When it comes to landownership and your land stewardship journey, there's usually a period of time that you might just feel burnt out. I mean, this is a long-term, never ending process if we're honest. When things are going well, it's amazing! Even if we don't have a whole lot going on, there's still often a lot we can gain joy from the land itself. But there are also seasons of life, when nothing seems to go right. Family tensions on succession plans, tension on whether to harvest or not, stress on who and how property taxes will get paid, weather postponing your management efforts you were trying to get done and now there may not be enough time to do it this year, impacts from natural disasters or insect infestations not only ruining your beautiful forest but now have the added layer of time sensitive opportunity to do anything about it. And sometimes it just feels like it's too much.... 

But today we're going to address how do you navigate burnout to renew your stewardship journey!

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Let's look at the 5 steps of Land Stewardship Burnout and how to overcome it with specific lessons from Elijah. 

Step 1: We need to be self aware to recognize WHEN we're burnt out. Elijah experienced burnout after facing intense challenges and opposition, so much so that he just wanted to runaway. (1 Kings 19:3) So what are some of these signs we might display causing us to want to "run away" from our land stewardship responsibilities? These can range from fatigue and apathy towards any  decision related to our land, as well as decreased productivity when we're supposed to be taking action and following-through on our plans. Recognize when these signs are directly related to the tremendous mental load we've been caring to maintain our family land and acknowledge when you need to place things on pause and take an intentional step back. 

Step 2: Seek renewal through prayer. Elijah found solace and renewal in solitude, retreating to the wilderness to seek God. (1 Kings 19:4) Now, I don't want you to take to the extremes Elijah did in his request to God, but there's an importance recognition here that only God can restore and give us the peace we're looking for! (John 16:33) Likewise, be sure to carve out intentional moments of solitude and prayer amidst the demands of landownership decisions. Spend time in prayer, inside or during nature walks, reconnecting with your faith and drawing strength from God.

Step 3: Delegate and Collaborate. You don't have to do it all yourself! In fact, doing that is the very reason you're in this slump to begin with if we're honest. So who can you delegate to? It can be fellow family members, let everyone start feeling connected and gain skin in the game of land management. Or it can be your consultant forester. In either case, you don't need to "assign responsibilities" and then never have another conversation about it again! These should be talking points of conversation still which you are involved in. An example might be to explore what cost share opportunities should be applied for this fall: delegate the responsibility to dive into the details of programs and options, and then have conversation about those discoveries where you have the ultimate say on which to pursue and apply for. 

Step 4: Focus on one thing at a time. Going back to Elijah, he had the chance to encounter God but had to be patient to know when God was passing by! (1 Kings 19:11-13). It can be easy to get distracted by the loud things around us, by the "big events", that we forget to notice what we really should be focusing on... the small, often common and overlooked tasks. But rather than feeling pulled in every direction, for every single thing that seems to be "needing attention", focus on just ONE thing at a time. Doing this will help you tune distractions out and put your efforts to what really matters in the moment. 

 Conclusion:

We can draw strength and guidance from Elijah's example to overcome burnout and renew our commitment to intentional land management. By recognizing the signs of burnout, seeking refreshment and renewal, delegating tasks, and focusing on one thing at a time, we can navigate the challenges of land stewardship with resilience, faith, and purpose. Let Elijah's journey inspire us to press on, knowing that God's grace sustains us in every season of our stewardship journey.

Stay out of burnout is by staying connected with your land stewardship decisions through faith. Enrooted Wisdom is one, easy way you can keep a bridge between the two by receiving weekly devotions straight to your inbox of scripture inspired land stewardship lessons. To start your weekly devotions, you can sign up HERE.