Is trying to be 100% Burning You Out

Jul 21

I recently I gave a presentation to a group of Healthcare workers at Kasier Permanente on Impostor Syndrome.

I shared with them 5 different ways it can show up:

Perfectionist
Natural Genius
Rugged Individualist
The Expert
The Superhuman

When I polled the group not surprisingly, most responded that they identified as the superhuman. I suspect that many of you reading this probably can relate.

The superhuman is all of the archetypes, especially the perfectionist, 10x’d. They try to juggle many roles masterfully all at the same time.

Unfortunately, culture has made “having it all” become “doing it all.” And many highly driven folks (including myself) take pride in being able to be everything to everyone.

To expect to be 100% in all areas on all days - even most days is just inhumane.

The truth is expecting that standard for yourself was already too much before the pandemic. And life just keeps throwing things at us. Keeping the bar just as high, maybe even more than pre-pandemic, is definitely a recipe for burn out.

The reality is some days and some seasons, we are more resourced than others, and that's something we need to account for when it comes to expectations.

I'm not asking you to turn your back on the people and goals you care about. However, I will ask you to take accurate assessment of your capacity and open up to receiving just a little more.

Whether that is physical, logistical, emotional help or just being ok with saying no to one thing for today or maybe giving 70% instead of a 100% .

I know it’s not easy, we celebrate being superhuman in this culture, but we get to change culture. Here are a few ways you can do that:

when you feel the pressure, pause and ask different questions, like: "what's enough here?"
prepare for overwhelm instead of being surprised by it
shift expectations so you don’t constantly feel bad about yourself

When you can see how certain habits got you to where you are but, now get in the way of who you are meant to be, a new door of possibility opens.

The next step is identifying what unique supports help you to thrive. As a coach this is something I help my clients do.

Something I hear over and over is "wow I feel so much lighter and clear." If you want some personal feedback and clarity on your own blind spots, sign up for a clarity session with me here.

This is an actual 30 minute laser coaching session. Here's what to expect:

We explore one issue in your professional/personal life that you keep trying think your way out of but keep finding yourself stuck. During this call I help you get to the heart of the matter so that you can move forward.

Described by a client: “My clarity call with Dr. Sweta was like turning the defroster on the car. Everything’s foggy and then the picture gets crisper—first from the edges and then before you know it, you can see where you’re going."

Just remember with more self-awareness and intentional choosing, you can create new habits that support you to give enough so you have impact, while still honoring your own well-being. Are you open to that?