The Catholic Pursuit of Excellence

How to Become Burnout-Proof in Your Business

• Jessica Castillo • Episode 17

Share episode

#017 - This is the third episode in a special series for Catholic Entrepreneurs.

In this episode, I outline the exact step-by-step roadmap for how you can truly thrive in body, mind, and soul while building your capacity for excellence.

You can get a nice, printable copy of the Thriving Catholic Entrepreneur's Roadmap here: https://www.athrivingcatholic.com/roadmap

This episode promises to equip you with the tools to balance business success with personal health and spiritual growth, addressing common pitfalls like burnout, strained relationships, and spiritual dryness.

Download the roadmap to support your journey to becoming a burnout-proof, thriving Catholic entrepreneur.


Are you ready to build high-impact habits of body, mind, and soul that actually stick? Check out the Catholic Path to Excellence today to find out how you can be more consistent in your habits and excel in every aspect of your life.

Feeling "stuck" in your life? Coaching could be the solution you need to break through whatever is holding you back. Book a FREE Call with me today to find out how I can help you.

Speaker 1:

You're listening to the Catholic Pursuit of Excellence, the show that helps you accomplish more, stress less and become the saint God created you to be. I'm your host, life and health coach, jessica Castillo, and this is our third episode in our special series for thriving Catholic entrepreneurs. If you haven't already, I really encourage you to go check out the first two episodes in this series. In the first episode, I explained to you basically what the series is all about, what you can expect from it and why we're doing it, and also just outlined some of the really damaging lies that Catholic entrepreneurs in particular can start to believe about their businesses and about their lives and how to kind of avoid them. In the second episode, I outline my manifesto for thriving Catholic entrepreneurs, and this is basically a statement of beliefs, of what we're after, not only in this series, but also as Catholic entrepreneurs, and what it means really to be a thriving Catholic entrepreneur. I think many of us can relate to and imagine and understand what it's like to be a not thriving entrepreneur in many ways, and I'm not talking just financially. I'm talking about the kind of trade-offs and sacrifices we make for both our health and the way we're using our time, our relationships and, in particular, our relationship with God or our striving for virtue, and so this series is really meant to be a way to help us all, myself included, to grow in body, mind and soul, while we're also striving to be at our absolute best, to perform at our best, to be exceptional, and that's what this series is all about and what we hope to achieve with it. Okay, but all of that might seem a little abstract. It might be a little hard to wrap your head around. What does that actually mean if we're going to be thriving in body, mind and soul? What does that look like? How do we actually do that? So what I'm going to be doing in today's episode is going through with you what that step-by-step roadmap really is. What are the steps of how you're going to be taking exceptional care of your body, growing in skills of mind and growing in virtue, and how does that all fit together? What are the actual nitty gritty action steps that you can take? So I do want to remind you that this series has a printable resource that goes along with it, called the Thriving Catholic Entrepreneurs Roadmap. If you have not already, I really encourage you to go get that and print it out, because the information that I'm presenting in this podcast series is in that roadmap, and then just knowing that we all learn better when we have something to both read and listen to, this is going to help you to just really cement this information. But also, I've been getting a lot of feedback that printing the manifesto, in particular, has been really helpful for people to just have and to reference and to remind themselves of what they're after, what their goal is and why they're doing this. I think it will also be helpful for you to have printed out these steps that I'm going to go through. So I'm basically going to read through the step-by-step framework that I've developed for how you can become burnout-proof while accomplishing your God-given mission at the highest level. This is all in the roadmap. You can get it at a thrivingcatholiccom forward slash roadmap and I'm also going to put the link in the show notes so you'll see it and you can get to it that way as well.

Speaker 1:

So, without further ado, let's talk about what are these steps. What is your roadmap to becoming a burnout-proof, thriving Catholic entrepreneur? Okay, here we go. Step number one improve the quality and quantity of your sleep. Sleep is an absolutely critical component to every aspect of your health and happiness and it even affects the quality of your spiritual life. I once heard a priest say that about 80% of sins are committed because a person was sleep deprived, which really makes sense when you recognize how a lack of sleep messes with your impulse control. So step number one the fastest way to becoming burnout-proof is to establish healthy sleep habits. Set a consistent bedtime that allows you to have eight hours in bed and stick to it.

