YOUR ENERGY DRAIN:

OVER ACHIEVER BURNOUT

 

what this means and how to reclaim your time + energy

Your biggest energy leak? A constant pressure to do more, be more, and never fall short. 

 

You’re achieving, but it never feels like enough.

You’re measuring your success against impossible standards and living under the weight of your own high expectations.

Let's break it down.

STRENGTHS:

You are on a mission; you have a strong sense of drive and you’re willing to fill your hours to accomplish your vision.

 

You have high standards – when you work on something, the quality is typically exceptional because you refuse to settle for mediocre.

 

You are a reliable go-to person; others can count on you to deliver, often going above and beyond. Your dedication also means you have marked leadership potential.

WEAKNESSES:

With a strong drive, it can be difficult to know when you have done enough and make time to rest.

 

You suffer from perfectionism paralysis; because you know nothing will feel quite good enough, you delay or procrastinate starting a project until you have every possible angle covered.

 

You run the risk of straining your relationships through quiet resentment or imposing sky-high standards on others.

IN SUMMARY:

 

You care deeply about whatever work you put your hand to, but you are running on empty toward a destination you’re not even sure you care about reaching.

In the quiet moments you find yourself wondering, “Is this really what success looks like?”

You push through the exhaustion, telling yourself it’s just a season – but the season never ends. 

And you’re in danger of collecting achievements like trophies while real life passes by unnoticed. 

WHAT YOU CAN CHANGE TODAY:

 

Pick one key area of your life, and define what “enough” looks like – and write down that definition either on a piece of paper or your notes app for future reference. Let that be your finish line, not someone else’s standard.

If you always feel behind, it’s because you haven’t defined what “done” looks like. If you never feel like you can rest, it’s because you haven’t decided what success actually means to you — not what the world tells you it should be.

Your daily tactic: Before you check email or open any tabs, sit down and list your three “big things” for the day. If nothing else happens today, what must get done? 

Once you have your “three things” listed out, you officially have your definition of success for that day. 

WISDOM FOR THE OVER-ACHIEVER:

"A busy life is not a symbol of status. It's a symptom of trying to do too much for too many people … Unscheduled time isn't wasted. It's invested in well-being."

ADAM GRANT

 

"Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance."

BRIAN TRACY

 

YOUR NEXT STEPS THIS MONTH: 

This assignment starts with a list! Take half an hour to brainstorm all of the things that you’d like to achieve across your entire life. 

These don’t have to be formal goals; anything that you’ve thought (or assumed) you would achieve, whether it’s today or by the end of your life, belongs on this list. 

Once you’re done with your brain dump, divide your list into broad categories. Take some time to notice, are some categories heavier than others? Are any categories noticeably absent? The goal here is not to create judgement, just discovery about your current situation. 

Your last step is to look at your list across all categories, and write down the source of the desire to achieve each item. Does your drive to achieve genuinely come from you? If not, who did it come from? Maybe it was passed down from a parent, mentor, boss, or society. 

As you go about your month, start focusing your time and energy on the achievements that you want to pursue – and when you notice that you’re putting your resources toward an accomplishment that doesn’t align with your values, do your best to take a step back.

WHAT YOU CAN CHANGE THIS YEAR: 

 

Do the work to discover what you value outside of achievement. 

You’ll need to take all the checkmarks and gold stars off the table – what’s left? What do you care about? When you look at your life, does your calendar match what you say is important to you, or does it tell a different story? 

If you’d like help doing this work, I would love to help you. Here’s how I can serve you: 

RESOURCES

To help you on your journey to taking ownership over your time:

🎧 Tune in to this podcast episode where I outline how I manage multiple businesses in just 16 hours a week.

📺 Watch this hour-long coaching session to dig into your values and get clear on which sectors of your life deserve your time. 

NEED HELP RECLAIMING YOUR LIFE FROM EMPTY ACHIEVEMENT? 

 Hi, I'm Shay. I've built multiple businesses and generated millions in revenue over the last 19 years, all while maintaining a 16-hour work week that allows me to live unapologetically aligned with my personal values.

And I'm on a mission to help ambitious women like you build a life of sustainable impact, margin, and joy. 

HERE'S HOW I CAN SERVE YOU:

GROUP COACHING

Join an intimate group of fellow high-achievers for an eight week intensive to  gain the clarity to re-imagine the life you really want, and an actionable blueprint to help you get there.

Check Out Upcoming Cohorts Here
SUPPORT NETWORK

Dive into a community of fellow entrepreneurs and high achievers for week-to-week accountability, support, and teaching that will help you build a sustainable life personally and professionally.  

Apply to join the network here