cmc/cleberg.net

 1#+date:        [2023-05-22 Mon 00:00:00]
 2#+title:       Burnout
 3#+description: Honest thoughts on burning out in audit and consulting.
 4#+slug:        burnout
 5#+filetags:    :personal:
 6
 7* RE: Burnout
 8
 9I recently read
10[[https://drewdevault.com/2023/05/01/2023-05-01-Burnout.html][Drew
11DeVault's post on burnout]] around the same time I was pulling out of a
12burnout rut myself earlier this month. Finally, seeing the light at the
13end of my burnout tunnel made me want to write my first post back on
14this topic.
15
16* Busy Seasons on Busy Seasons
17
18My career deals with busy seasons, generally driven by client demand.
19This last year, I dealt with a harsh busy season from Aug to Oct 2022 to
20issue a few SOC reports for the period ending 2022-09-30. Immediately
21following that, I had to pivot and found another busy season from Oct to
22Jan for financial statement audits ending on 2022-12-31. Then again,
23supporting other clients from Jan to Mar 2023, followed by my current
24client workload aiming for SOC reports due on 2023-06-30.
25
26The result? A busy season that has lasted from August 2022 through
27today. I will likely be rushing throughout the next month or two before
28I have a brief break and need to focus on the 2023-09-30 SOC reports
29again. While auditing and consulting always involve a busy season, this
30is the first time I've had one last 9+ months without a break.
31
32While it's been tough, I have a handful of breaks pre-planned throughout
33this next cycle and should be able to moderate the level of commitment
34required for each client.
35
36* Refocusing
37
38Outside of work, I finally have time to work on hobbies such as this
39website, programming, athletics, games, etc.
40
41You may have noticed my absence if you're in the same channels, forums,
42and rooms that I am, but I should finally be active again.
43
44I'm hoping to break an item out of my backlog soon and start working on
45building a new project or hack around with a stale one.