Burned Out.

There I was, sitting in my suit in front of a hassled executive for the fourth round of interviews for a public relations job at Visa. 

He asked the textbook interview questions, and then Tell me your weaknesses.

I’ll be honest, I said. I work really hard and have a tendency to over do it. I burned out at my last job. I’m coming to you after taking some time off to get my shit together.  

[Backstory: I was the PR Manager for The North Face for five years and lost my sister in a car accident during that time.]

So taking time off helped you get your shit together. What will you do differently here at Visa? He asked. 

I stumbled.

You see, while I felt recovered having gotten away from the grind of my old job, the demanding stakeholders, the annoying commute (and grieving my sis) - it was really just me taking a much-needed deep breath.

The kind of deep breath you take before diving back into the pool. 

I realized in that moment I was about to dive back into my old ways of being. 

I didn’t know how to NOT put my nose down and plow through. That wasn’t going to change with time off or in a new job.

It wasn’t about do-ing anything differently at first. 

It was about slowing my roll, and checking in.  

What was I believing and thinking that made me overwork? To let everything stress me out so much?

What was I saying yes to? Who was I saying no to?

Was it serving me? My relationships? My health?

Burnout isn't doing too many things. It's not doing enough of the things that really matter. 

I didn’t get the job at Visa (shocker!). My suit and I landed at a PR agency called FleishmanHillard on the Visa account (the irony!). I took the elevator to work. Pulled my chair up to the table. Wore uncomfortable shoes. Carried my blackberry in my right hand and a latte in my left. 

Can you guess what happened next?

Put it this way: I came to coaching to solve my own problems - to actually enjoy my kickass life. I’m a coach now because what I learned fundamentally changed my life - and I had to share it all with women just like you. 

We see you, we hear you.