When following your dreams still leads to burnout: Breaking the cycle

"Sometimes self-care is the last thing on your to do list."

There I was, standing on the stoep of our dream home in Jamestown on 16 December 2023, surrounded by 180-degree views of the Stellenbosch mountains, the Blaauwklippen River flowing nearby. We'd done it. We'd relocated from the UK, built our barn-style dream house, settled into our new life in South Africa.

And I was absolutely shattered.

The burnout that blindsided me

This wasn't like my corporate burnout in 2017. Back then, I could point to external villains - the toxic workplace, the impossible demands, the bullying boss who made my life hell. That burnout made sense. It was caused by someone else's dysfunction, and I could fight against it.

But this time? I'd created everything I thought I wanted. I'd followed my dreams, written my first book ROAR!, built a business, designed our perfect home. I should have been celebrating.

Instead, I was heading straight into another burnout – and this time, I couldn't blame anyone but myself.

The uncomfortable truth about success

Here's what nobody tells you about achieving your dreams: success doesn't automatically break your self-destructive patterns. In fact, it can amplify them.

I'd spent months drowning in busyness – flying between SA and the UK, managing the house build, settling the boys into new schools, attending a mastermind in the States, grieving the sudden loss of my best friend Andrew. I was using the same "burnout hustle" that had served me in corporate: It has to be hard. I have to keep myself busy. I have to distract myself. I have to punish my body.

Even when I was living my dream life, I was still operating from the old playbook.

Recognising the burnout patterns

Whether your burnout stems from external toxicity (like mine in 2017) or internal patterns (like mine in 2023), the signs are remarkably similar:

• Physical exhaustion that sleep doesn't fix 
• Emotional overwhelm despite "having it all" 
• Cynicism creeping in where passion used to live 
• Detachment from the people and work you once loved 
• Self-doubt about your capabilities and worth

The difference is this: external burnout feels like being attacked. Internal burnout feels like drowning in your own success.

The shift that changes everything

Standing on that stoep in December 2023, I should have felt triumphant. Instead, I felt empty. In the months that followed, I first had to focus on recovery – real recovery, not just pushing through. But as I began to heal, I became determined to find a new way forward.

I couldn't keep waiting for external circumstances to be perfect before I learned to manage my energy differently. My dreams and success were fine - I needed to change how I was hustling toward them.

I had to learn the difference between burnout hustle and sustainable hustle.

Burnout hustle says:

• It has to be hard
• I have to drown in busyness
• I have to distract myself from discomfort
• I have to panic and push through
• My worth is tied to my availability

Sustainable hustle says:

• I can do hard things with ease
• I show up peaceful, present, and powerful
• I stay consistent rather than burning bright then crashing
• I manage my energy like the precious resource it is
• I set boundaries that prevent energy thieves
• I act with heart in the moments that matter

Your daily M.E.D.S.

Just like you wouldn't run your phone on 5% battery all day, you can't run your life on empty and expect peak performance. That's why I created the Rest | Release | Recharge guide – because taking your daily M.E.D.S. (Meditation, Exercise, Diet, Sleep) becomes essential.

When you prioritise YOU on your list of priorities, everything changes. You become more creative, more resilient, more able to handle whatever dragons you need to slay.

The plot twist

Here's what I'm sharing in my new book MOAR!, Making Work Magic Inside & Out: you don't have to choose between high performance and wellbeing. You don't have to burn out to be successful and fulfilled.

There's a another way and it starts with you showing up peaceful, present, and powerful. It's still hustling, but it's hustling for the right reasons. It’s hustling with heart. 

What's your burnout story?

Maybe you're in corporate hell like I was in 2017. Maybe you've achieved your dreams but find yourself exhausted like I was in 2023. Or maybe you're somewhere in between, recognising the early warning signs before they become a full-blown crisis.

Wherever you are, know this: recognising the pattern is the first step to breaking it.

Ready to start breaking your own burnout cycle?

Download my free Rest | Release | Recharge guide and learn how taking your daily M.E.D.S. can transform not just your energy, but your entire approach to success.

Because you don't have to choose between your dreams and your wellbeing. You can have both – but only when you learn to hustle with heart.

The full story of how I've learned to ROAR for MOAR - shifting from burnout hustle to sustainable hustle – and how you can too – is coming in MOAR! Making Work Magic Inside & Out. 

Are you ready to prioritise YOU on your list of priorities?

Download the Rest | Release | Recharge Guide here and start your journey from burnout to brilliance today.

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