Burnout: When and How Does Success Become Self-Sabotage?

Have you ever felt like you’re running a race where the finish line keeps moving? You’re not alone, if so.

Burnout - it is the scourge of our times, and the thing is, this isn’t just a term or phenomenon born out of long hours or demanding bosses—it’s often of our own making. It stems from unchecked ambition, relentless perfectionism, obsessive work and imposter syndrome running wild. We create prisons in our own minds, believing we’re only as good as our last success, or worse—our last mistake. WE BURN OURSELVES OUT. And this happens so much more frequently (according to research, about twice as much, in fact) when we are overachievers. This is because of our own self importance, self obsession and extreme high (harsh) standards.

As Bertrand Russell so aptly put it:

“One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important.”

If that quote makes you pause, it should. I wrote GILDED: Break Free From the Cage of Ambition, Perfectionism, and the Relentless Pursuit of More (just launched! Available now on Amazon and at every book retailer!) because I lived that reality. I know what it feels like to be trapped in the pursuit of external success while quietly unraveling inside. And I know how to help you break free.

Are You in the Danger Zone?

In my latest podcast season, “The Secret Thoughts of Superstars”, I explore the hidden struggles of high achievers—perfectionism, the pressure to maintain their image, and the creeping sense that their accomplishments might not be enough, the terror of losing the status and the money.

Each episode offers actionable strategies to help you avoid burnout and thrive on your own terms. And is no longer than 20 minutes.

→ Listen now on Apple Podcasts

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

This is your invitation to pause and ask:

• Am I chasing success because it fulfills me—or because I fear what will happen if I stop?
• Am I perfecting every detail to achieve excellence—or because I’m afraid of being exposed as a fraud?
• Am I working hard because I want to—or because I feel I have to, in order to stay relevant?

Burnout starts with and comes about because so many of us end up believing that if we stop, everything will fall apart. Freedom starts with knowing that our worth isn’t tied to our work.

Preorder Your Escape Plan

If you’re ready to stop the endless hustle and find fulfillment beyond external success, order your copy of GILDED (which, a propos ambition, was just named one of Forbes’ top reads for 2025). This book is your guide to breaking free from the gilded cage of ambition and building a life of true freedom. THAT is why I wrote it, not the accolades, and this makes accolades and failures so much easier to digest.

→order your copy here (it'll be at your door before you know it).

Let’s stop surviving success. Let’s start thriving beyond it. Let's make this a year that doesn't just look good in your IG highlight reel, but that FEELS good.

With enthusiasm,

Coach Keren