Speaker 1:

Step number two get clear on your priorities. No one can do it all and even though we all know this, we tend to act like it doesn't apply to us. And even though we all know this, we tend to act like it doesn't apply to us and we try to take on more and more tasks that ultimately will not help us to reach our goals. You have to simplify, to amplify, so by focusing on the few things that really align with your priorities and that only you can do, you free yourself up to be really great in those areas can do. You free yourself up to be really great in those areas. So step number two is to decide what is important to you and to get really comfortable with eliminating everything that isn't. I know it's easier said than done, but this is really transformative Step number three. Transformative Step number three make a plan for spiritual growth.

Speaker 1:

So when we have a goal that we want to achieve, we make a plan. If you want to reach a certain strength goal, you don't just wander into the gym and you randomly pick up a few weights and you hope for the best. But this haphazard approach is exactly how many of us approach our spiritual lives and, honestly, the stakes are much higher than getting into shape for swimsuit season, right. So step number three is to develop a plan for what prayer practices God is calling you to implement in your life right now. You should start with scheduling mass and confession and then add in personal prayer disciplines. So this takes a little bit of discernment, but write down your plan like have an actual plan that you are following and this will help you grow in your spiritual life.

Speaker 1:

Step number four is to upgrade your diet for maximum energy, focus and health. It is so true that you are what you eat. It is impossible to be at your best if your diet consists of leftover chicken nuggets off your kid's lunch plate and a bag of flaming hot Cheetos for lunch. So when your focus is on fueling your body with performance enhancing foods. That's when you're going to be able to really feel your best every day. So step number four is to focus on eating high quality protein, healthy fats and lots of fiber, especially in the form of vegetables, at every meal and snack to rapidly upgrade your energy and focus. This really does make a huge difference and it doesn't take that long when you change your diet for you to start really feeling the benefits really quickly. Like within a few days you will be feeling so much better. So that's step number four.

Speaker 1:

Step number five block out time for deep work. Busyness is literally the enemy of productivity. So if you want to make the impact that you were made for, then you must carve out the time and space to do the important, but often not urgent work of your business, but often not urgent work of your business. So these are the tasks that require your full focus and they stretch you to the limits of your capabilities, but they also provide the biggest payoff. So step five is to schedule between two to four hours of deep work focus blocks on every working day and then treat those times like an appointment. Everything else is going to get scheduled around your deep work time. This will move the needle more than anything else and it really forces you again to do those tasks that require your focus and that really stretch you and that really force you to be at your best. So that's step five.

Speaker 1:

Step number six incorporate a daily examine. So the question is how will you know if you're making spiritual progress? How will you know what God is asking you to do in the day-to-day nitty-gritty of your life? Well, the answer is you won't unless you take the time every day to regularly review where God is showing up and to make a regular commitment to renewing your points of spiritual work. So step number six is to add a five to 10 minute daily examine to the end of every day. That's so that you can make spiritual progress and recognize how God is leading you.

Speaker 1:

Step number seven use exercise as a performance enhancer. The world's top performers are famously committed to exercise, and that's with good reason. Okay, exercise boosts your energy, your productivity and your focus, while helping you to manage the stress that is inherent with pushing yourself to be at the top of your game. Like you are striving to be exceptional and to be at your best, that comes with a fair amount of stress. But stress isn't always a bad thing. It can push us to be better, and exercise is one of the ways that we can manage that. So step number seven is to not skimp on your daily movement. So even if you are just doing a quick 15 minute walk, this can do wonders for your ability to manage your stress and to boost your energy.

Speaker 1:

Step number eight Tip number eight decide who you want to be. Then become that person. So one of the easiest ways to develop a new habit is to think of yourself as the kind of person who does that habit. So, for instance, instead of saying I don't smoke, it's actually more powerful to say I'm a non-smoker. So the question is who do you want to be? What kind of person is your ideal self? Is he or she patient with their kids, confident and capable in their work and loving with their spouse? Think about that. Envision yourself who's the ideal version of you. So step number eight is to develop a series of statements that describe your ideal self, and then you're going to use that as a filter to screen out unwanted behaviors and embrace desirable ones.

