You’re not burned out—you have the wrong definition of success |
You’re not burned out—you have the wrong definition of success
How misaligned success is draining high performers.
Feeling numb as your boss announces your promotion. Fighting back tears as you skim the email offering you a new stretch opportunity. Knowing you “should” be excited to grab coffee with the industry leader who could open doors, but really it just feels like a drain.
On paper, you’re doing everything right and hitting the milestones you once worked so hard to reach. And yet, internally, you feel exhausted. Disconnected. Frustrated by a success that looks good, but doesn’t feel good.
This doesn’t mean you need a vacation. It means you may be burned out for a reason no amount of time off or spa days will fix.
While burnout has become so common that the World Health Organization now recognizes it in their classification of diseases, most burnout advice still focuses on strategies that help temporarily but miss the real issue.
In my work coaching and facilitating workshops for more than 5,000 corporate leaders, one pattern shows up consistently: solving burnout is rarely just about setting firmer boundaries or adding more self-care.
Yes, some people are burned out because of an unhealthy work environment. But plenty of others have roles that are objectively “good” and yet are still draining them. That’s because burnout isn’t always about what’s happening around you, but about what’s happening inside of you.
When your definition of success stops working
Most high-achieving professionals begin chasing a version of success early in life. The script is familiar: work hard, get into a great school, land a prestigious job, prove yourself, get promoted. Repeat.
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