Thriving takes intentionality and commitment over a long period of time. I know this to be true because if it was just status, position, money, etc. then there would be a lot more happy and satisfied athletes, celebrities, politicians, and artists. But to truly thrive, there has to be a consistency in place that gets you through the tough times, without losing that commitment. This is true on that cold rainy morning which gives you a good excuse for your first missed gym date, and it’s true the first time that leadership says, “I don’t care what our values say, just get the job done.”

Have you ever had the feeling at work that you don’t fully understand what is exactly expected of you? Or if you are even meeting the expectations your boss has for you or your group? What about the company? Is it meeting its goals? Will I even have a job next year? 

As I sat there, staring at the blank screen of my crashed presentation, frustration threatened to overwhelm me. I had poured my heart and soul into this complex presentation, meticulously creating each slide, only to have it all seemingly vanish before my eyes. An entire day's work - gone! In moments like these, it's easy to feel defeated and yield to the burden of disappointment. I went through a plethora of emotions when I realized that all my hard work had seemingly vanished. 

We’ve all been there before, a person, situation or decision is staring us down, waiting for an answer or response and I. Just. Don’t. Care. The Oxford definition of Apathy is simply “lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern”, and it’s hard not to feel that way at times. Everyone is entitled to have a bad day; we are all human and sometimes we just can’t care about that one more thing. So, what is the difference between Apathy and Burnout?