We're heading quickly into what is most of our busy season, ready or not. Fall is the time when a large percentage of family sessions happen, and many photographers begin to wear their busyness like a badge of honor, making jokes about the late nights editing, bags under their eyes, the million sessions on the calendar, etc. And while a season of busyness might be manageable for some, actual burnout is never a joke.
I'm not here to say that we can't handle stages of busyness. Fact is, raising a family, building a business, and life itself all are guaranteed to bring periods of high levels of activity our way. And when that happens in a manageable amount, it can actually be empowering. It feels great to tackle a difficult project and conquer it!
But burnout is different, and busy seasons can quickly devolve into serious burnout when we're not prepared and aren't recognizing the signs. I've experienced very real burnout before, and it's not pretty. It looks like disillusionment, health issues, anxiety, and more. Thankfully, I've learned a lot from it.
No, I haven't mastered it - of course not. Finding balance and setting boundaries are always an ongoing effort, and one day I might feel perfectly equipped to handle a challenging, busy stage, while another I might feel totally crushed by it. But the longer I'm in business, the better equipped I am to navigate these seasons, understand them (and myself!), and plan for them.
Something I'm still learning: I'm the absolute queen of overambitious to-do lists. My version of what I feel that I should be able to get done in a day is not, in reality, what I am actually able to get done in a day. This is not helpful - not only do I end my work day feeling disappointed in myself for failing at my unrealistic goals, I also can overextend myself and wind up in over my head. Yes, I WILL fulfill every single commitment, but it will come at the cost of my sleep, health, and much-needed family/rest time. (But really, do moms ever get rest?)
On the other hand, there's my mom. My family always laughs at her, because whenever she plans anything, her estimates of how long it will take to drive somewhere/complete a project/whatever are at least double what they should be. Her plans always include time allotted for nonexistent problems that aren't going to happen. The rest of us don't understand why she is such a planning pessimist. And then she always ends up being right.
It comes from her years of mothering four kids, like I now do. Expecting the unexpected, and being ready for it. Remembering that there are so many moving parts that are out of her control, so she's never surprised when things take twice as long as they “should.”
And really, it's a trait that is great as a business owner. Sure, in theory you could get all your emails done in 15 minutes… but in reality you'll be interrupted and distracted a few times and that 15 turns right into 30 (or 60 if you open Insta for a ‘quick’ mental break). Sure, culling doesn't seem like it should take long, but in reality, you shot way more images than usual because the session was so fun, and you're battling afternoon brain fog and feeling indecisive and culling is actually an exhausting task. And the session that was scheduled for an hour ends up being more like two because the clients were awesome and you talked on and on about life and it turns out that it was the only social outlet any of the adults got all day. (And if you haven't caught on yet, every time I say you I definitely mean me.) 😅
Truth is, no matter how hard we work, we'll get distracted. We NEED breaks. Our minds and bodies get tired, and sometimes we work slower than others. Or the kids interrupt a few (hundred) times, or we get a phone call we need to take, and so on. Our tasks don't take the time we think they do - they take 50% longer, at least. Because we're humans, not robots. And that's okay.
What's not okay? Being unrealistic with your time and planning, like I tend to be. This will lead you straight into burnout, and that's not an exaggeration. As you prepare for busy season, it's absolutely essential to be realistic with the amount of work that you take on - or you'll quickly find that your attempts at boundary setting weren't helpful in the slightest.
The solution? Become a ‘planning pessimist.’ Expect the interruptions, distractions, and slow afternoons. Write down the hidden tasks that suck up your time, so that you don't overlook them in your planning. Don't let yourself work full time hours for a part-time income because it seemed part-time in theory.
It sounds simple, but it can be challenging to put into practice. Saying yes to more can feel fun in the moment, and it can be hard to stop feeling like busy=successful if you've been living in that mindset. But it's absolutely possible, and so much healthier - and you deserve to run your business from a place of true health.
Don't settle for less, First name / friend. More on this topic coming soon. :)
