September 5, 2025 • 12 mins
Burnout has become the accepted collateral damage on the road to success, but what if everything we've been taught about ambition and achievement is fundamentally flawed? This eye-opening episode challenges the dangerous myth that exhaustion is the inevitable price of ambition.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, it's Laura.
Welcome to this week's Peak ofthe Week.
We are diving into this mythbusting series, and the myth
that we're tackling this week isall related to burnout, and
this one is burnout is the priceof ambition.
Okay, this is a lie.
(00:22):
This is a lie about burnoutthat's keeping you stuck.
So I want to give you a littlecontext.
Last week I was talking to aclient who said something a
little eye-opening.
Okay, so it was something likeLaura.
I know I should be grateful.
I've worked so hard to get here.
(00:43):
Everyone says this is just whatsuccess costs VP, fortune 500
company like major perks,amazing, amazing six figure
salary, like the whole package.
And she is completely exhausted, like not the good kind of
(01:04):
tired that you feel after achallenging workout or a
meaningful project, like thebone deep, wake up tired.
Can't remember the last timeyou felt excited about anything
kind of exhausted.
I can describe that becauseI've been there.
Anyone else like raising theirhand, like, oh yeah, bone deep,
(01:25):
wake up tired.
Can't remember the last timeyou felt excited about anything.
Yeah, not a fun place to beright.
So when I asked what shethought was causing it, she said
well, like well, burnout isjust the price of ambition,
right?
Burnout is just the price ofambition, right?
(01:52):
If I want to keep climbing,this is what it takes.
Oh my gosh.
This is when I knew we had totalk about the biggest lie high
achievers tell themselves.
No, this is the myth that'sstealing your energy and
therefore your life force.
(02:12):
We've been told that burnout isthe price of ambition.
If you're not exhausted, you'renot working hard enough, if
you're not sacrificing yourhealth I mean insert your health
or your relationships or yourpeace of mind you must not want
(02:33):
success bad enough or badlyenough.
This myth has created an entiregeneration of high performers
who confuse exhaustion withexcellence.
We wear our burnout like abadge of honor.
We compete over who gets lesssleep.
(02:55):
We justify the cost by pointingto our achievements.
But here's what I've learned.
But here's what I've learned.
I mean, I've fought like 5,000plus conversations a year with
people with lots and lots ofpeople.
(03:15):
Burnout, everyone burnout.
Listen is not the price ofambition.
It's a signal that you are outof alignment.
This is what burnout is reallytelling you.
Think about it when was thelast time you felt genuinely
energized by your work?
Not that like adrenaline rushof a deadline or the temporary
(03:38):
high of recognition, but asteady, sustainable energy that
comes from doing something thatfits who you are.
If you can't remember, that'snot because you're not tough
enough.
No, it's because you're tryingto succeed in a way that doesn't
(03:59):
match something that your innertruth is trying to tell you.
When you're out of balance,when you're out of alignment,
when something doesn't feel good, that's like your body.
This is not an alignment.
Think about it.
When you're aligned with whoyou really are and what
genuinely matters to you, workdoesn't drain you the same way.
(04:23):
You get tired.
Yeah, you get tired, that'snormal, but you don't wake up
dreading your days or wonderingis this all there is?
Burnout happens when there's adisconnect between your external
achievements and your internalwisdom, when you're performing a
(04:47):
version of success instead ofliving your authentic one.
You know the difference, thereal path to sustainable
sustainable, yes, I saidsustainable.
I've watched thousands andthousands of high achievers make
(05:12):
a simple but profound shift,and I'm telling you from
experience, because this was myreality.
I was on the hamster wheel ofmore and more and more and more
and more and more.
At what cost it?
What cost more?
What cost it?
What cost it?
What cost it?
What cost it?
What Was it ever going to end?
No, I had to ask differentquestions Instead of pushing
(05:36):
harder when I felt depleted.
Hmm, maybe the question is whatif this exhaustion is
information, not weakness?
Like information, informationtelling you this is really not
the way you want to live?
Like what would sustainablesuccess actually look like for
(05:58):
me?
Or how can I achieve my goalsin a way that energizes me
rather than depletes me?
