It Ebbs and Flows

There's something fascinating about how energy for things we love comes in waves. I've noticed it tends to exist in two states for me: completely locked in or thoroughly burnt out. It's like a light switch that doesn't quite understand what a dimmer is.

I've been incredibly lucky in my journey. Working at fantastic places, surrounded by people who make me better, building things that make me proud. When I'm locked in, it all flows naturally — problems become puzzles, and solutions appear like old friends at exactly the right moment.

We love talking about getting "in the zone" – that magical state where hours dissolve and everything clicks. There are endless posts about finding flow, achieving peak performance, grinding through problems. But you know what we don't talk about? The opposite of that state.

Burnout has become this ghost story we tell in hushed tones around the campfire of our careers. Everyone believes it exists, but we discuss it like some urban legend.

"One time I heard about a guy on the third floor that got, get this... burnt out." Collective gasps

This fall, I felt it creeping in. Started questioning abilities I've spent years honing. Not because anything was particularly wrong – the company was growing, projects were exciting, everything looked great on paper. But sometimes your mind and body conspire to send you a message: "Hey, maybe we should talk about some things."

It's funny how we treat burnout like it's always some sort of evil curse, like getting the “yips” in sports (that mysterious moment when athletes temporarily forget how to do the thing they've done thousands of times). We see it as failure when really, it's just a very persistent notification that we've been trying to swipe away for too long.

It happens to anyone really who can tap into a creative flow state. It’s just not possible to be in that state forever, but I also understand it sucks when you feel out of it.

The solution isn't complicated, but it is uncomfortable: it’s time + intention. That's it. No fancy frameworks, no five-step morning routines, no specialized apps. Just honest time with yourself and the intention to listen.

Most tension in life happens because we're not being honest with ourselves about what we truly need. We're really good at lying to ourselves, especially about our limits. It's like trying to convince yourself that third cup of coffee isn't affecting your sleep – spoiler alert: it definitely is.

Your work-life balance is yours to figure out. Some weeks you're all in, working late because you're energized and the problem is just too interesting to put down. Other weeks, you need to step back and remember what sunlight feels like. Both are valid. Both, in all likelihood, support each other.

I've recalibrated a bit recently, with help from friends and coworkers who reminded me that it's okay to not always be operating at maximum capacity. This helped me refocus and end up shipping one of my favorite features I’ve made in a long time, called Claude Styles.

I even wrote this post with Claude’s help using that feature (meta, I know).

We shouldn’t see failure as permanent state or a character trait – it's just data. There’s no need to fear or be embarrassed by it. It's simply feedback telling us what needs to change. Like when your code breaks and throws an error – it's not judging you, it's just letting you know something needs attention. It’s okay to say: “this is broken.”

Do me a favor, the next time you feel burnout approaching, try to see it not as an enemy, but as an opportunity to learn something new about yourself. Stand back. Observe. Understand. That's where the interesting stuff happens.