In 2008, after having fallen at least 50 times at the last move on my project, I burned out on rock climbing outdoors. With gas prices going over $4/gallon for the first time, I easily convinced myself that I couldn’t afford to drive out to the crag 2-3 times per week just to fall at the last move.

Really, I had lost sight of my purpose. I was so focused on the send that I had forgotten why I climb, which at the time was the enjoyment of crushing hard projects and the process and lifestyle that go along with the whole scene.

The result of burnout was that I was forced to find a new sense of purpose. I started to think that there was more to life than just being a climbing bum.

For the next few years, while I climbed primarily in the gym, I focused on my job, on trying to improve local government, and on finding operational efficiencies in the field.

This process of problem solving was very similar to working out the movement to climbing projects, and I enjoyed it. It filled the void left by climbing and gave me purpose and meaning.

It led to me learning a ton about new industries, and proposing solutions and project ideas. It led to my MBA program and the work I focused on there: plastics recycling. I felt like I was helping people, like I had something bigger than myself that I was working on.

My school team and I developed a business idea, and I was ready to launch. I was ready to build my future on it. But we were all exhausted from the massive push it took to graduate, and wanted to take some time off before actually trying to launch the project. After a few months of rest, we had lost momentum and the project was shelved. I was devastated.

Just like my climbing project, I had done all the work to get to the top, only to fall.

I had burned out…again! I forgot my Why, my purpose. And though I haven’t returned to my plastics recycling venture and have given up trying to save the world right now, I have returned to climbing with a new outlook: it is about the process, not the send.

If you feel like you are burning out, step back for a moment to remember why you enjoy the activity in the first place, remember your purpose. To move forward, you may need to (re)discover why you were drawn to the activity in the first place.