Speaker 1:

Step number nine is to commit to deep mental prayer, the great doctor of the church, saint Teresa of Avila, once said he who neglects mental prayer needs not a devil to carry him to hell, but he brings himself there with his own hands. So if you want to thrive in every aspect of your life, then you have to turn to the source of life itself and drink deeply the living water that he offers you daily. So step number nine is to learn methods for deep mental prayer and commit to a regular time each day to encounter the Lord in this intimate way. Okay, we are at the halfway point of the Thriving Catholic Entrepreneurs Roadmap. It might seem like a lot, and so if you're starting to feel a little overwhelmed as you're listening to all these steps, I just want you to remember that the reason they're presented as steps is because you do not have to do all of these things all at once and, honestly, I structured it in this way and put it in this order for a reason. So each of these things is going to kind of build on and enable the next step. So don't worry if you're like, wow, this is an awful lot. It's more than I can possibly do. You can do one step at a time. That's what it's meant for. So it's all good. Okay, we are halfway there, let's drive on. We've got steps 10 through 18 to go, so bear with me, we can do this.

Speaker 1:

Step number 10 is to mind your gut. According to Hippocrates, all disease begins in the gut, and modern medicine is actually showing that he wasn't far off the mark. The trillions of microbes that live inside your gut influence just about every aspect of your health, including your immunity, your hormone production, your metabolism and even how happy you feel. So step number 10 is to optimize your gut microbiome through targeted nutrition and lifestyle strategies so that you can have more energy, better metabolism, improved mood and focus and a stronger immune system.

Speaker 1:

Step number 11 is to lean into your strengths. Do you know what your strengths are? So many of us are familiar with areas that we're weak in, or we have a tendency to spend a lot of time and energy improving areas of weakness. But what if you chose to focus instead on leveraging your strengths, the gifts, the talents, the charisms and the natural abilities that God has given you? You've been uniquely equipped to fulfill the mission that he has called you to, so step number 11 is to figure out what those strengths are. Take an online spiritual gifts inventory. Take the CliftonStrengthsFinder assessment or really any other assessment tools that help you identify your strengths and then find a way to use them more often in your work and in your life. So, for instance, you might still have the same tasks that you need to perform, but by leaning on your particular strengths and talents and trying to find ways to use them to get those tasks accomplished, this is going to help you not only be more effective, but it's going to feel good for you. It feels good using your strengths, so that's step number 11. You, it feels good using your strengths, so that's step number 11.

Speaker 1:

Step number 12 is to get help from Mama Mary. So I could say so much about the immense and powerful graces that come from praying the rosary, but I'm just going to let some saints do it for me. So here's a quote from Saint Padre Pio. He says some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the rosary for her. Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world. Today, all graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother. And St Jose Maria Escriva said the Holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you'll be amazed at the results. So step number 12 is to incorporate praying the rosary into your spiritual plan, into your spiritual plan.

Speaker 1:

Okay, step number 13, master your hormones. So your hormones are those chemical messengers that regulate and coordinate just about every process in your body. So this ranges from your reproductive health to your weight, to your emotions, your bone health, your immune function and more. If your hormones are out of balance, it's a little like driving a car with a flat tire yes, you can limbo long for a while, but you certainly will not be thriving. So step number 13 is to learn how to balance and optimize your hormones so that you're working with your body, and this includes, for women, mastering your menstrual cycle and, for everybody, managing stress effectively, because the stress hormone, cortisol, can really wreak havoc on all of the other hormones in our bodies. So that's step number 13.

