gecko burn-out...

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I love my geckos. I honestly don't know what I would do if I didn't have these creatures to give me a sense of accomplishment and worth. But, lately I have been feeling a lot of resentment towards them. Caring for them is more like a job, and I am burned out on geckos. I don't have a life anymore.

When I became disabled and could no longer work in my profession, I went into such a deep depression I was hospitalized on two occasions. My entire self-worth was defined by my work. It was my geckos that pulled me out of it, and I poured myself into raising them and being the BEST I could possibly be as a keeper and breeder.

I have been thinking a lot about how much work and how many hours I spend raising geckos... for several months I worked 9-10 hour days with no days off. It seems like for the amount of time and effort I put into the geckos, that I should be able to go out and get a job that can provide a steady paycheck and set hours with weekends off.

There are soooo many new breeders, and soooo many geckos for sale out there right now that it's hard for any of us to sell them. It's discouraging, and sometimes I wonder if I should just throw in the towel and go back to just keeping my favorite geckos as pets.

I want to find joy in my geckos again. I feel frustrated and tired. My gecko room feels more like a prison lately than the sanctuary it once was for me. I hope this is just because it's the end of a long, hard season, and not something I will feel permanently...

 

[Jeremy Letkey]

Marcia, I promise you that you are not alone in your feelings. I think that many of us feel the same way. Lets hope that we all still can find the joy that we need to keep us involved with these wonderful animals.

 

[PaulSage]

Marcia, I think I know how you feel.

I could have written your post word for word.

For one week, after moving to Texas, I kept track of how many hours I spent working on geckos and gecko-related stuff. It was over 80 hours.

Despite how much I'd like to care, and how much I'd like to continue with what I'm doing, I don't think I can. I keep telling myself I'll take pictures and update my site as soon as I've got all the cages cleaned and all the geckos are fed & watered... but as soon as I think I'm done, I have to start all over again. Right now it just feels like a vicious cycle I can't get out of.

The year is drawing to a close and I'm supposed to start school next semester. If I don't manage to move these geckos out, I don't know how that's going to happen.

As much as I hate being a quitter, ... I quit.

 

[KelliH]

I'm burned out on life.

 

[BalloonzForU]

I'm sorry you're feeling that way and hope that you can find joy in your geckos again. I think we all go through something like that in one form or another and for many different reasons.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

LOL, I just took a break and sat down with the newest Reptiles Magazine. There is an article in there by Bill Love called, "Beyond the Plastic Box, 5 ways to rekindle your enthusiasm for reptiles". It's about burnout in the industry. I guess we are not the only ones that are going through this!

 

[KelliH]

Yeah, Steve has burned out at least twice since we have been married. Can you blame the guy though, he has to care for reptiles all day at work I'm sure the last thing he wants to do when he gets home is that. I'm going through major burnout and actually wish I had the luxury of being able to decide to sell most of my geckos. I don't, I have to make money damn it and I don't know what else to do except this, I forgot how to do anything else lol.

 

[Jeanne]

sometimes I wonder if I should just throw in the towel and go back to just keeping my favorite geckos as pets.

I did this, and I am so glad I did! Of coarse, I do plan on getting back into the who;e breeding thing someday, just not at the level I was before.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

At times I miss my geckos becuase when I felt like pulling my hair out, like last night, I could go to them and it took my mind off of things for a moment or 1000 moments but I also resented them when I wanted to do something else say with my kids and could not because of those moments or 1000 moments that the leos demanded.

I don't know if there is a way to fix it or with any job you learn to take the good with the bad. At least with leos you do love what you work with even if you hate parts of the job.

 

[Grinning Geckos]

Sorry you're all feeling like this! I hope you at least find a way to give yourself some time off. Has anyone tried setting shop hours? Take Thursday and Friday off...let the answering machine get the calls and let the emails build up. Then, Saturday - Wednesday work on sales, shipping, all that good stuff. Other then that, the only other things I see to do is hire employees or cut back.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Other then that, the only other things I see to do is hire employees or cut back.

I did hire a young man to help me once a week over the summer, and I don't know what I would have done without him doing all the 'dirty work'. I have decided I am just going to have to cut back on the number of geckos... I will be selling quite a few of my breeders. I have also made the decision not to work with combinations that produce a bunch of hets. I'm going to stick with the straight-forward morphs and concentrate on my Enigma projects this coming season.

 

[Grinning Geckos]

The het combos is probably the best thing to cut. Sometimes it can't be helped, but it can get out of control so quickly. I hope next season is a great one for everyone! Me included....uh, maybe. LOL

 

[nwheat]

Baby season can certainly be overwhelming!! :juggle2: You have been soooo busy with a bunch of shows this fall. I only did 2, but even that was a lot of work - getting ready and then putting most of them away again. Getting rid of projects that produce hets or projects that you're not really excited about is a good plan - I will be trying to do some of that myself. I am sure that very shortly you will be missing the babies and looking forward to next season - and those baby enigmas!! ((hugs!))