• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jensen Huang says ‘a lot’ of six-figure jobs in plumbing and construction will soon be unlocked because someone needs to build new AI centers

2

Millennials say they’ll refuse to care for aging boomer parents—but they’ll be forced to as their inheritance shrinks to 40 cents on the dollar

3

The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady

1

Jensen Huang says ‘a lot’ of six-figure jobs in plumbing and construction will soon be unlocked because someone needs to build new AI centers

2

Millennials say they’ll refuse to care for aging boomer parents—but they’ll be forced to as their inheritance shrinks to 40 cents on the dollar

3

The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady
CommentaryLeadership

What to Do When You’re Completely Overwhelmed at Work

By
Adam Goldstein
Adam Goldstein
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Adam Goldstein
Adam Goldstein
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 15, 2016, 3:00 PM ET
176639967
Photograph by Natalie Young via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The Leadership Insider network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Today’s answer to the question: How do you avoid burnout? is written by Adam Goldstein, president and chief operating officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Coming off a red-eye flight back to Miami seems an appropriate moment to pose and address this question. Newer forms of communication, such as email and social media, are wonderful for managing an ever greater number of parallel conversations but not so sublime for achieving a satisfying personal existence. Employers and employees are striving to accomplish ever more objectives with fewer resources. These variables create a “perfect storm” so to speak, for constant burnout.

So what’s the best way to reenergize without feeling overwhelmed? While each individual situation is subject to personal preferences and ambitions, there are three things that I believe are applicable in every industry. In fact, they have helped me remain innovative and enthusiastic throughout my 27 plus years at Royal Caribbean.

See also: Why There’s Nothing Wrong With Being Underqualified For a Job

First and foremost, take a hard look at what you are actually doing with your time and whether you can make substantive adjustments that will increase your effectiveness, efficiency, and enjoyment (let’s call them the three E’s). On a daily basis I assess whether or not I am on track to accomplish specific goals and objectives in the months and years to come. The three E’s come much more naturally when I feel that I’m optimizing my time, allowing my personal and professional life to be in sync.

Next, understand that you are not living in a vacuum. An executive, like a professional athlete, is at the center of an ecosystem of support. You need to enable your support system to thrive. Even today, I am still taken aback by how many executives do not appear to effectively utilize the capabilities of their employees or worse, don’t realize when an employee is under-performing. I’ll use a rowing analogy to demonstrate: when everyone is rowing in unison, the crew is much more able to swiftly move through the water, oppose to when the oarsmen are doing different strokes at different times. The boat doesn’t move and frustration ensues.

Lastly, if you happen to be in one environment for a long time as I have been at Royal Caribbean, be alert for strategic changes in the business. If your business is globalizing or diversifying, or facing profound changes in the expectations of your customers, position yourself for the opportunities that emerge from this evolution. Volunteer for assignments that are germane to new strategic implications. Seek new perspectives for understanding your company’s business. In these ways you avoid the “same old, same old” while forging new relationships and quite possibly achieving visibility to executive management on topics of keen interest.

If you are proactive in positioning yourself for success and utilizing the resources that surround you, burnout should stay on your back burner.

About the Author
By Adam Goldstein
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Commentary

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Commentary

SpaceAI could be Southeast Asia’s edge against El Niño—if governments actually use it
AsiaSatellites
SpaceAI could be Southeast Asia’s edge against El Niño—if governments actually use it
By Karryl Kim Sagun Trajano and Iuna TsyrulnevaAugust 2, 2026
5 hours ago
250
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
America bet everything on trust 250 years ago. That bet is being tested again
By Keith KrachAugust 1, 2026
22 hours ago
Asia’s aging population doesn’t have to be a fiscal burden. With smart planning, it can be a growth opportunity
Commentaryaging
Asia’s aging population doesn’t have to be a fiscal burden. With smart planning, it can be a growth opportunity
By Runchana Pongsaparn and Koon Hui TeeJuly 31, 2026
2 days ago
saunders
Commentarydisruption
Bausch & Lomb CEO: the AI hysteria is nothing new
By Brent SaundersJuly 31, 2026
2 days ago
zelter
CommentaryInfrastructure
Apollo President: America’s industrial comeback requires  a new financial playbook and a fatter checkbook
By Jim ZelterJuly 31, 2026
2 days ago
trader
CommentaryMarkets
The rise of financial nihilism in retail traders
By Derek HorstmeyerJuly 31, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

Jensen Huang says ‘a lot’ of six-figure jobs in plumbing and construction will soon be unlocked because someone needs to build new AI centers
Success
Jensen Huang says ‘a lot’ of six-figure jobs in plumbing and construction will soon be unlocked because someone needs to build new AI centers
By Preston ForeAugust 1, 2026
20 hours ago
Millennials say they’ll refuse to care for aging boomer parents—but they’ll be forced to as their inheritance shrinks to 40 cents on the dollar
Personal Finance
Millennials say they’ll refuse to care for aging boomer parents—but they’ll be forced to as their inheritance shrinks to 40 cents on the dollar
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 31, 2026
2 days ago
The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady
Economy
The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady
By Jason MaAugust 1, 2026
10 hours ago
The rise of 'conspicuous waiting': The 19th-century economic theory that explains why Gen Z posts their place in line
Retail
The rise of 'conspicuous waiting': The 19th-century economic theory that explains why Gen Z posts their place in line
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 31, 2026
2 days ago
Jensen Huang says this is the greatest time in history to start a business—and his advice is to stop overthinking it: 'How hard can it be?’
Success
Jensen Huang says this is the greatest time in history to start a business—and his advice is to stop overthinking it: 'How hard can it be?’
By Preston ForeJuly 31, 2026
2 days ago
'Retiring backwards': How cold economic reality forced Gen X into something like the reverse of baby boomers' golden years
Success
'Retiring backwards': How cold economic reality forced Gen X into something like the reverse of baby boomers' golden years
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 31, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.