How to Actually Get Things Done Without Burning Out (Even Working 18-Hour Days)

"It’s not about the hours—it’s about what those hours are filled with."

Let's start with this:

Yes, I wake up at 5 a.m.
Yes, I work most days from sun-up to lights out.
No, I’m not trying to prove anything. And I’m not burnt out.

I just genuinely love what I do.

But that didn’t happen by accident.
It happened because I got intentional—about how I work, why I work, and where I spend my time.

"Why are you still working so hard?"

I get this question a lot—usually from well-meaning people who think success should equal slowing down.

“Aren’t you past the grind?”
“Didn’t you already build it?”
“Why not coast a little?”

Because coasting bores me.

And because I choose this pace—not out of fear, but out of joy.

The truth is, I’ve built a life where the vast majority of my hours fall right at the intersection of my core values and my genius.

And when you're working from that place—when your calendar aligns with who you are and how you’re wired—there is no clock. There’s just flow.

That’s why I don’t burn out.
That’s why I don’t need a weekend to recover from my week.
That’s why I can work 14–18 hours and still go to bed energized.

It’s not superhuman. It’s structural.
Struggling to find alignment with your strengths and values with building your business?
Check out our take on how to Build a Business That Aligns with Your Strengths (Not Your Stress)

The Secret Isn’t Discipline—It’s Design

Most people think they need more discipline.

They don’t.
They need better design.

You can’t “grind your way” out of a calendar that’s misaligned.
If what you're doing all day doesn’t energize you or matter to you, no system is going to save you.

For me, it started with clarity:

• What are the non-negotiable values I want my time to express?

• What’s the work that actually makes me come alive?

• What drains me—no matter how “important” it looks?

Then I built my days around that.

The result?

I work a ton.
But I’m rarely exhausted.
Because I’m not resisting my life—I’m in rhythm with it.

My Real-Time Rhythm (Not a Pinterest Schedule)

I have a structure.
But I’m not rigid.

There’s no color-coded hourly calendar taped to my mirror.
Just a few anchors that keep me aligned:

• Morning movement + mental clarity (before anyone else is up)

• Deep work sprints in my genius zone

• Connection windows for team, family, or 1:1 convos

• Recovery blocks to reset before I ramp again

That’s it.
And even that changes with the season, the week, or the work I’m in.

But here’s the key: I always know what matters most today.
So even if the rest of the day goes sideways, the work that actually fuels the mission got done.

Time Isn't the Problem—Misuse Is

You don’t need more time.
You need more alignment.

People love to say, “I just don’t have time.”
But most of them do. They’re just bleeding it out through misaligned obligations, reactive decisions, and mindless scrolling.

You can’t hear your vision when you’re surrounded by noise.

I’ve cut a lot of things over the years:

• Calls I don’t need to be on

• Projects that didn’t light me up

• Apps that eat my attention for no return

Not because I’m “disciplined.” Quite the opposite actually.
Because I know the cost of distraction.

Clarity isn’t free. It’s paid for in choices.
And I’d rather build what matters than explain to myself (again) why I didn’t.

Stop Worshiping the Perfect Schedule

Here’s a simple truth:

Most people build a schedule just to feel productive—not to actually be productive.

They spend 3 hours in productivity apps and then wonder why they still feel overwhelmed.

A schedule isn’t a trophy. It’s a tool.

And the goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress with intention.

There are days I go completely off script.
There are seasons where I throw the plan out the window.
But even in the chaos, I know where my energy should go when I come back to center.

That’s the power of rhythm.
It forgives bad days and builds momentum on good ones.

If You’re Feeling the Drift…

You know what this feels like but you’re not broken.

You’re likely just operating outside your genius too often, with a calendar that reflects someone else’s version of success.

If you’re constantly feeling like:

• You’re working hard but not making traction

• You have more to give but don’t know where it fits

• You keep redesigning your life but it never quite clicks

Then the solution isn’t another course or another planner.

It’s realignment.

Build your rhythm around who you are, what you’re great at, and what you care about.

Then watch what happens.

What do you have to lose? If you resonate with any of this, you have nothing to lose as what you're currently doing obviously isn't getting your life where you want it to be!

Final Thought: You Don’t Need a Break—You Need Rhythm

I don’t take breaks from what I do.

Because what I do gives me energy.
Not all of it—but the majority of it. And that’s the difference.

If you’re always waiting for a vacation to feel like yourself again…
That’s a clue. Vacations are great but they're not the fix. That's why you feel back in the same rut a month later.

Build a rhythm that fills you, not one that drains you.
Design a week you don’t want to escape from on Friday.

And if you’re working long hours—good. Just make sure you’re building something that feeds you while you build it. Remember, it's not about the quantity of hours you work. Working more hours won't give you a badge of honor and likely won't improve your impact and success in itself. It's about intentionally choosing how to make the hours you work quality.

That’s how you stop burning out.
That’s how you move different through a life you love.