The Hidden Reason Most Entrepreneurs Burn Out
(And How To Build A Business That Tunes You in, and Lifts “YOU” Higher)
Most entrepreneurs are trapped in a broken pattern...
They chase success that costs more life than it gives back.
Wanna know more, read on...
There's something I see again, and again...
Smart people. Driven people. Good-hearted people.
And they’re working themselves to the bone…
But going nowhere.
👉 They grind harder.
👉 They post more.
👉 They stack habits. Journal. Visualize.
👉 They slap motivational wallpaper all over their life.
Their Life Can't Out Perform Their Identity
If you see yourself as "someone who struggles," no amount of hustle will unhook you from that story.
You’ll find ways, consciously or not, to drag success right back into struggle.
If you see yourself as "someone who can’t sell," you’ll burn weeks crafting clever content… but avoid the one action that actually closes deals.
If you see yourself as "not a leader," you’ll shrink from opportunities to step up - even as you tell yourself, "next time."
Identity is The Thermostat of Your Life...
You can throw more logs on the fire, hustle harder… but if the thermostat is set low?
It’ll cool everything right back down.
Let me show you what this looks like in the real world...
I know a woman... we’ll call her Laura.
Brilliant. Talented. Visionary.
She’s been building her coaching brand for five years.
Done the courses, hired the mentors, posted every day, perfected her funnels, been on podcasts, blah, blah...
And every year? Burnout. Crash. Recovery. Repeat.
Why?
Because underneath it all, her identity was this...
"I’m someone who has to prove myself."
"I have to earn it - the hard way."
So even as results began trickling in, she couldn’t let up.
Trust her systems.
And she couldn’t rest in her value.
But, she grinded harder. Drove herself to exhaustion.
And when things got good - self-sabotage kicked in.
Launches burned her out. Relationships suffered.
Rat wheel. Round and round ('tis no coincidence it's called the rat race)
Now Contrast that with Marcus... A Client of Mine
Marcus used to be the same: serial entrepreneur, hard charger, 80-hour weeks.
Burnout was a badge of honour.
But after one brutal year where he almost tanked his marriage and his health, he made a different move.
He stopped chasing "success at all costs."
He started asking: "Who do I want to BE while I build?"
And here’s what shifted:
👉He rewired his self-concept from grinder to calm, precise architect of value.
👉He stopped flooding his business with frantic energy — and started making fewer, better moves.
👉He embraced being someone who leads with presence, not pressure.
Guess what happened?
He now works 30–35 hours a week.
He’s grown his revenue 4x in two years.
And he hasn’t burned out once.
Spiral staircase. Calm, deliberate turns upward.
Here's the Heart of it...
Most people are trapped on THE rat wheel.
Same thoughts. Same feelings. Same actions.
Round and round they go... busy, exhausted, but staying at the same level.
Hard work on a Rat wheel doesn’t build a new life - it just wears you down.
Real growth?
It moves in spirals.
On a spiral staircase, you still circle, but each turn lifts you higher.
Each step feeds a new identity, and THAT identity unlocks new results.
But, here's the catch...
You can’t think your way into this.
Or journal your way up the spiral.
And you can’t wait until you feel ready.
You have to act from the next-level identity, right now.
Not perfectly. Not all at once.
But one deliberate action at a time.
Here's what it looked like for Marcus...
Before...
He’d overcommit. Say yes to everything.
Fill his calendar with calls and BUSYwork - leaving no space to think strategically.
Now...
He blocks white space in his week (non-negotiable.)
He says no more often than yes.
And when he acts, it’s from a clear sense of "I am a trusted authority, not a hustling content machine."
Before...
He’d panic in launches. Micromanage the team.
Feel guilty if he wasn’t "doing more."
Now...
He trusts his systems.
He leads from calm.
He corrects course when needed - without feeding the old fear of "not enough."
This is Identity Work in Motion...
You don’t "arrive" at a new identity - you spiral into it.
Don't get me wrong...
You will revisit old patterns, but from a higher vantage point.
You'll act from the new identity before it feels fully natural.
And that’s exactly what wires it in.
The biggest mistake I see?
People trying to "grind" their way out of an identity loop.
They work harder. Meditate more. Stack habits. Hire more coaches.
But they’re still feeding the old identity underneath...
"I’m someone who has to prove myself."
"I’m not good enough yet."
"I have to do more, be more, hustle more."
All RAT wheel.
No spiral.
So, how do you start feeding the spiral instead?
👉 Spot the loop: Notice the stories you’re reinforcing with your current choices.
👉 Define the next identity: Who would I be if I already had the outcomes I want?
👉 Act from it: Take small, deliberate actions from THAT identity today.
👉 Spiral upward: Track the pattern - expect loops, but aim for elevation.
Each choice is one turn up the spiral.
And yes - some days will feel like old ground.
You’ll look around and think, "Haven’t I been here before?"
But if you keep choosing as the next version of you, bit by bit, the view changes.
➡️The spiral lifts you.➡️The wheel keeps you stuck.
Here's the punchline...
The kick (up the arse)
👉 Laura? Still grinding. Still burning out. Still on the wheel.
