The Exhaustion You Don't See Coming…
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I've been thinking about what happened in Vermont this week.
First, some background:
I did something I'd never done in my 30-year career: I went completely off the grid for five days. No phone, no email, no LinkedIn. Just me and eleven others on a men’s retreat in the woods.
What I witnessed wasn't pretty. But it was necessary.
And it's probably happening to you too.
The Productivity Prison
Here's the thing nobody talks about: we've all become productivity machines. We measure our worth by our output. Emails sent. Meetings attended. Projects delivered.
But somewhere along the way, we stopped being human.
I watched grown men admit they hadn't taken a real day off in years. Others confessed they'd forgotten what they actually enjoyed outside of work. One realized he'd been so busy managing everyone else's problems that he'd lost touch with his own dreams.
Sound familiar?
We think we're adding value by being constantly available. Always on. Always responding. But here's what I learned in those woods: when you treat yourself like a machine, you start treating everyone else like one too.
Your work becomes transactional. Your relationships become shallow. Your impact becomes... forgettable.
What We Really Want
The research is mixed on what drives people at work. Some studies say it's money. Others point to growth opportunities or progressive responsibility.
But almost every study agrees on one thing: we want to make a difference.
We want our work to matter. We want to solve problems that actually improve people's lives. We want to leave things better than we found them.
The cruel irony? The harder we work, the further we get from that goal.
When you're exhausted, everything becomes about checking boxes instead of creating change. You're managing tasks instead of inspiring teams. You're surviving instead of thriving.
And the people around you feel it.
Over five days in Vermont, I watched something remarkable happen. Not just to me, but to every man there. Here's what changes when you step away:
1. You Remember What You Actually Care About
The problem: When you're always reacting, you lose sight of what you're working toward. Every email feels urgent. Every meeting feels important. You're busy, but you can't remember why.
Try this: Take 24 hours completely offline. No exceptions. Notice what bubbles up when the noise stops. Those thoughts that surface? That's your compass trying to get your attention.
2. You Start Seeing People Again
The problem: Exhaustion makes you treat people like obstacles instead of humans. That team member asking questions becomes an interruption. Your family becomes another item on your to-do list.
Try this: Have one conversation this week where you're completely present. No phone. No mental multitasking. Just listen. Watch how differently people respond when they feel truly heard.
3. Your Best Ideas Finally Show Up
The problem: Deep work requires space. But we've filled every spare moment with shallow tasks. Your brain never gets the downtime it needs to make connections and solve real problems.
Try this: Block two hours with no agenda. Don't fill it with busywork. Let yourself think. The ideas you've been chasing will finally catch up to you.
4. You Build Real Resilience
The problem: We think resilience means pushing through everything. But that's just delayed breaking. Real resilience comes from recovery, reflection, and renewal.
Try this: Find your version of what we had in Vermont: long hikes, quiet conversations, activities that restore rather than drain. Schedule them like meetings. Because they are.
5. You Discover Your Support System
The problem: When you're always helping others, you forget you need help too. You become isolated in your competence, carrying loads that were meant to be shared.
Try this: Identify three people who could understand your challenges. Not people who need you, but people who get you. Reach out. The strongest leaders aren't self-sufficient. They're well-supported.
Your Unignorable Move
If you're feeling the weight of always being "on," you're not weak. You're human.
And humans need recovery. We need connection. We need time to remember why our work matters and who we're doing it for.
The world doesn't need another exhausted leader going through the motions. It needs you… rested, renewed, and ready to make the difference only you can make.
That's not soft. That's strategic.
Because the impact you're trying to create? It's waiting on the other side of the rest you refuse to take.
What's one thing you could step away from this week to create space for what actually matters? Reply and let me know. I read every response.
Your coach,
Chris
P.S. If you're stuck in the exhaustion cycle and need help building a plan to reset, let's talk. Sometimes it just takes someone else to help you see what stepping away could look like. Feel free to reach out.
