What to do when you face burnout and fatigue
“There was once a lumberjack,” said the Wealthy Gardener, “who chopped trees every day for years. As you can imagine, he initially grew strong due to the strain of his work. After several years, however, his strength started to fail him. He felt overwhelmed by fatigue during his long days—and in this tired state, he started to doubt himself.
“One day, as he sat on a stump, exhausted and demoralized, a smaller lumberjack came along and asked him what was wrong. The tired lumberjack said he was about to pack it all in and try his hand at a new trade. The newcomer considered the situation thoughtfully, then asked, ‘Have you ever sharpened your ax?’ The lumberjack was dumbstruck, realizing the foolishness of his neglect.”
The Wealthy Gardener grinned. “We must keep the body and mind strong, or we’ll find ourselves swinging at trees with a dull blade.”
Jimmy thought about it. “You’re suggesting daily exercise?”
“Just as a lumberjack must sharpen his ax, we, too, must sharpen our own physical tools,” said the Wealthy Gardener. “Get a daily workout, and you’ll naturally eat and sleep better. You’ll be a different person. Exercise will enhance your performance in your daily hours.”
“It sounds easy enough.”
“What is easy to do is easy to not do. It will take a few weeks, but exercise becomes a positive addiction,” the Wealthy Gardener said matter-of-factly. “Why do you think I’m telling you this now?”
“To sharpen the mind for the challenges of the day,” Jimmy said slowly, “because hard tasks are easy with enough energy, and the easiest tasks are difficult without energy.”
The Wealthy Gardener nodded. “The better your state, the more you can accomplish in your hours. And the more you can accomplish, the more you’ll enjoy your workdays.”
– Excerpt from The Wealthy Gardener
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