5 Mins Read

How Avoiding Burnout Could Earn You 7 Figures

Brandon Fluharty |

Brandon Fluharty |

How Avoiding Burnout Could Earn You 7 Figures

Do you ever feel like you’re running full-speed towards burnout?

You’re not alone.

When I talk to fellow SaaS sellers…workplace stress, quota pressures, and unsustainable hours are among the first topics we inevitably discuss. It’s endemic to the industry and something we all face.

Not only that, but working more hours is even seen as a badge of honor. It’s the the #1 thing touted in Hustle Culture.

Hustling is our kryptonite. While there are many reasons for this reality, chief among them is the incentive structure inherent in commission-based roles.

When there’s no ceiling on your earning potential, it’s natural for you and your managers to keep pushing for more. That can quickly become a dangerously self-reinforcing cycle. But as you push harder and harder, your effectiveness inversely decreases. That impacts both your physical and mental health, not to mention your ability to close deals.

What That Means For You

The good news is there are healthier ways that you can take the power back and manage that stress. It starts with rethinking hustle culture and developing a personal system that works for you.

Once you put that practice into action and start doing it consistently, your quality of life will dramatically increase.

You’ll also become a more effective seller. While the sales world doesn’t need another acronym, I hope you’ll make an exception for one more. The system that has helped me succeed is something I call PREP: Plan, Rest, Effort, Perform.

It’s a framework I developed over time that has enabled me to be a hyper-successful performer and a consistent 7-figure earning seller in SaaS, all without burning out.

What It Means To PREP

Here’s how it works:

1) Plan. The first thing I do is plan tomorrow, today.

I make it a habit to end every workday by figuring out what I need to accomplish tomorrow.

I bucket each task by both urgency and the energy level it will require (Peak, Dip, Rebound).

By combining this end of day routine with The Daily Start Routine, I ensure I’m starting and ending my day well – two parts I can absolutely control. Everything in between is more out of my control, so these steps set myself up to better manage the unknowns. I’ve made tomorrow easier.

2) Rest. Once I’m done planning, I can truly feel like I can relax for the evening.

Because I’ve done a full brain dump into a trusted system, I can now spend time with my wife, relax, and recover.

Proper recovery, like a world-class athlete does, is ultimately what drives consistent peak performance, so I take it seriously. I also try to stick to a consistent routine by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.

It’s also important to rest and take breaks throughout the day. If you use wearables, you can continuously track your energy levels and step away when you need to recharge.

3) Effort. After having good rest and recovery, I go into the morning maximizing my energy.

I do that in a specific way — by aligning my tasks with my energy.

We all have a natural circadian rhythm and will experience periods of peak energy (generally 90 minutes after waking up), dips (generally in the mid afternoon), and then another rebound (typically later in the day).

When my energy is high, I do difficult tasks like strategy work or client presentations. When my energy is low, I pass on that second cup of coffee, which lingers in your body for 10 hours, and instead answer emails, update my CRM, or go for a walk.

4) Perform. If I’m going to obsess about anything, I obsess about my performance.

Now, that doesn’t mean being hyper-critical about each mistake I make.

Instead, I try and focus on what I could do to improve objectively, say like a scientist runs an experiment.

Remember that if you always strive to get 1% better in every way, like at every interaction it takes to get a large deal done, your growth will be exponential and profound. Over time, that performance boost will translate directly to sales and keep your confidence high and willingness to stick to your system. If it sounds simple, it really is. What’s hard is doing it each and every day.

If you need help, you can download my Put Some PREP in Your Step checklist to help keep you on track.

  • Track your tasks in a trusted system so you know what needs to get done tomorrow
  • Time block your calendar so you can accomplish those tasks
  • Read your emails in a timely fashion so there’s no overwhelming build up
  • Step away physically, stay awaymentally so you can recharge
  • Follow a sleep schedule and keep it consistent
  • Track your energy states and match them to your activities
  • Recap each week to see where you can improve

Remember, it’s all one connected flywheel. » If you don’t plan, your mind will keep racing and you won’t get proper rest.

If you have bad rest, you’ll have poor effort the next day.

And if your effort is lacking, you won’t perform at your best. PREP was a big step in the right direction for me. I went from the edge of burnout to feeling much calmer and more productive. Before I knew it, massive deals followed without the need to constantly hustle. And they haven’t stopped!

***

When you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:

  1. Get the exact system I’ve used to go from earning $200K to over $1M a year in SaaS sales without burning out here. (1,700+ students)
  2. Join a community of Purpose-Curiousâ„¢ sellers in the Make More Hustle Less Club where we develop a personal operating system together here. (300+ members)
  3. Book a 1:1 coaching session to up-level your performance here. (Limited spots available)

 

What did you think of this article?

Share this:

Stop Missing Out

Subscribe And Get This Content Straight To Your Inbox

Steal All Of My Guides For Free

Frameworks To Reach Your Full Potential

Steal the spreadsheets, blueprints, and templates I used to design my operating system and have been using ever since.

2022 Brandon Fluharty. All rights reserved.

Skip to content