Success Without Burnout

Are you a high-achieving woman who feels like you’re constantly running on a hamster wheel and never quite able to enjoy the success you are building? If so, you’re not alone. I once told my boss that I felt like a hamster on a running wheel, locked in a cage, and hidden in a corner. Meaning I felt overworked, trapped, and also not seen for all the hard work I was doing.

In today’s society, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and grind of trying to have it all, reinforcing the ‘superwoman’ myth. You see, high-achieving women are particularly susceptible to career burnout, as they are often driven by a need to prove themselves and meet unrealistic standards.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way.

Start defining success for yourself

One step in avoiding burnout when building success is to define what success means to you, based on your own standards. In a world that is constantly telling women how they should look, behave, and think, it can be difficult to find your voice and define success on your terms. But if you want to achieve lasting success without burnout, it’s essential to do just that.

There are many ways to define success, and what is important to one woman will not be the same for another. Some women want to climb the corporate ladder, while others want to start their own businesses. Some want a family now, while others want to focus on their careers. Others may want a combination of all four. There is no wrong way to define success. The key is to figure out what is important to you.

There are a few things to keep in mind when defining success on your terms. First, don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone has a unique path to follow. Second, don’t be afraid to take risks. Third, don’t forget to look at success holistically, considering the big picture of the lifestyle you desire. Avoid an “either-or” approach which causes women to compromise on what genuinely makes them happy and settle on one aspect of success that doesn’t make them feel completely satisfied.

Your definition of success should always be specific to your current needs, goals, and desires in life. That can change at different seasons or stages in your life, and that’s okay.

Focus on what success means to you now and invest your time and energy accordingly. E.g., if you have a young family and starting to climb the corporate ladder of success, if you so choose, right now success for you might mean successfully maintaining a senior manager role that requires mostly local travel rather than international travel so that you can still be home for dinners and bedtimes.

Equally, success for you may mean remaining in a ‘somewhat’ satisfying job for the next 12 months to have some stability while you move your side hustle to your main hustle. Whatever your definition of success, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to live by anyone else’s standards, but the ones you set for yourself.

Break Your Burnout Cycle: A Woman’s Five-Step Guide To A Thriving Career Journey

Kai-Nneka Townsend Is an author, and a Career Burnout Recovery and Prevention Coach for women