Running on E

In my life I have done many volunteer projects, most of them were short term however. The last really big long term volunter project I did lasted over a year. I would babysit once sometimes twice a week for a family in my church. The family had four kids the oldest in kindergarten the youngest wasn't a year old. The days I was there I would either be doing housework for the childrens mother who had lupus and was not able to do everything she needed to. Sometimes I was babysitting four kids by myself. This was probably the hardest thing I have ever done, I was exhausted everytime I went home. By the time that project was over I never wanted to babysit again, I was so sick of it. It took me forever to even say yes when someone asked me to watch thier kids. It wasn't that I didn't love the kids, because I did and I still do, but I was just so done with it.
It was hard trying to get past that. I had to remember why I did the service in the first place; I did it because I love to help people. I had to go back to that place where I wanted to help people again. I wasn't afraid of burnout because honestly I didn't know what it was. I had never experienced it before, but in this case ignorance was not bliss. I now know what to expect and I try not to let my self get burned out by splitting my time up. I do not focus all of my energy on one thing. I through something I enjoy in to keep things interesting, for me that is photography. I can take pictures of the work I am doing and of all the friends I make doing it. By keeping my work fun I keep myself from being spread to thin and burned out.