Choosing Peace Over The Grind: How To Work Hard Without Losing Yourself

We name the tension high achievers feel between holy hard work and harmful overwork, then offer clear signs it’s time to pause. We share simple habits that protect peace, deepen presence, and let you lead from rest instead of fear.

• the difference between hard work and overwork 
• when work becomes identity rather than impact 
• signs you need to step back and realign 
• boundaries as leadership and courage 
• working from rest versus earning rest 
• practical rhythms: stop times, Sabbath, movement, presence 
• guarding dinner, mornings, and sacred moments 
• choosing peace over performance pressure

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hey friend, let's talk about the tension that most
high achievers face, but few ofus name honestly.
How do you work hard withoutworking yourself into the
ground?
How do you chase big dreams andstay consistent without burning

(00:22):
out or numbing out or fallingapart behind the scenes?
We live in a world that applaudsthe hustle and over-execution
and overextension, your grind,your push, your performance.
And the minute you pause,someone else posts, earns, or

(00:47):
wins.
So you keep going and you keepgoing and you keep going.
But here's the truth.
Hard work actually is a goodthing.
Hard work is holy.
But overwork, ah, that's thedifference.

(01:07):
That's harmful.
And sometimes the moststrategic, powerful thing you
can do is shut it off.
So let's go deeper with this.
Let's be clear.
There's nothing wrong withworking hard.
In fact, it's a gift.

(01:29):
Discipline, diligence,excellence.
These things are godly in mymind.
They're fruitful.
And in a distracted world, thesesort of traits can really set
you apart.
Scripture even says, whateveryou do, whether in word or in

(01:52):
deed, do it heartily unto theLord, or whatever your hand
finds to do, do it with all yourmight.
So yes, work hard.
Give it your best.
Be someone people can count on.
Build things with purpose.
That kind of work does createlegacy.

(02:15):
But even the most productivepeople on the planet, maybe even
in history, Jesus included,rested, healed, withdrew, took
some time to recover andrecuperate.

(02:39):
And I would submit to you thatif Jesus needed that rhythm,
what makes us think that wedon't?
So when does hard work becomeharmful?
When is that line crossed?
Well, when it stops being aboutimpact and starts becoming your

(03:02):
identity, when you're notworking for something but
running from something, that'swhen it's really time to pause
and reflect.
Because you weren't created tobe a machine.
You're not your output.

(03:23):
You're not your last deadline.
You're not your productivity.
Sometimes we hide in workbecause stillness feels too
loud.
Sometimes it's uncomfortable.
Sometimes silence makes us facethe stuff that we'd rather

(03:45):
avoid.
This describes my journey to atea.
And as a result, maybe I feltthat if I worked hard enough and
I healed people and I helpedpeople, then maybe in some

(04:08):
capacity I might heal myself orI might find a sense of meaning
and purpose.
And yes, while those things aretrue, no matter how busy I was
doing good things, I was hidingsometimes from myself and my
inner pain.
And I wouldn't know what to dowith myself when I had some
downtime.
So I would just dive into morework.

But here's what I've learned (04:32):
if you don't shut it off, life will
shut it off for you.
And oftentimes, when thathappens, it won't be gentle.
So I want to share with you afew signs that it might be time

(04:59):
to step back.
If you feel guilty resting, evenwhen you're exhausted, that
could be a sign.
When your relationships arefraying, but your calendar's

(05:20):
full, rethink some things.
When you feel wired but empty atthe same time, take a minute.
If you constantly check youremails, your messages, your

(05:42):
tasks, and even in the momentsthat should be sacred, that
should tell you something.
When you're more reactive thanreflective, that's a sign.
Something else you mightconsider is that what if what if

(06:03):
you can't remember the last timeyou were fully present in a
moment?
If any of those things hit home,it's time to take a breath.
This isn't about shame.
This isn't about beating you up.
It's really about realignment.

(06:24):
Let me just say it plainly.
Boundaries are not laziness.
They're leadership.
Leadership in action.
Great CEOs, great parents, greatcreatives, great leaders.

(06:47):
They all tend to know when toshut it down.
It's really difficult to leadwhen you're tired.
You can't hear clearly whenyou're constantly flooded.
Constantly flooded withactivity.

(07:07):
And the reality is that youwon't last if you never pause.
There's a difference betweenworking from rest and working to
earn rest.
Say that again.
There's a difference betweenworking from rest and working to

(07:28):
earn rest.
One is fueled by peace.
The other is really fueled byfear.
And fear will wear you downuntil nothing is left but
resentment and regret.

(07:51):
Fear is something that we haveto deal with.
It's something that we have toovercome.
Fear can be a very powerfulmotivator.
And sometimes there are forms ofhealthy fear, but what we're
talking about is irrationalfear, fear that really does not

(08:12):
produce the proper healthyresult that we're shooting for.
So more specifically, what doesshutting it off look like?
Set a stop time.
Stick to it.

(08:33):
Protect your evenings.
Protect your peace.
When we think of things likeSabbath, Sabbath isn't old
school.
It's oxygen.
One day a week.
No work, no guilt.
What else does maybe shutting itoff look like?

(08:54):
Well, how about movement, likemoving your body?
Not to burn calories, but toreset your mind.
Make room for joy.
Not everything has to beproductive to be valuable.
Guard sacred moments.
Dinner with your family.

(09:15):
Think of the family dinnertable.
Maybe mornings with God.
Chair time, quiet time,uninterrupted time with the
people who matter.
Remember this.
You're not here to just perform.
You're here to live.

(09:36):
If you don't schedule the thingsthat keep your soul alive, your
schedule will steal them.
So again, in this brief timetogether today, I'll leave you
with this.
Work hard.
Show up.
Give your best.

(09:58):
But know when to shut it off.
Because rest is not retreat,it's wisdom.
Rest is not retreat, it'swisdom.
It's leadership.
It's worship.
The world is gonna always demandmore and more and more.

(10:26):
But it takes courage.
It takes faith to say, I've doneenough for today, and now I
choose peace.
There's a verse that I love thatsays, faith enters into rest.
It's powerful.

(10:48):
So start leading your life maybelike a business, okay?
But lead your soul like itmatters more than the bottom
line.
Because it really does.
Thanks for listening today.
I'll see you next time.