You’re not failing... and overworking won’t fix what’s broken
Hustling isn’t the solution—it’s the problem. Here’s how to break free and find sustainable success.
Ready… Get set…
Once I set my goals for 2025, I could feel my inner workaholic getting giddy and excited. She’s already strapped in and with her foot on the pedal. Ready to floor it at the starting line, preparing to whip me around the race track at high speeds like a Formula One car.
It seems exciting for the first few laps, but after 20, 30, 40, 50 laps later, “C’mon!! Am I there yet?!”
For too long, entrepreneurship has been glorified as a relentless grind, a race to “out hustle” everyone else.
Social media made it even worse with those “Hustle Bros” posting photos of their fancy sports cars, expensive homes, and luxurious vacations with gorgeous women on their arms. They flaunted opulence as their sign of “making it”. (Hey, it’s not just the men, there are “Boss Babes” out there who posted stuff like this, too.)
Even without the photos, plenty of envy-inducing words bolster their seemingly “instant” or grand successes. (You’ve probably seen this type of content spreading quickly across Substack like wildfire, too—viral Posts/Notes sharing how quickly they grew their account or how much money they were able to make already.)
For me, it was the words that got me the most. The way the described their results encapsulated my full attention… because “I wanted that, too!”
They used to inspire me, but now… they exhaust me.
Because I fell into the same relentless chase of “work harder to get results faster.”
But all it did was push myself to my limits over and over again leaving me feeling depleted, disconnected, and questioning why do I keep doing this to myself.
If you’re trapped in this cycle with your inner drill sergeant, you’re not alone.
The entrepreneurial sin of “Overdoing Churn and Burnout” is one of the most common pitfalls entrepreneurs face. It’s fueled by the belief that doing more, working harder, and sacrificing everything is the only way to succeed.
Sure, it makes logical sense that you have to put in the time and effort to build something.
Yes, sacrifices have to be made to change the status quo and trajectory of your life.
But the problem isn’t that you’re unmotivated or incapable.
The problem is that you’ve been conditioned to believe that your value is dependent on how much you produce.
You think…
“If I just put in a few more hours, I’ll finally reach my goal.”
“Rest is unproductive. I can’t afford to slow down!!”
“I’ve already sacrificed this much, so what’s a little more to achieve my dreams?”
But the truth?
These thoughts are white lies. They aren’t the only options. They don’t guarantee success.
Instead, they push you further into exhaustion and shame.
They shove you into deeper pits of unsustainability and lock you into modes of inauthenticity. Because eventually, you’ll get to a point that you feel like you just can’t stop—you either get some hopeful glimmers of success or become handcuffed to the amount of money it brings in.
In the last couple of years, I’ve seen and heard of so many successful “Boss Babes” and “Hustle Bros” burn out, shift their businesses, or quit their 6 or 7-figure empires because they couldn’t do it anymore.
That unescapable, exhaustive chase will eventually bite you hard in the butt.
The hidden costs of overworking
Your creativity suffers
When you’re burned out, inspiration becomes elusive. You try to sop up any possible ounce of creativity from an energetically empty well, and forcing it just frustrates you further.Your relationships deteriorate
The people you care about get the leftovers of your time and energy. Your capacity to be present and give them your full attention is diminished.Your health declines
You get sick more often and easier. Unexplained symptoms occur because you’ve bypassed all the warning signs of exhaustion and lethargy. Chronic stress has now resulted in physical and emotional signs of damage. This is often the wake up call for too many entrepreneurs and workaholics.Your business stagnates
You’re stuck in survival mode, unable to scale or innovate effectively. You get suck doing what has worked versus aligning to what feels right to you. You may try to push harder or seek yet another strategy believing that would be your ticket to success, but you’re still on the same hamster wheel.
Is that “success” worth it if it costs you your health, happiness, or soul?
Can you truly justify what you’re doing to yourself, your wellbeing, and your life?
Deep down, is that really the success you wanted?
If it seems like it… then when is enough enough?
Are you in this chase for some sort of thrill or are you trying to make up for some sort of emptiness, unfulfillment, or non-enoughness?
GO!! …at a steadier pace
The antidote to “Overdoing Churn and Burnout” isn’t to work harder, and overcoming the cycle of overdoing takes more than inspiration.
It requires intentional shifts in how you approach your work and your worth.
In the paid section below, you’ll discover how to untangle your worth from your work and create a healthier relationship with productivity.
Understand how hustle culture tricks you into overworking—and learn how to resist its pull.
Uncover the beliefs keeping you stuck in the cycle of “doing more” with a powerful journaling practice.
Ways to tweak your to do list and work routines that prioritize impactful work and do less but better.
This is for anyone tired of trading their wellbeing for their business and ready to rewrite those darn self sabotaging habits. [Unlock the full post below by going paid]