Sustainable success is not abouthaving superhuman endurance,
(06:19):
like, think about that.
It's not about havingsuperhuman endurance.
It's creating alignment in allthe areas.
Alignment in all the areas andwhatever came to you, as I said,
that, that is yours, that isyour area, that is where you go
first.
Other areas will rise when youaddress this one first, will
(06:49):
rise when you address this onefirst.
It's not about superhumanendurance.
It's creating alignment betweenwho you are and how you work.
When you're aligned, you willstill work hard.
You will still have ambitiousgoals, but you approach them
from a place of this feels likeme, rather than oh my God, I
have to perform, I have toperform, I have to perform.
I have to perform Like yourenergy becomes renewable instead
(07:12):
of finite.
So ready to test this foryourself.
This is your micro move forthis week.
This is your micro move.
Okay, pick one area of workwhere you feel most strained
Instead of pushing through it ortrying harder.
Ask yourself what would thislook like if I approached it
(07:36):
from my authentic self insteadof my performing self?
Maybe this means having adifferent kind of conversation
with your team or your boss oryour colleague or someone else.
Maybe it means restructuring aproject to play to your actual
strengths.
Maybe someone else on the teamwants to do another part of it.
(07:57):
Or maybe you just have aconversation with someone
because you're genuinely curiousabout how they do their job and
what they like and what theydon't like, and if the two of
you work together, you couldreally help each other out.
That requires communication.
That requires stepping outsideyour comfort zone.
That requires being open andvulnerable.
(08:18):
Open and vulnerable.
Try one small experiment thisweek.
What would this look like if Iapproach it from my authentic
self instead of my performingself?
Try it.
See what shifts when you stopconfusing exhaustion with
excellence.
(08:41):
What I've learned from everyhigh achiever I've ever worked
with who has made thistransition you don't need to
choose between success andwell-being.
You do not have to sacrificeyour health for your career or
your authenticity for yourachievements, but you do.
You do need to stop believingthat burnout is the inevitable
(09:05):
cost of ambition.
Your exhaustion is not proofthat you're not working hard
enough.
It's proof you're working outof alignment.
And the good news, once yourecognize that everything can
change Everything.
So, if this spoke to you today,I mean like I, if you want
(09:27):
support book, an activation call, book an activation call In one
hour.
We work through this togetherand I just want you to know,
like if this resonates with you,you are not alone.
This is a common pattern.
So many high achievers arediscovering there's a different
way to succeed, one thatactually feels good on the
(09:52):
inside.
We are figuring this outtogether, one authentic step at
a time.
We are pioneering new ways ofbeing in this world, because the
old way it's not working.
It's not working.
It's not working.
And why would we do somethingover and over and over and over
(10:12):
and over?
That's not working?
Nope, new decision, newdirection.
Something needs to give,something needs to change.
Okay, well, if you're likerising to the occasion and
you're like, yes, go tolauraekingcom.
Seriously, book an activationcall with me.
I am dead serious.
(10:33):
Like you are being called intoa new level, like, if you are
still here, you are being calledto a new level.
The old ways are not going towork, so you need new strategies
.
And guess what?
It's so much simpler.
It's so much simpler andthere's so many more people who
(10:54):
are living this way and workingthis way and so willing to share
because they want you to feelas good as they do.
So smile, smile because you'relike yep, I'm on my way.
Yep, that sounds better, laura.
I would like that, please, laura.
(11:15):
I would like that, please.
More freedom, more joy, moreabundance, more well-being, more
rich relationships.
I mean, isn't that why we camehere?
To do that, versus spend timejust performing and performing,
and performing, and performing,and performing.
I don't know that.
Just that doesn't appeal to meanymore.
(11:36):
But I was in it.
Like I was so trapped in it Icouldn't see a way out.
And now I'm like I'm out of itand if you're being called to
understand what's next for you,like you got to listen and you
have that inner wisdom withinyou.
So that's what I do for others.
(11:57):
I don't have the magic potionand I'm not going to be the
all-knowing, I activate it inyou your inner wisdom.
Your inner wisdom that knowsthe exact, easiest path for you.
So if you're tired of bangingyour head against the wall, so
if you're tired of banging yourhead against the wall, the
(12:18):
helpers are here.
