#72: Healthy Ambition Vs Hustle: How To Manage Overworking NOW Before It Leads To Burnout

Do you check your emails at midnight or work on that document for an extra hour just to ‘get it done’ by tomorrow -- even though you KNOW you’ll be more productive in the morning?Today, we're talking about overworking and how to manage it as a high-achieving senior leader who wants to stay ambitious without burning out. The past few days, ‘9 to 5’ by the legendary Dolly Parton has been playing on repeat everywhere I go. And it’s a timely reminder, given how much I’ve been overworking lately. I was sitting at my desk one Thursday afternoon thinking I wanted to get to the gym before 5pm to beat the after work rush.All of a sudden it was 7.30pm and I realised the gym closed at 9. And even though every inch of me was saying, ‘I’m exhausted’, I rushed out the door after a 12 hour day and got my workout in.Walking out afterwards in the cold, dark night and pouring rain, I noticed I had a sore throat. For me, that’s always the first sign my body is fighting something off -- and if I keep pushing, I’ll get sick.The next morning, I woke up with the worst flu in a while, slept for 3 days straight and took 10 days to recover.This wasn’t the result of a day of overworking or one decision to keep pushing when I needed to rest. It was the cumulative effect of burning the candle at both ends, logging back on after dinner and working well into the early hours for a number of weeks.Because even though I’ve done the identity work to address overachievement and don’t try to prove myself anymore, I still fall back into the pattern of overworking at times.I’ve done many deep dives into the specific causes of overworking. So, in this episode, I’m sharing what still drives this pattern -- EVEN after you’ve addressed the root cause.You'll learn:The surprising reason I’ve been overworking lately -- and how to address YOUR pattern without compromising your strengths or changing what makes you successfulHow to stop treating your to-do list like a critical deadline, so you can find the balance between healthy ambition and hustleThe exact strategies I used to go from closing my business for 2 months to slowing down for 3 days, which will get you back on track BEFORE overworking tips into burnout So hit play NOW -- and let’s dive in!Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a 5 star rating and review. It helps more people find the podcast and benefit too!LINKS:→ Ready to find clarity, build confidence and create sustainable success on your terms? Explore Ignite Your Career. Enrolling now for the September intake. Apply for your free 30 minute consult to get started.→ Take the FREE Career Success Code Assessment.→ Learn more about my services for individuals and organisations at staceyback.com or connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram.