Move Fast. Break Shit. Burn Out: The Catalyst’s Guide to Working Well

Lovejoy and Lucas, cofounders of Catalyst Constellations, a business coaching company, debut with an insightful compendium of advice for those looking to perform consistently at a high level while avoiding burnout. Their guidance is aimed at “catalysts,” or an energized type of person “who takes in lots of information, sees infinite possibility, and can’t stop themselves from moving into action.” Such people often feel emotional highs and lows, which can lead to overexertion, and thus the authors’ plan centers on balancing these out. Having support can help: catalysts should have in their network “safe challengers” to provide criticism, as well as supporters. Pragmatic advice for working smarter includes practicing active listening instead of trying to convince, making a “not right now” list of priorities, and avoiding sharing ideas too soon. Along the way, the authors share encouraging stories of other catalysts, succinctly explore the signs of impending burnout (feeling like it’s hard to get out of bed and go to work), and offer forgiving suggestions on how to get back on track. Readers looking to rejuvenate their business outlook will find this a useful treatise on breaking the cycle without sacrificing a sense of self. (Self-published)