Hack Your Hackathon Survival | 3 Ways to Avoid Burnout

Trust me, I feel it too. That sense of, “How am I ever going to get done all of the things I want to accomplish?” It’s not even 2018 yet and my calendar is nearly full through June. How it has already filled up is beyond me, but as I’m sitting here typing on a plane, I’m confident that I’m not the only one trying to avoid a panic attack thinking about the sheer volume of possibility and opportunities in the coming year, so here’s a few steps I’m taking to make sure that I don’t overcommit and burn out. You can’t change the world with a zombie brain and overworked ethic, so let’s #adult this, shall we?

Embrace the Elimination

When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I know it’s time to channel my inner Shark Tank meets Tyra Banks meets whatever-other-elimination-show and make some cuts. Some events will make the cut, and others won’t. That’s fine. Don’t you dare feel guilty for setting a limit on your time or practicing necessary self-care. I want everyone (including myself) to have the capacity to be dedicated and focused when necessary, which means that we all need to be strategic when we start committing our time and energy to projects.

When it comes to cuts, I am usually limited by travel and prior commitments. Given the nature of my business, a portion of my time automatically goes to client events and business engagements, but beyond those, I look for hackathons that are within a close distance — I don’t want to waste my valuable time travelling if I can help it. My second consideration is the content of the events and what might be expected of me. If it’s a cause that I’m passionate about, then I will find a way to make it work. Make your cuts to eliminate what is unnecessary, and then commit 100% to those events that passed muster — you’re saving your time and energy for a reason, and that’s so that you can be completely present and active in the events that you choose.

Step it up and Commit

This is your hackathon. It’s your chance to donate your technical skills for the social good. Once I’ve signed up for a hackathon, that’s it, I’m there. My goal is always to be as present as possible. One of the most important things — and this is coming from my inner event planner — is to make it clear to the organizer whether you plan to attend or if you’re not going to make it. As someone who spends months raising sponsorships and crafting messaging for hacker recruitment, it’s so important that my numbers are in black and white so that I can secure all the resources I need to support attendees, including swag, food, and resources.

Keep with the Why

When I find myself getting caught up in the travel, event planning, and the millions of tiny details that each of these events require, I find it incredibly grounding to return to the “why” and remind myself why I’m actually doing this. What fulfillment am I getting? Who am I working with? What am I building towards? Will the hackathon be worth it?

Going back to the why keeps me centered and reminds me the point of all of this. The point is not to throw the biggest event or get the most hype (although that can be pretty powerful in its own way), the point is to engage participants, to demonstrate a revolutionary model for change, and ultimately to improve the lives of those in the community for the better.

For me, this is an act of service, and when I remind myself of that, it’s always incredibly powerful.

I go to hackathons because I love collaborating with other people. I love the challenge of meeting talented, brilliant people who are so beyond me with their own stories, skills, and insights. I love the idea of connecting with them and building towards creating something better, together. I’m inspired and invigorated by the energy of others and there is nothing in this world I love more than the chance to empower a team to maximize their potential. In fact, that is a huge part of why I love directing and consulting on civic hackathons in the first place.

You and I don’t have to have the same “why.” Just because I envision hackathons as an act of service and a communal effort to create something that’s more than the sum of its parts doesn’t mean that you have to think of it the same way. The point here is that by connecting with the reasons that motivated you to participate in the first place, you can get back to basics and make sure that your actions are aligning with your purpose.

Finally, no matter what you choose to commit to or why you make the commitment … thank you. In order to work, civic hacking requires the effort of hundreds of people, even thousands, in communities spanning the globe. It takes every voice, every skill, every idea, and every ounce of energy to push a project through to the finish line. And it takes coordinated effort from teams all over the world to ensure that this movement continues and that more and more communities understand the value of this unique approach. So thank you for the work that you do and the passion that you bring — it’s what makes this whole crazy thing work.

I hope you find these tips as helpful as we head into the New Year and start mapping out our schedules. As I pour over invitations and event announcements, I know that I will be repeating these in my mind, strategically dedicating myself to the dynamic events that lay in my future.

Happy hacking, and please share any additional tips you have to avoid burnout in the comments below. We can all use a helping hand from time to time!