Hi Reader,

I've heard more than one person say they just can't take any more prep time.

They're done.

All their energy and drive to get ready for the CELPIP has evaporated as they try and focus on an already packed work schedule, loved ones, and just having a life themselves.

Add to that mix trying to get ready for the CELPIP, and everything just seems to melt down.

Burnout is real.

It can hit anywhere in our lives where we add more than what we can handle to ourselves and attempt to do it for too long.

The problem is that we aren't taking away. We're just adding.

I'm guilty of this too.

The thing I love to do, my podcast, has been feeling more and more like a heavy burden these last few weeks.

I've been trying to do too much, and realized I needed to make some changes if I wanted to continue - which I do.

I decided to do an experiment.

The experiment? Cut my podcast work by 50% for the rest of the summer by only publishing every other week instead of weekly. You can check out that episode right here if you missed it.

It felt scary to make that change.

Confession time: I recorded that episode a week before it went live, and almost every day wondered if I was about to do the wrong thing, and that maybe I should delete it and make a new episode.

Confession time: even after that episode went live, I was still afraid. What if I was making a terrible mistake and was breaking my podcast? Maybe I should just go ahead and keep publishing weekly. Make the next episode and say, "I was just kidding" and keep going with it all.

But I didn't. And I'm glad I didn't.

Today I woke up feeling free. It's Saturday, my normal podcast recording and editing day.

But I realized I don't need to do anything, and it feels... amazing.

Not to sound weird, but my creative me is breathing today. Resting.

Do you need to cut?

Maybe you need to do this too. If you feel like you're burning out with your CELPIP prep, what can you safely cut out of your schedule or activities to make space instead of continually trying to add to it?

Maybe you can't hit full stop on something, but what about reducing it?

What if you tried a change as an experiment, like what I'm doing?

The great thing about an experiment, is that it doesn't have to be permanent.

If you don't like the outcome, you can change it again.

Need help building and keeping a CELPIP prep routine that fits into your busy life? I can help. Join the CELPIP Success school, and I'll set up a free 30 min strategy session with you to build a routine that works for you and your life. ​

A listening workout: The burnout theme continues. I listened to this podcast a few days ago and LOVED it. It was exactly what I needed to hear. It's all about burnout as a podcaster, but to make it apply to you: every time you hear him talk about podcaster or podcast or podcast host, imagine he's talking about you and your CELPIP prep.

Fun bit of info: this is the podcaster who got me into podcasting in the first place! :)

Thank you for reading! I hope you have a fantastic week.

Aaron

PS. What if you finally decided to stop working alone to get ready for your CELPIP exam? Do it with the power of community! And get a free 30 minute strategy call.
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