The Burnout Trap: Why More Effort Won’t Always Get You There

Read time: ~4 minutes.

For most of my life, I operated under a simple rule: when things get tough, work harder.

It served me well as a fighter pilot. Training was relentless, expectations were sky-high, and I pushed myself beyond limits I didn’t know existed. When something wasn’t clicking, my solution was always the same—double down, push through, grind harder.

Then, I left the Air Force.

Building my business, launching a speaking career, and writing a book felt like another high-stakes challenge, so I leaned on what I knew. I said yes to everything, worked longer hours, and kept pushing, assuming the harder I worked, the faster I’d succeed.

Instead, I found myself exhausted, frustrated, and questioning whether I had made the wrong decision. I wasn’t failing because I wasn’t working hard enough. I was failing because I was stuck in a cycle that wasn’t working.

So, in this installment of "Inverting Your Mindset," we’ll dive into why burnout isn’t a sign to quit—it’s a signal to adjust.

Why Working Harder Doesn’t Always Work

High achievers have a habit of assuming that if something isn’t working, the answer is to push through.

But there’s a limit to how much effort can fix. If working harder was the only factor in success, then the people who grind the most would always come out ahead. That’s not the case. Some people burn themselves out, while others with the same drive seem to thrive.

The difference isn’t just effort—it’s approach. Fighter pilots don’t force a plan that isn’t working. They recalculate, adjust, and make real-time decisions based on the conditions they’re facing.

So remember that the solution to getting out of a rut may not be more effort, but stepping back and asking: Am I actually moving in the right direction?

The Power of Adjustments

I learned this lesson the hard way when I was drowning in work, taking on every opportunity that came my way. I assumed that more was always better—more speaking engagements, more networking, more projects.

My military experience—and now my journey as an author—taught me that piling on more tasks when a mission is going sideways only leads to disaster. The key is to remove what isn't working and refine what is.

So I did exactly that. I stopped saying yes to things that drained me and built a decision-making filter based on what aligned with my long-term vision. I started measuring success not by how much I was doing but by whether my actions were actually moving me toward my goals.

This approach has been a game-changer in my professional and personal life.

The Psychology of Small Changes

When frustration builds, it’s tempting to scrap everything and start over. But most of the time, what’s needed isn’t a complete reset—it’s a small, targeted shift.

Why does this approach work?

The more options we weigh, the harder it becomes to act. Small adjustments reduce the mental load and make progress feel manageable.

Our brains are wired to respond to progress, not pressure. When we make minor adjustments, we create a series of small wins—each one reinforcing momentum. In contrast, dramatic changes can feel overwhelming, making us more likely to quit.

People often resist change because of the sunk cost fallacy—the idea that we must keep going down a path just because we’ve invested time or effort into it. Instead of making a drastic change that feels like “giving up,” smart adjustments allow you to improve what’s already in motion.

action steps

So, how can you put this approach into practice?

The next time you’re feeling stuck or drained, take these three steps to reset your approach without burning everything down:

1. Pause and Evaluate: Take 15 minutes to list everything you’re doing. Highlight what’s actually moving you toward your goals and what’s just keeping you busy.
2. Eliminate One Thing: Choose one obligation, habit, or task that’s draining you but not delivering results, and drop it this week.
3. Make a Micro-Adjustment: Identify a small shift, like saying no to a low-impact request, changing how you schedule deep work, or delegating a task. Commit to it.

You don’t need to do everything differently overnight. You just need to do something different today.

Bringing It Home

Burnout isn’t proof that you’re not cut out for something—it’s feedback that something needs to change.

When fighter pilots run into turbulence, they don’t abandon the mission. They adjust and keep going. The same applies to life and work. If you’re feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or like nothing is working, the answer isn’t always to push harder. It’s to step back, make a small shift, and regain control.

Take 15 minutes today to reassess and make one adjustment. That single shift could be what finally gets you moving forward!

Until next time,

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