling to fulfill their own duties, you can thus see how to fix things internally and in turn everyone is up to speed on who or what needs attention first.

If you don’t speak up, you can’t get help, and as some cultures or individuals may not initiate the conversation to ask for help or have a hard time admitting they have difficulties, it’s good to be mindful of that and ask the right questions that help you discern what’s going on, even if not explicitly stated outright. This is not the same as being a tattletale like children in elementary school scorn each other for, this is analogous to neighbors who see that someone’s dog or cat looks a bit scrawny and realize that someone isn’t earning enough to take care of their pets and stepping in to give some help without needing to be asked.

Take breaks and remember you aren’t Superman or Wonder Woman, and nobody else is either

When all else fails, it’s time to take a break, don’t bring your work or your worries home, and to allow yourself the time and space to accept that you have done what you can as best as you can, and there’s no more expected from you (unless you have unethical employers exploiting you). Life will go on, and the Justice League has other members ready to step in and continue the good fight so you can take a break yourself from time to time.

Superman has Metropolis, and that’s more than enough for him even if he wants to protect the whole world, and at the same time, Batman has Gotham, and he expects Superman to leave that to him to oversee. Remember your boundaries and trust in your teammates, because there’s a big difference between doing all that you can to make a difference and prevent the end of the world and punishing yourself when you know it isn’t your fault. The sun will rise in the east and set in the west no matter what you do or fail to do, so let the world have a chance alongside your colleagues and volunteers to take care of themselves just as much as you do your best to help take care of them too.

Conclusion

Simplify your goals, stay informed, support those around you and ask for support if you need, and when all else fails, take a break so that you can face the end of the world rested and well-fed instead of exhausted, hungry, and grumpy. Smile for the group selfie at the end of the world, and share it with everyone so that you can laugh when you see that like the last few times the world was supposed to end, you can make it out just fine.