If it's not me, there's so manyother helpers, so many other
helpers, and we just want you tofind your way back home.
Hey, it's Laura.
Welcome to this week's Peak ofthe Week.
We are diving into this mythbusting series, and the myth
that we're tackling this week isall related to burnout, and
this one is burnout is the priceof ambition.
Okay, this is a lie.
(00:22):
This is a lie about burnoutthat's keeping you stuck.
So I want to give you a littlecontext.
Last week I was talking to aclient who said something a
little eye-opening.
Okay, so it was something likeLaura.
I know I should be grateful.
I've worked so hard to get here.
(00:43):
Everyone says this is just whatsuccess costs VP, fortune 500
company like major perks,amazing, amazing six figure
salary, like the whole package.
And she is completely exhausted, like not the good kind of
(01:04):
tired that you feel after achallenging workout or a
meaningful project, like thebone deep, wake up tired.
Can't remember the last timeyou felt excited about anything
kind of exhausted.
I can describe that becauseI've been there.
Anyone else like raising theirhand, like, oh yeah, bone deep,
(01:25):
wake up tired.
Can't remember the last timeyou felt excited about anything.
Yeah, not a fun place to beright.
So when I asked what shethought was causing it, she said
well, like well, burnout isjust the price of ambition,
right?
Burnout is just the price ofambition, right?
(01:52):
If I want to keep climbing,this is what it takes.
Oh my gosh.
This is when I knew we had totalk about the biggest lie high
achievers tell themselves.
No, this is the myth that'sstealing your energy and
therefore your life force.
(02:12):
We've been told that burnout isthe price of ambition.
If you're not exhausted, you'renot working hard enough, if
you're not sacrificing yourhealth I mean insert your health
or your relationships or yourpeace of mind you must not want
(02:33):
success bad enough or badlyenough.
This myth has created an entiregeneration of high performers
who confuse exhaustion withexcellence.
We wear our burnout like abadge of honor.
We compete over who gets lesssleep.
(02:55):
We justify the cost by pointingto our achievements.
But here's what I've learned.
But here's what I've learned.
I mean, I've fought like 5,000plus conversations a year with
people with lots and lots ofpeople.
(03:15):
Burnout, everyone burnout.
Listen is not the price ofambition.
It's a signal that you are outof alignment.
This is what burnout is reallytelling you.
Think about it when was thelast time you felt genuinely
energized by your work?
Not that like adrenaline rushof a deadline or the temporary
(03:38):
high of recognition, but asteady, sustainable energy that
comes from doing something thatfits who you are.
If you can't remember, that'snot because you're not tough
enough.
No, it's because you're tryingto succeed in a way that doesn't
(03:59):
match something that your innertruth is trying to tell you.
When you're out of balance,when you're out of alignment,
when something doesn't feel good, that's like your body.
This is not an alignment.
Think about it.
When you're aligned with whoyou really are and what
genuinely matters to you, workdoesn't drain you the same way.
(04:23):
You get tired.
Yeah, you get tired, that'snormal, but you don't wake up
dreading your days or wonderingis this all there is?
Burnout happens when there's adisconnect between your external
achievements and your internalwisdom, when you're performing a
(04:47):
version of success instead ofliving your authentic one.
You know the difference, thereal path to sustainable
sustainable, yes, I saidsustainable.
I've watched thousands andthousands of high achievers make
(05:12):
a simple but profound shift,and I'm telling you from
experience, because this was myreality.
I was on the hamster wheel ofmore and more and more and more
and more and more.
At what cost it?
What cost more?
What cost it?
What cost it?
What cost it?
What cost it?
What Was it ever going to end?
No, I had to ask differentquestions Instead of pushing
(05:36):
harder when I felt depleted.
Hmm, maybe the question is whatif this exhaustion is
information, not weakness?
Like information, informationtelling you this is really not
the way you want to live?
Like what would sustainablesuccess actually look like for
(05:58):
me?
Or how can I achieve my goalsin a way that energizes me
rather than depletes me?
Sustainable success is not abouthaving superhuman endurance,
(06:19):
like, think about that.
It's not about havingsuperhuman endurance.
It's creating alignment in allthe areas.
