Burnout to Breakthrough

Praise

“Motivational speaker McDargh (Talk Ain’t Cheap… It’s Priceless!) tackles burnout and how to sustain one’s energy in this sharp work. McDargh explains her first encounter with burnout in 1984, which prompted her to research the topic and to dig into the work of psychologist Herbert Freudenberger, who first introduced the term. What she learned led McDargh to identify burnout as a “devotion to a cause, a way of life, or relationship that failed to produce the expected reward.” She provides self-assessments and writing exercises to identify instances of burnout alongside lists of statistics and anecdotes about those suffering through a “global epidemic” that the World Health Organization legitimized in 2019 by adding burnout to its list of health concerns. McDargh posits that breakthroughs come from understanding how one’s mental energy is spent and setting boundaries to conserve one’s energy. She also warns against confusing breakthrough with balance (“Who are we trying to kid? There’s no such thing as balance”), as pursuing balance leads to false expectations of giving equal attention to all aspects of one’s life. Those feeling worn down by life and work will want to give this a look. (Aug.)” —Publishers Weekly

“Eileen delivers a new perspective on the burnout crisis with humor, good sense, and unique ideas on how to manage our brains. I owe my daily well-being to her. You will want to have Burnout to Breakthrough at your side to help you glide through your workday.” 
—Marcia Reynolds, PsyD, author of The Discomfort Zone

“I’m overwhelmed. I’m overcommitted. And I’m more tired than I should be. How about you? How are you doing? If you’re looking for insights, strategies, and tools to recharge, this book might be the one for you.”
—Michael Bungay Stanier, author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller The Coaching Habit

“Burnout to Breakthrough is a bighearted book, written in a lively style with lots of relatable examples and immediately applicable advice. Eileen McDargh makes reading about a very serious topic extraordinarily engaging and gratifying.” 
—Jim Kouzes, coauthor of The Leadership Challenge and Executive Fellow, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University


“McDargh offers solution based processes to work our way out of the ‘Burnout to Breakthrough’ to something better. We can recharge and reclaim our energy! Is that amazing or what?… In page after page of nuanced stories, McDargh offers simple steps for recognizing, analyzing the problems, and then taking solution based steps that will help to rebuild our spirits. Not just spiritual answers, but actionable life building steps we can take to get back our energy and healthy relationships.”
—Kendall Townsend/Garth Thomas, Hollywood Digest