When I entered the world of personal development, it got clear pretty quickly that working yourself into the ground is expected. You can wear burnout as a pledge of honor.

“I’m so tired, I got home from work last night and then worked on my business until 2 am. That’s what you have to do.”

I absorbed this belief system and quickly became one of the many overworked, busy women who’s always on the lookout for the next thing to cross off her to-do list, not allowing herself any kind of pleasure along the way. I had successfully taken on the “I just need to push through until I get there, you don’t understand, worried friends” perspective.

It dawned on me that I wasn’t really happier than I used to be before I decided I wanted a life full of “happiness & meaning” in 2012. This thought was so painful, that I kept it at bay by putting even more things on my to-do list.

I had gotten into personal development because it looked like a way of life that made sense, one where we create lives we love and become the best version of ourselves. The thought that this might not be possible was so devastating to everything I believed in that I rejected it immediately and pretended everything was fine.

After a while, it became so apparent that I wasn’t happy that even I couldn’t ignore it anymore. When I woke up in the morning, I didn’t want to get out of bed because the pressure of my to-do list was looming over me. And that not wanting to get out of bed thing? Was what got me rethinking my life and turning to personal development in the first place.

If you’ve started working towards your dream full of hope and ambition, and now find yourself exhausted along the way, I’m with you. 

Let me tell you that it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, I now believe it’s the dumbest way to do things. 

Killing yourself now doesn’t equal rewards in the future. It means unhappiness now, and nothing else.

I get it, I’ve been there. I know how heartbreaking it is to feel like you’re not getting anywhere, even though you’re doing your best and working so hard.

Let me tell you this: 

You don’t have to push so hard all the time.

You can go easy on yourself and still make progress. 

You can take time to let go and relax, in fact, it’s going to help you get shit done. 

Can you believe me when I say that? I used to cringe at statements like these. I thought working to exhaustion was a necessary part of “commitment”. Now I’ve experienced for myself that there is another way.

Guess what, I’m enjoying myself a lot more. And I’m also moving forward faster than I used to when I spent all my time in front of my laptop.