Are you tired of doing what you’re doing? Do the previously fun parts of your life or your profession seem like you do the same things over and over again? Have you lost your interest in your work chores or do you feel like you’re stifled on your current career trajectory?

What can you do about it?

In this five-part series (posted one per month), I’ll examine the reasons for feeling burned out in your job or career. We aren’t talking about clinical depression here — I want that to be clear on the outset. If you feel tired, exhausted by life, unable to sleep, sleeping too much, cry too easily, you need to talk to your health care professional. A series of burn out articles is not your ticket to paradise.

Here’s what we’ll cover on future Fridays:

(1) The nature of burn out. What are the symptoms and what difference does it really make? Is it bad? One cause of burnout: overwork. And what are some solutions?

(2) That feeling of slogging on a treadmill and never getting anywhere without making any progress. How do we go about fixing that. Hint: it’s easier than you might think.

(3) Where do you go from here? Have you lost your path? Forgotten your goal? Is this writer’s block? I’ll try to help you find out why you’re where you are and how to start making progress again.

(4) You think you’ve laid the groundwork for getting your project(s) done. Or have you missed a step? Maybe it’s easier to give up. (Oh no!) What do you do next? We can talk about self-doubt and the hesitation that comes with insecurity.

(5) Did it occur to you that maybe you’re still reaching for the same old thing? Maybe your target isn’t the brass ring you thought it was, or maybe you’ve got a drawer full of brass rings and want to make it to the silver one (or the gold!). I’d like to give you some ideas about how to rejuvenate your goals and make them vital and alive for your again.

Burn out is a problem for all of us at some time or other. I’ve had it too. There are moments when I’m sure I’ll never come up with another good idea, and it seems daunting to try. I’ll share some of my experiences with you, and try to get some other professionals to add their comments as well.

Burn out doesn’t have to make you panic. Take some time to examine your situation and you’ll be back, energized, and ready to conquer the world again in no time.