Tony Hawk's Burnout & My Skating Accident

When I was 15, I nearly broke my elbow skateboarding.?

At the time, Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater video game was all over school.?

Everyone was talking about it.?

It sold over 1 million copies worldwide. Making it one of the most successful games of the early 2000s.?

This made Hawk a global superstar and billionaire in the process.?

The game influenced me. I bought a skateboard.?

And after practicing for a few weeks, I decided to go to a skate park with my friends.?

I spent the day trying to ‘drop in’ to a quarter pipe. Falling every single time onto my elbow.?

‘Ouch!’ I cried to my Mum. She shook her head with disapproval when I got home.?

By the next day, the bruise was huge. I almost went to the hospital but the injury died down.

From that moment on, I quit skateboarding. It was tough.?

A lot harder than it looked in the video game. But, I still played Tony’s game.?

I loved skateboard culture. The music and the tricks were exciting.?

When I heard Tony Hawk was on the Diary of a CEO podcast this week, I had to tune in.?

Hawke’s Burnout?

“Even if you're doing what you love, it’s not always going to be enjoyable”.

This was Tony Hawk’s revelation about his experience with burnout.?

Because of the pressure of success, he decided to quit the sport early in his career. His self-imposed pressure to succeed had taken its toll.?

“What it did teach me was the value of letting go”, he said about his time away from the sport.?

After stepping back, he started to appreciate skateboarding again. He became more creative.?

And when he returned, he let go of the idea of perfection. Life became more fun.

The Burnout Trend?

The topic of Burnout is everywhere at the moment.?

Almost every podcast guest reveals an experience with career exhaustion.?

But what does it mean to feel burnout?

When I think of career burnout, I see exhaustion.?

Professionals are drained of energy, and unable to produce quality work.??

Burnout typically happens after a prolonged period of stress. The pressure to hit a deadline or improve performance is typical.

Mismatched Values?

One unknown cause of burnout is mismatched values.?

Everyone has values. These are things we deem most important to us.?

Two of mine: family & personal development.?

They give my life worth. I structure my time around them.?

And when I live my values, I’m happy.?

The values rule is simple:?

Live your values, and live a happy and fulfilled life.?

The problem is people DON'T do this. They work for companies that don’t match their values.?

Let me explain…

You don’t have to be exhausted to experience career burnout.?

And you don’t need an overcontrolling boss either.?

You simply need a mismatch in your and the company’s visions.?

Maybe your boss’ values don’t fit with yours. Maybe how your colleagues think clashes too.?

If you’re a candidate looking for a new job, workplace culture is critical to your decision.??

What you’re saying is: do my values match with theirs??

The problem is you don’t know what your values are.

You don’t have the level of self-awareness needed to make the best decisions.?

Burnout from poor workplace cultures?

I meet many people who like their job. They’re often good at what they do.

But, they don’t feel right in the company.?

For example, I had a client with the same value as mine: family.?

They have two small children, and they do school pick-ups and nursery drops offs.

Only, their company doesn’t value flexible working. This causes immense frustration and stress.

They feel like they’re chasing their tale. Upsetting either their children or their boss. They couldn’t win.

Because of this, they're unable to live a happy life because what they value most (family) is directly clashing with the company’s value: commitment to work all hours.?

So, as you can see here, there’s a mismatch:

• Mismatched values cause stress.?
• Prolonged stress leads to burnout.?

This is why it’s so important you understand your values.?

High performers have increased self-awareness. They know their values (and anti-values).?

This gives them an edge over everyone else.?

Interested in learning more about yourself and your values?

My Personal Transformation Programme is perfect for you.?

The problem is I only have 3 available 1:1 spaces available for new clients to start in April.?

And after that, I’ll have group coaching only from May onwards.?

If you’re interested in taking one of these spaces, click HERE to complete your details and make an enquiry.?

Enjoy your weekend.?

Tom?