Burnout - Introverts need time to recover.

This weekend I experienced burnout. Too much activity. No down time.

I felt as if I was hanging on to each day trying to convince myself to keep producing one more item. The tanks were so low that I just wanted to crawl into a cave and pretend that I didn't exist.  A friend reached out and invited me to spend the day just being present. No agenda. 

As an introvert, I restore my energy tank in times of silence and nothingness.  Allowing my thoughts to process what all I am experiencing and to make some connections with the new information. This friend allowed me the time and space to be one with nature. 

This conference is really requiring me to stretch myself beyond my personal limits. 

In regards to conference, there is something EVERY day that pulls my attention. Finding the time to be alone and not be obsessing about what needs to be done, seems impossible. If I keep going and pushing myself to deliver the conference on my efforts, I will likely be done with Toastmasters.  

Having given so much of my own effort and finding that others aren't stepping out to offer assistance is frustrating. I understand that we are all busy. I too would likely not want to take on another task. I wonder... what could I have done or said that would have driven a different response from those that I asked ?

This struggle is familiar - consider the drive recruit new members.  How do we ask folks to join us in our meetings? How to convey the fun of Toastmasters when the meeting attendance is low enough that folks do multiple roles during the meeting?  How to be okay with someone saying NO.  

I am  okay with the answers that others give to me. I struggle to keep asking. I can see that I have an expectation that the energy I put forward would soon be matched in affirming responses as well as no responses.  It just doesn't seem to be working this way. 

I remember trying to market my business years ago.  I put out a lot of money to pay for various levels of marketing.  Each sales associate that got a meeting with me sold me on the value of their method of driving awareness to my business. With time I was able to see the ad's that were working. The best ad's did not best represent the needs of my business.  I struggled then as I do today, trying to understand what will reach my ideal audience. Determining what you, the reader would be willing to do in order to support my project and the district conference?  

I just don't know what I can do to get the turn about that I am hoping for.  There has to be a way - THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY!

I have big ideals when it comes to making the conference happen.  Ideas are flowing every day. Some ideas are simply to big. These ideas will be tabled for future conferences. In the beginning I had hoped to create a conference so spectacular that members would look forward to attending again in future years. However, I don't have an adequate plan that would drive the numbers. My efforts in networking and goal planning are not sufficient.

Here we are at 15 weeks out.

First of all, I must admit that I have not on boarded any new volunteers.  

I had hoped that the blog would be something that my fellow Toastmasters would  read.  I had hoped that my efforts of conveying the process of 'carving my path' to make the conference happen, would unite others to join in assisting the process. However, if no one reads the blog then how could this be an effective tool? It would appear that I must increase the effort for marketing to include the blog and conference.

Second, the sponsorship package is ready for review.  The next steps will be to get some feedback from folks in my circle and then to find a way for the document to be posted on the website.

Third, Education presenters are slowly getting recruited. Hopefully this effort will get some momentum and allow the marketing of the conference to propel the awareness and desire to join us.

Emotionally I am low. My energy needs to be restored. 
This week I will put my energy to work on creating the agenda for each of the events that will take place during the conference.  This information will be useful for me to better promote the conference by knowing what volunteers and effort will be useful throughout the weekend.

Pray for the conference, may things turn around and expand the momentum.
This is it for this week.