I'm feeling burned-out at my job and need to regain my composure. Any suggestion!

I'm feeling burned-out at my job and need to regain my composure. Any suggestions?

I took over an area at my place of employment that was neglected for a long time. We recently went through an audit and they came down really hard on my area. I need to clean up two years mess and haven't gotten very much instruction. I am also feeling very under-paid for what is now expected of me. What do I do to regain my composure so I can be focused for this? I want to stay at my position for now, I just need some tips or advice from people who have gotten through this before

First of all, take a deep breath. Get a massage if possible. Do not drink or over eat or do anything else that would drain you of the energy that you will need.

Look at this as an opportunity to excel. Nothing says "star performer" like cleaning up a neglected area, department or an entire company. This could be the beginning of big things if you handle this the right way.
RULES:
1-Whoever did it is gone. Blaming them does not make the work go away. In fact, playing the blame game or passing the buck is probably a big reason for the deficiencies. Take ownership of the project, roll up your sleeves, and dive in.

2-Make a plan with realisitic and MEASURABLE goals. This way if your superiors need a progress report, you can say "we're current through MAY 2006". Also, sometimes it's hard to see the progress that you've made when you're in the middle of a big project. Small victories help you keep focused. <just like losing weight>
Since you didn't elaborate on the issue <stock room's a mess, G/L hasn't been updated in months, bank rec's are not in balance> it's hard to give you specifics.

3-I know it's hard, but DO NOT COMPLAIN. Whether about the work or the pay or whatever. When the task is done, if your company does not step up to reward you-(raise/promotion/bonus/pai... time off) just remember that future interviewers always ask "what are some of your accomplishments?" You now have an excellent and truthful answer. <but I think that they would be fools not to acknowledge your efforts in some manner.>

4-Lastly, be honest with your bosses. If you need help ask! Bosses may not want to hold your hand or spend any time on this, but any good manager would welcome the chance to redirect your energies if you feel your spinning your wheels. Inefficiency starts at the top and they don't want to get blamed if you wasted a month due to lack of direction.
<Also, they get to take some credit after you do a great job.>
FYI-
As an accountant, I have made a career out of stepping into disaster areas and cleaning them up. Hang in there!