Burnout doesn’t happen overnight—it builds over time, fueled by the very habits and mindsets that often lead to success. For high achievers, the drive to do more, push harder, and achieve bigger goals can feel like the only way forward. But what happens when that relentless pursuit leaves you exhausted, disconnected, and unable to enjoy the success you’ve worked so hard to build?
In this episode of the Brain Soul Success Show, I sit down with Erin Stafford, a speaker, author, and former high-powered marketing executive who found herself in the depths of burnout. Erin shares her personal journey of reaching a breaking point and the transformational shifts she made to reclaim her energy, focus, and fulfillment. Through years of research and experience, she developed five mindset shifts that allow high performers to break free from burnout without sacrificing ambition.
If you’ve ever felt like burnout is just part of the price of success, Erin’s insights will change the way you think about achievement, energy, and the path to sustainable high performance.
The Breaking Point: When Success No Longer Feels Like Success
Erin’s career was the picture of achievement. She had worked with global brands like Apple, Nike, and American Express. She thrived in high-stakes marketing roles and had a resume packed with impressive accomplishments. But behind the scenes, she was running on fumes.
During the pandemic, Erin led marketing for the largest healthcare staffing company in the U.S., responsible for deploying thousands of nurses to the front lines. The intensity of the work, combined with the pressure of managing a growing team, created an environment where there was never enough time, never enough energy, and always more to do.
She ignored the warning signs—fatigue, lack of focus, a sense of detachment—until they became impossible to ignore. The real wake-up call came when her boss called her and asked if she wanted to resign.
“I was always someone who prided myself on my work ethic,” Erin says. “If something wasn’t working, my answer was always to just work harder. But suddenly, working harder wasn’t enough. I was exhausted, unfocused, and completely burned out. And the scariest part was—I didn’t even see it coming.”
That moment forced her to step back and re-evaluate everything. What if the strategies that had propelled her success in the past were no longer serving her? What if true high performance wasn’t about doing more, but about doing things differently?
Mindset Shift #1: Hard Work Alone Won’t Save You
Erin grew up believing that success was simple: work harder than everyone else, and you’ll win. That belief carried her through the early stages of her career, but she now realizes that relentless hustle isn’t a long-term strategy—it’s a fast track to burnout.
She had to learn that high performance isn’t just about effort—it’s about energy management. Instead of pushing through exhaustion, she began to recognize when her body and mind needed rest. She started to shift her focus from just output to sustainability, making choices that supported both her performance and her well-being.
“Burnout doesn’t happen because you’re weak or not working hard enough,” she explains. “It happens because you’re overworking without recovery. And eventually, your body will force you to stop—whether you like it or not.”
Mindset Shift #2: Cut the Non-Essential to Make Room for What Matters
One of Erin’s most transformative realizations was that not everything on her schedule was truly necessary. She developed what she calls “calendar strip poker,” where she ruthlessly evaluated her commitments and started removing anything that wasn’t adding value.
“If something is draining your energy and not actually moving you forward, why are you doing it?” she asks. “So many of us fill our schedules with things we think we ‘should’ do, but when you really look at it, those things aren’t serving you.”
She began saying no more often. She let go of obligations that weren’t aligned with her priorities. And most importantly, she stopped feeling guilty about it.
“The truth is, when you do less, you actually get more done—because you’re focused on what truly matters.”
Mindset Shift #3: Start Smaller to Build Real Momentum
High achievers love big goals. But Erin found that when you’re burned out, setting massive goals can actually make things worse. Instead of feeling motivated, she felt overwhelmed. She realized that she needed to start smaller, not bigger.
She stopped trying to tackle everything at once and instead focused on small, manageable actions that built momentum.
“If you’re stuck in burnout, the worst thing you can do is set an impossible goal that just adds more pressure,” she says. “Instead, pick something small. Something doable. Just enough to move forward without adding more stress.”
Over time, those small wins added up, helping her rebuild her energy and confidence without the all-or-nothing pressure that had once defined her approach to success.
Mindset Shift #4: Redefine Success on Your Own Terms
For years, Erin measured her success by external achievements—titles, income, and how much she could accomplish in a day. But through her burnout recovery, she realized that success isn’t just about professional achievements—it’s about how you feel while achieving them.
She started evaluating success differently, asking:
- Am I enjoying my work?
- Do I have the energy to show up for my personal life?
- Am I prioritizing what truly matters to me?
This shift helped her break free from the relentless cycle of overwork and finally find balance between ambition and well-being.
Mindset Shift #5: Recovery Is Not a Reward—It’s a Requirement
The final shift was understanding that rest and recovery aren’t things you earn by working hard enough—they’re essential to sustaining success.
She began treating her recovery with the same level of importance as her work. She integrated daily habits like deep breathing, brain dumps to clear mental clutter, and prioritizing sleep. She learned to listen to her body and take breaks before she hit a wall.
“I used to think rest was something you did when the work was done. Now I know that without rest, the work suffers.”
The Bigger Lesson: You Can Burn Bright Without Burning Out
Erin’s story is proof that burnout doesn’t have to be the cost of ambition. By shifting her mindset and approach, she was able to rebuild her energy, find fulfillment in her work again, and create a life that felt both successful and sustainable.
She now teaches these mindset shifts to other high achievers, helping them redefine peak performance without self-sacrifice.
“True success isn’t about pushing yourself to the limit,” she says. “It’s about knowing how to sustain your energy, focus on what really matters, and build a life that you actually enjoy.”
Listen to the Episode
If you’ve ever felt like burnout is inevitable, this episode is a must-listen. Erin shares the practical strategies and mindset shifts that helped her break free—and they can do the same for you.
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