Staying the Course When Burnout Feels Too Real

I’ve been asking myself this question a lot lately: When is enough, enough?

When you’re trying to create positive change, it sounds so straightforward at first. You step in with good intentions, you give your time and your energy, and you believe that if you show up with the right heart, others will too. But what happens when the reality doesn’t match the hope? What happens when the feedback you get is less about solutions and more about complaints? What happens when the work you’re doing, unpaid and often unnoticed, is met with resistance instead of encouragement?

That’s where I find myself right now sitting in the middle of overwhelm, wrestling with the tension between wanting to walk away and knowing deep down that I can’t.

Burnout Is Real

People don’t talk enough about burnout in volunteer roles. It’s easy for outsiders to assume that being on a board is just a title, a few meetings, and maybe the occasional email. But the truth is, it’s hours and hours of reading, asking questions, brainstorming solutions, sitting through disagreements, and trying to steer things forward when others would rather dig in their heels. It’s late nights with a notebook full of ideas, conversations with people who don’t see eye to eye, and sometimes even absorbing comments that sting more than you care to admit.

And let’s be honest, people can be rude. Respect feels like a lost art. Entitlement has taken the place of gratitude. Too often, it seems like egos get in the way of collaboration. Everyone wants their opinion heard, but fewer are willing to sit down and actually work toward a shared solution.

That wears on you. It makes you question your involvement. It makes you wonder if your time would be better spent elsewhere, on your family, your work, or even just your own peace of mind.

Why I Stay

But here’s the thing: I refuse to give up.

I’m a mom, a wife, a business owner, and a person with more hobbies and passions than hours in the day. My plate is already overflowing. And yet, I keep showing up for this board position that doesn’t come with a paycheck. Why? Because the kids matter. Because the future matters. Because if I walk away, the very children I’m raising, and the ones I see working hard and showing up now, will be left with the same broken system that needs fixing.

That doesn’t sit right with me.

I want my children to grow up knowing that respect matters, but so does having the courage to stand up when something needs to change. I want them to see that hard work and integrity count, even if the payoff isn’t immediate or obvious. And I want them to know that their mom didn’t quit just because it was hard.

The truth is, this is about more than meetings and motions. It’s about shaping a culture where kids feel valued, where adults set aside their differences for something bigger than themselves, and where the future actually looks brighter because of the work being done today.

The Pushback and the Handful Who See It Too

Yes, the pushback hurts. The negative comments can echo louder than the quiet nods of agreement. And there are moments I find myself repeating those words, wondering if maybe I’m the one in the wrong for caring this much.

But then there are the others, the handful who also see the need for change, who are advocating alongside me, who remind me that I’m not in this alone. Their voices may not always be the loudest, but they matter. They keep me grounded and remind me why I said yes in the first place.

And I think that’s important to remember: the negativity may come from a few, but it doesn’t outweigh the good being done. It doesn’t outweigh the progress, however small, that’s happening behind the scenes.

The Bigger Picture

So how do you justify it all? How do you juggle being a mom, a wife, a business owner, and a volunteer who pours countless hours into something that doesn’t always give back?

I don’t have a simple answer. Some days I honestly don’t know how I’m doing it all. Some days I feel like I’m stretched too thin and wonder how much longer I can keep going. But what I do know is this: the bigger picture matters.

Change doesn’t happen overnight. Respect and teamwork don’t magically appear just because you want them to. But if we can keep showing up, if we can keep fighting for what’s right, if we can model what it looks like to work together even when it’s hard, then maybe, just maybe, we’ll leave things better than we found them.

A Call to Work Together

At the end of the day, I wish more people would realize that this isn’t about ego. It’s not about credit. It’s not about being the loudest in the room. It’s about the kids who are watching us, learning from us, and shaping their own understanding of what leadership and respect look like.

We need to set aside pride. We need to stop tearing each other down. We need to start working through the kinks, together.

Because entitlement doesn’t leave a legacy. But teamwork does. Collaboration does. Respect does.

So, When Is Enough, Enough?

Maybe the better question isn’t when is enough, enough? but rather what kind of future do we want to create?

That’s the question that keeps me going. That’s the question that makes the late nights, the hours of preparation, and the sting of criticism worth it.

I want a future where my kids and all kids, see adults working together for something bigger than themselves. I want them to know that positive change is worth the fight, even when it’s hard, even when others don’t understand, even when the reward isn’t immediate.

So yes, burnout is real. And yes, the road is hard. But I’m staying the course. Not because it’s easy, but because it matters. And maybe, just maybe, if enough of us refuse to give up, we’ll see the change we’ve been working for all along.

With Love, Bailey