The Illusion of Success: Why Overworking Is Not the Answer

Are You Working Too Much? The Coaching Insights That Might Change Your Life

The Illusion of Success: Why Overworking Is Not the Answer

In my coaching sessions, I see it all the time, high achievers running themselves into the ground, convinced that working harder, longer, and faster is the only way to succeed. They tell me they have no choice, that slowing down is not an option.

But here’s the truth: success is not a synonym for exhaustion.

Too often, we equate success with sacrifice, sacrificing our time, our health, our relationships. We wear overwork like a badge of honour, but at what cost? Leaders, managers, and professionals across industries fall into this trap, missing the warning signs until life forces them to stop.

Through coaching, I help my clients see what they often refuse to acknowledge: overworking is not sustainable, and it’s not the same as high performance.

The Silent Signs You’re Working Too Much

Overworking doesn’t always announce itself loudly. It sneaks up in subtle ways:

• You lose track of time and forget to eat, rest, or even breathe between meetings.
• Your mind constantly races, even when you’re supposed to be off the clock.
• The things that once brought you joy, hobbies, family time, simple pleasures, start to feel like chores.
• You obsess over the smallest details, but your big-picture thinking suffers.
• You find yourself more irritable, anxious, or simply exhausted all the time.
• You begin making mistakes, not because you don’t care, but because you’re too drained to focus.

At first, you might justify it: It’s just a busy season. It will get better after this project. I just need to push through. Until one day, your body, your relationships, or your mind say: Enough.

Check out where you stand right now, ask KrummAï the virtual coach. Click here now.

When Life Forces You to Stop

Some of my clients don’t realise they’ve been overworking until life steps in and forces them to stop—through illness, burnout, or a personal crisis. A health scare makes them reassess their choices. A loved one’s frustration makes them question their priorities. An unexpected life event makes them wonder why they’ve been so absent from their own story.

The realisation hits like a storm: Why did I let it get this far?

But here’s what I tell them: You don’t have to wait for a breakdown to make a change.

Managing Life Like a Garden: The Real Definition of Success

Success isn’t about relentless hustle. It’s about knowing how to tend to the different parts of your life like a well-balanced garden. Some areas need daily care, others seasonal attention. If you pour everything into one corner and neglect the rest, your garden, your life, will wither.

A thriving professional life should not come at the expense of your health, your relationships, or your well-being. The most effective leaders I know are not the ones who grind themselves into exhaustion, but the ones who know when to push and when to pause.

The Coaching Shift: Learning to Slow Down Before Burnout Strikes

Through coaching, I’ve seen incredible transformations in clients who once believed that overwork was the only way. Here’s what they learned:

• Boundaries are essential. Knowing when to stop working is just as important as knowing when to start.
• Delegation is a skill, not a weakness. You don’t have to do everything yourself.
• Success includes well-being. What’s the point of winning at work if you’re losing everywhere else?
• Slowing down fuels creativity and impact. The best ideas come when your mind is not drowning in stress.

Practical Steps to Reclaim Balance

If you’re reading this and recognising yourself, here are some small but powerful shifts you can make:

1. Start paying attention. How do you feel, physically, mentally, emotionally, at the end of each workday?
2. Set clear stopping points. Work will never be ‘done.’ Choose a time to step away.
3. Reintroduce joy. What’s one activity you’ve neglected that used to make you happy? Do it this week.
4. Talk to someone. A friend, a mentor, or a coach can provide valuable perspective.
5. Develop psychosocial competencies. Strengthen self-awareness, emotional regulation, and resilience. Click here to get your set now.
6. Start taking care of your garden using the Thrive to Perform APP, the 1st level is free and then only 49€ per additional level. Click here to start.
7. Try KrummAï, the virtual version of me as a coach. Get 30 days free and then continue for just €49 per month. It’s an accessible way to receive guided support whenever you need it. Click here now
8. Ask yourself: What am I really chasing? If success costs you everything, is it truly success?
9. Seek support. Whether through coaching, mentorship, or honest conversations, don’t try to navigate this alone.

The Final Thought: Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

I see it every day, the leader who realises too late that their relentless pursuit of success came at too great a cost. Don’t let that be you.

Your career, your impact, your legacy should be built on sustainable excellence, not self-destruction.

If you feel like work is taking over your life, consider this your wake-up call. It’s time to redefine success. It’s time to start managing your life like a thriving garden, not a battlefield.

And if you need help figuring out how, let’s talk. Click here