Jake Burhans spent four years reacting to every crisis, sales call, and setback until he burned out by afternoon. He learned the difference: reacting is automatic panic, responding is a deliberate pause before you act. After nine months of responding instead, he has clearer thinking, better energy, and runs his business better.
Are you running around like a chicken with your head cut off, stressed out of your mind, burnt out by 1:00? I was too, for 4 years of being an entrepreneur. Till last, you know, 9 to 10 months, I stopped reacting to everything and started responding to everything. What's the difference? Reacting, you're just emotional. You're— a seller is calling, a deal is falling through, someone quit, you got to hire this person, you know, XYZ. You're just all day long, you're just reacting. You were in fight or flight. It's like you are stepping on the gas and the brake at the same time in a car, right? Your RPMs are on 8 all day long. I'm burnt out by 1:00 PM. I can't even make it through the day. But when I respond, there's a pause. That's all it is. It's a pause, assess, breathe. What can I do? All I can do is focus on what I can control. And when you pause and just relax, you can think clearer. Ideas come to you better. You can execute better, and you actually have a lot more energy throughout the day. So responding instead of reacting all day long has helped me significantly over the last 10 months operate from such a better state of mind and run my business better.
