Your calendar is packed, your inbox is overflowing, and yet you feel completely empty—this is the silent killer of high-achieving professionals, and it's not about doing less, it's about doing what actually matters.
In this episode, Mike O'Neill sits down with Michelle Niemeyer, a former litigation attorney turned performance coach, who spent 33 years in law before discovering a framework that changed everything. After experiencing severe burnout that triggered an autoimmune disease and left her with brain fog so intense she couldn't remember phone conversations, Michelle made a radical decision: she studied performance, mindset, and wellness for a decade and developed what she calls "the art of bending time."
Michelle's work challenges the toxic belief that success requires sacrifice. Instead, she helps high-achieving professionals—especially leaders running on empty—reconnect to what actually lights them up and build careers that energize rather than drain. During this conversation, Mike and Michelle explore the sneaky early signs of burnout that most people miss, why burnout isn't just a work problem (it destroys relationships, health, and your entire life), and the practical framework Michelle uses to help her clients reclaim their time, energy, and purpose.
Mike brings his signature coaching perspective to the discussion, drawing parallels between his own observations of leaders who are overwhelmed and Michelle's insights about how clarity becomes the foundation for everything else. Together, they break down exactly how to "bend time"—getting more done in less time by focusing on energy, building the right team, and eliminating work that doesn't align with your values.
Key Insights to Look Out For:
• Burnout doesn't start with exhaustion—it starts with small signs like detachment, withdrawal, and negativity that you won't recognize until it's too late. Michelle shares her own story of losing the ability to remember phone conversations and experiencing joint pain she thought was normal aging.
• The 80/20 rule is your secret weapon: eighty percent of your results come from twenty percent of your effort, but most people waste eighty percent of their time on low-impact work. Once you know what lights you up, you can eliminate the rest.
• Your team can bend time with you. When you build a team around shared values and what makes each person feel alive at work, you can accomplish in a month what used to take a year—and everyone goes home fulfilled instead of resentful.
If your calendar is full but your energy is low, this episode is for you. Listen now and discover the clarity exercise Michelle recommends as the first step to resetting your relationship with time. Then take action: text the word "clarity" to 33777 to join Michelle's community and access her guided meditation and SWORD analysis tool. This isn't about working harder—it's about working differently.
Share this episode with a leader in your life who needs to hear this message.
Find all the show notes and links here: https://www.unstuck.show/226
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