Speaker 1:

Step number 14 is to get clear on your goals and to make a strategic plan. So you have to ask yourself what do you actually want to achieve in your business and in your life, and how will you know that you're achieving quote unquote success in any area that's important to you? So, given ultimate success is sainthood right. However, it is nice to have some benchmarks along the way before we die. So goal setting is really inherently motivating in and of itself. It can motivate you, and once you actually have a destination, that's when you can create a plan for how to get there. So step number 14 is to determine five to seven goals that are going to move the needle for you the most in the next three to six months, and then you break each goal into smaller goals and tasks and that can actually direct your day-to-day activities. So remember, earlier we talked about blocking out times for deep work. Well, these important needle-moving activities are kind of what you structure into your deep work blocks.

Speaker 1:

Step number 15. Let God speak to you in scripture. So it has been said that prayer is how we talk to God and scripture is how God talks to us, and I believe that God can communicate with each individual soul in a variety of ways. That's totally true. But there's also no question that God's own words in scripture. They're a privileged place of encounter, and there is no better way to embrace God's vision of the world than by immersing yourself in scripture. So if you want to have the most clarity, the best vision, then you really do have to immerse yourself and get to know God's word in scripture so much better. So step number 15 is to learn the ancient practice of Lectio Divina and allot time in your schedule to allow God to speak to you in this way.

Speaker 1:

Step number 16, optimize your brain health. So cognitive processes such as memory, attention, problem solving and creativity. These play pivotal roles in our performance. So, whether it's excelling at work, academics or even just your daily tasks, by nurturing your brain health you can enhance these cognitive abilities and achieve greater success. So step number 16 is to understand and optimize the lifestyle factors and this includes some of the things we've already talked about, like sleep, stress management, nutrition and brain training that can impact your cognitive performance. To sharpen your mental faculties, that's step 16.

Speaker 1:

Step number 17, your mental faculties that's step 16. Step number 17, establish healthy boundaries. I heard once the actress Elizabeth Olsen, famously quoted as saying no is a complete sentence and of course, the homeschooling English teacher in me is like no, actually it's a sentence fragment, but that's okay. That's besides the point. The important thing here is to recognize that you get to establish boundaries that protect your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health, and you don't have to make justifications about it. It is okay for you to just say no, thank you or no, like it's fine. It's totally fine. In fact, it's your responsibility to set these boundaries, because if you don't, they're going to default to someone else's standards. And so step number 17 is to decide what you're currently saying yes to that is draining you, and find a way to say no with confidence. Okay, final step, step number 18. This is an important one.

Speaker 1:

Step number 18 is to prepare for war. This is because, if you have embarked on the path of becoming a thriving Catholic entrepreneur, if you have dedicated yourselves to excellence of body of mind and, most importantly, soul, my friend, you are now a threat to the evil one, and he will do everything in his power to drag you down or stop you from achieving the mission that God has made you for. Expect this attack, anticipate his tactics. Don't be surprised by this. Don't be surprised when you encounter adversity and difficulty and strife. You are on a battlefield, so be ready for it. Step number 18 is to gird your loins and put on the whole armor of God. Learn about the strategies and tactics of the devil so that you can be on your guard. Okay, so there you have it. That is the roadmap.

Speaker 1:

Those are the 18 steps for the step-by-step process of how you can be thriving in body, mind and soul as a Catholic entrepreneur, how you can be really burnout-proof while performing at the highest level. So if you are thinking to yourself, that was kind of a lot. I don't even remember what step number one was at this point, or maybe step four or seven or whatever. Don't worry, you can get all of this printed out. Go to a thriving catholiccom, forward slash roadmap or click the link in the show notes. You can print these out for yourself.

Speaker 1:

And if you're also thinking, okay, all of this sounds great, but it's also a lot, and how in the world am I going to actually, in my current overwhelmed state, apply any of this into my life? Well, again, I just want to remind you please consider this as a step-by-step process. It builds on itself. You don't have to do everything all at one time. And in next week's episode I'm going to be going through with you the formula for how you actually incorporate these habits and these strategies. How do you incorporate them in your life in a way that works, in a way that fits, in a way that's not overwhelming, but that's actually really doable. So that's going to be in next week's episode of this special series. So, again, go get the roadmap and I will be back next week to talk to you about how you can actually build all these habits. That is it for me this week. Until next time, remember that it is Jesus who inspires you to do something great with your life, so don't let yourself be ground down by mediocrity. Bye for now.