The Burnout Trap: Why pushing too hard backfires

Despite what some social media influencers might have you believe, it’s not possible to always be hustling, making progress, and working toward the finish line.

For most people, that type of mindset and work ethic causes exhaustion, insomnia, headaches, muscle spasms, and feeling emotionally drained most of the time. It’s just not sustainable—for making more progress down the road or for your physical and psychological well-being right now.

So why do we do it? Why do we buy into the idea that we need to always be hustling? And then why are we surprised when we end up fatigued, cynical, and like we’re ready to quit the whole damn thing? Because people who are driven, have a deep sense of purpose, and are clear on their goals tend to get impatient. It’s difficult to slow yourself down when you’re used to pushing forward. It’s challenging to rest when you know the impact of your work. And it’s hard to take a step back when you know your path forward.

Visualizing Two Paths to Success

Humour me for a moment, and let’s do a little visualization. I want you to imagine yourself reaching your biggest goal- maybe it’s scaling your business to a multimillion-dollar company, or maybe it’s saving 500 dogs and cats a year from euthanasia. No judgment on what your big goal is but just bring it forward in your mind.

Now, I want you to think of all the steps that you’re going to have to take to make this dream a reality—from the training and certifications to the hiring and managing of employees. Make a list if you need to (and if you’re a high achiever, I’m guessing you already have this list not just written down but mapped out as well).

Next, I want you to imagine yourself reaching your big goal in two different ways. First, visualize yourself achieving your goal by hustling. You’ve skipped exercise routines, neglected friendships, slept less, and didn’t really take good care of yourself in general. It’s taken you a few years to reach your goal, so what does the impact of years of hustling look like?

Sure, you’ve got the big company or are saving the animals, but what about your personal life? How does that look? What about your physical health? How do you feel in your body?

Now, I want you to imagine achieving your goal in a way that’s more sustainable and balanced. You’ve prioritized sleep and exercise, and you’ve taken time out for friends’ celebrations and family get-togethers. You’ve rested when you needed to instead of just pushing through. You’ve been making healthy food choices fairly consistently and have been taking care of your overall health.

Again, it’s taken a few years to reach your goal, but you did it. You’re managing a team, making money, or rescuing animals. How does your personal life look after going about it this way? How does your physical health look?

The truth is, you can reach your goals by taking either path. It’s just a matter of how you want your life to look while en route and once you get there. I’m guessing you’d prefer the latter: You want to go about it in a sustainable and balanced way. You don’t want to sacrifice your physical and emotional well-being for your goals or purpose. So, let’s talk about how to do that.

How to Build a Sustainable and Balanced Path

Leverage the tools you already have. Learn how to get into a state of flow to be more efficient, ask “who” not “how” to delegate or offload, use technology to build systems and create automation, eliminate the garbage from your life, and focus on learning so you have the right skills and knowledge for the task.

Make rest and exercise nonnegotiable. Getting enough sleep at night shouldn’t be a luxury, nor should getting in a good workout. These things need to be priority items, and if that means scheduling them into your calendar so nothing else can go in their spots, then so be it.

Take time for friends and family. High achievers often view time with others as something that can be skipped. They know their loved ones will forgive them and feel their time will be better spent in the client meeting or preparing for the big pitch. But in truth, these relationships will gradually shift and change, leaving you with few people to celebrate with later. Not to mention how great a good belly laugh with a friend over dinner is for our nervous system.

Final Thoughts: Sustainable Success Takes Patience

Start with these three items, and let me know how it works for you. Each one will likely take some time, so be patient with yourself. And if you need extra support, I’m just an email away.