Alignment in all the areas andwhatever came to you, as I said,
that, that is yours, that isyour area, that is where you go
first.
Other areas will rise when youaddress this one first, will
(06:49):
rise when you address this onefirst.
It's not about superhumanendurance.
It's creating alignment betweenwho you are and how you work.
When you're aligned, you willstill work hard.
You will still have ambitiousgoals, but you approach them
from a place of this feels likeme, rather than oh my God, I
have to perform, I have toperform, I have to perform.
I have to perform Like yourenergy becomes renewable instead
(07:12):
of finite.
So ready to test this foryourself.
This is your micro move forthis week.
This is your micro move.
Okay, pick one area of workwhere you feel most strained
Instead of pushing through it ortrying harder.
Ask yourself what would thislook like if I approached it
(07:36):
from my authentic self insteadof my performing self?
Maybe this means having adifferent kind of conversation
with your team or your boss oryour colleague or someone else.
Maybe it means restructuring aproject to play to your actual
strengths.
Maybe someone else on the teamwants to do another part of it.
(07:57):
Or maybe you just have aconversation with someone
because you're genuinely curiousabout how they do their job and
what they like and what theydon't like, and if the two of
you work together, you couldreally help each other out.
That requires communication.
That requires stepping outsideyour comfort zone.
That requires being open andvulnerable.
(08:18):
Open and vulnerable.
Try one small experiment thisweek.
What would this look like if Iapproach it from my authentic
self instead of my performingself?
Try it.
See what shifts when you stopconfusing exhaustion with
excellence.
(08:41):
What I've learned from everyhigh achiever I've ever worked
with who has made thistransition you don't need to
choose between success andwell-being.
You do not have to sacrificeyour health for your career or
your authenticity for yourachievements, but you do.
You do need to stop believingthat burnout is the inevitable
(09:05):
cost of ambition.
Your exhaustion is not proofthat you're not working hard
enough.
It's proof you're working outof alignment.
And the good news, once yourecognize that everything can
change Everything.
So, if this spoke to you today,I mean like I, if you want
(09:27):
support book, an activation call, book an activation call In one
hour.
We work through this togetherand I just want you to know,
like if this resonates with you,you are not alone.
This is a common pattern.
So many high achievers arediscovering there's a different
way to succeed, one thatactually feels good on the
(09:52):
inside.
We are figuring this outtogether, one authentic step at
a time.
We are pioneering new ways ofbeing in this world, because the
old way it's not working.
It's not working.
It's not working.
And why would we do somethingover and over and over and over
(10:12):
and over?
That's not working?
Nope, new decision, newdirection.
Something needs to give,something needs to change.
Okay, well, if you're likerising to the occasion and
you're like, yes, go tolauraekingcom.
Seriously, book an activationcall with me.
I am dead serious.
(10:33):
Like you are being called intoa new level, like, if you are
still here, you are being calledto a new level.
The old ways are not going towork, so you need new strategies
.
And guess what?
It's so much simpler.
It's so much simpler andthere's so many more people who
(10:54):
are living this way and workingthis way and so willing to share
because they want you to feelas good as they do.
So smile, smile because you'relike yep, I'm on my way.
Yep, that sounds better, laura.
I would like that, please, laura.
(11:15):
I would like that, please.
More freedom, more joy, moreabundance, more well-being, more
rich relationships.
I mean, isn't that why we camehere?
To do that, versus spend timejust performing and performing,
and performing, and performing,and performing.
I don't know that.
Just that doesn't appeal to meanymore.
(11:36):
But I was in it.
Like I was so trapped in it Icouldn't see a way out.
And now I'm like I'm out of itand if you're being called to
understand what's next for you,like you got to listen and you
have that inner wisdom withinyou.
So that's what I do for others.
(11:57):
I don't have the magic potionand I'm not going to be the
all-knowing, I activate it inyou your inner wisdom.
Your inner wisdom that knowsthe exact, easiest path for you.
So if you're tired of bangingyour head against the wall, so
if you're tired of banging yourhead against the wall, the
(12:18):
helpers are here.
If it's not me, there's so manyother helpers, so many other
helpers, and we just want you tofind your way back home.
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