👉 Marcus? Calm, clear, effective — and rising.
Not because of tactics. Because of identity.
👉 The RAT wheel exhausts you.
👉 The spiral expands you.
Grind all you want - if you’re on a RAT wheel, the scenery never changes.
Shift your identity, and the whole landscape rises beneath your feet.
Now the question is:
Who are you feeding with today’s choices — your old self… or your next self?
Your Choice!
PS: This is why I build business models that spiral upward - so you can grow without grinding yourself into dust.
The article explores entrepreneurial burnout and how shifting personal identity can transform the way we build businesses.
It’s especially relevant now as more driven individuals feel exhausted chasing success in a way that depletes them rather than uplifts them.
I like the Spiral concept, and fused with the key idea is that burnout isn’t just from overwork, but from operating from a limiting self-identity, like needing to prove yourself or believing you’re not enough.
Instead of grinding harder on the “rat wheel,” the article proposes an upward “spiral” model (or feeling light ) – where you grow by acting as if you are already the confident, calm, effective version of yourself.
My old art teacher always told us when doing assignments to fake it till you make it, which could be a loose variation because you need to be the person in your mind first to have the wants you’re going after.
It does take reflection, quiet, and some practice, but you can apply this by identifying your current identity loop ( sometimes we’re too close to see ), redefining the version of yourself you want to become, and taking a deep breath with small, deliberate actions from that mindset today.
Entrepreneurs, coaches, creatives, employees, and anyone feeling stuck in cycles of overwork would benefit most.
Yes, the article gives clear, actionable steps to begin this shift: take notice of your identity loop, define your next-level self, and act from that place now, not later.
Drew… FK sake, you know how to post a comment!
You’ve nailed the pulse of where I was pointing.
Burnout ain’t just about hours worked – it’s about the identity lens we’re unconsciously grinding through.
And yep…
Love that your art teacher planted the “fake it till you make it” seed early on.
This here is like the evolved version… not pretending, but pre-being.
Stepping into the spiral by shifting who you’re being, not just what you’re doing.
(Imagine someone else plugged into your brain sort of schtick)
And you called out something CRUCIAL…
Sometimes we’re too close to our “own” identity loop to ACTUALLY see it.
That’s why reflection, slowing down, and inner work aren’t luxuries; they’re force multipliers.
I’ll be riffing more on this “identity loop → spiral shift” model soon…
It’s one of the fastest ways I know to help driven folks get unstuck from the very patterns draining their power.
Appreciate your deep read and contribution, my friend.
We need more voices helping others see this!
‘Cause it’s BIG
In your corner
Dedo (Chief MEME Officer)
This was such a thoughtful and timely read—I really resonate with the idea that burnout often masks a deeper disconnection from our purpose. When you describe feeling “crispy” in medicine before finding your way back, it hit home—have you ever had a moment when burnout actually sparked a positive shift for you?
And I love your point that “satisfaction and happiness are your responsibility.” What small daily rituals or mindset checks helped you reclaim that sense of purpose?
Also, the mention of internal vs. external recovery really stood out—do you find one more effective than the other in your own journey? Thanks for sharing such candid wisdom and sparking this reflection.
Alice… this is such a beautiful reflection, thanks for tuning in so deeply.
And you nailed it…
Burnout isn’t always about depletion… It’s often a signal of disconnection from our purpose, truth, and inner alignment.
For me, the turning point came when I stopped trying to ESCAPE the burnout and started listening to it.
It wasn’t the enemy – it was a compass.
Pointing back toward something I’d quietly drifted from.
Those small rituals you asked about?
Simple, really… but potent…
Gently asking, “What’s mine to carry today?”
Permitting myself to not be okay without needing to fix it instantly
Noticing when I was chasing noise instead of sitting with signal
And ref: internal vs. external recovery – external helps stabilize the surface, sure.
But internal?
That’s where the geometry shifts.
Lasting change always seems to spiral outward from the inner work.
But, most shy away from it (ask me how I know ; )
I’m so grateful for your presence here, Alice – someone already walking the deeper path.
Stay tuned in… the Spiral always reveals.
Each turn reveals the next version of you.
In your corner
Dedo (Chief MEME Officer)
This article shares an important message for entrepreneurs: working harder won’t help if your mindset (identity) is stuck in old, limiting stories. Through the stories of Laura and Marcus, it shows how success comes not from doing more, but from seeing yourself differently and acting from that new version of you. The “rat wheel” keeps you stuck and tired, while the “spiral staircase” helps you grow steadily without burning out. With a few small edits to make it even clearer and easier to follow, this could be a powerful and inspiring message for anyone trying to build a business and a better life.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much, S.J.!
You nailed the heartbeat of the piece.
Most folks don’t need another hustle hack… they need a new vantage point.
That “spiral staircase” isn’t just poetic fluff – it’s a reminder that we rise by re-seeing, not just redoing.
And, appreciate the note on clarity too.
This kind of feedback is gold dust.
Always tuning the signal so more people can hear the deeper message through the noise.
Onward and upward…one twist of the lens at a time.
In your corner
Dedo (Chief MEME Officer)