"Burnout isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom whispering, ‘Something has to change.’"

Today’s Ladder:

Quit Quitting in Your Head

What if the answer to burnout isn’t quitting your job… 

but changing how you show up in it?

I hit that wall once.
The Sunday dread. The heavy mornings. 

The constant thought, “Maybe I should just quit.”

But deep down, I didn’t want to throw everything away.

I wanted to feel alive in my work again.

So I stopped asking, “Should I stay or go?”
And started asking… 

“How can I rebuild my energy without losing everything I’ve worked for?”

That shift changed everything.

Because burnout isn’t just about workload.
It’s about imbalance.

Burned Out? Don’t Quit Yet.

Here are the 3 moves that helped me recover without walking away:

1. Boundaries – I learned to say no when my plate was full. Protecting my time wasn’t selfish. It was survival.
   

2. Recovery Rituals – I started treating rest like a strategy, not a luxury. Workouts, walks, even ten-minute pauses made a difference.
   

3. Purpose Check – I reconnected with the bigger reason behind my work. When I linked my daily tasks back to my long-term vision, they stopped feeling meaningless.
   

Burnout taught me that quitting isn’t the only reset button.

Sometimes the fix is smaller than we think.

• A boundary.

• A ritual.

• A reminder of why we started.

And once I made those shifts, I didn’t just survive work.

I started to enjoy it again.

You don’t have to burn your career to the ground to rise from the ashes.

Takeaway:

Don’t Let Burnout Win

Yesterday, my wife and I tried something I used to roll my eyes at.

We were invited to a Japanese practice called shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing.

Honestly, I thought it sounded woo-woo. 

On the way there, we joked about not wanting to be “tree-huggers.”

But by the time we left, it felt like the forest had hugged us instead.

The moment we stepped in, the air shifted.

I breathed in the sharp scent of pine mixed with damp earth.

My fingers traced the rough bark of an old oak, grounding me more than I expected.

Each step pressed into the soft carpet of grass, steadying my pace.

The rustle of leaves, coupled with the chirping of the birds, felt like a quiet conversation meant just for us.

And in that stillness, something surprising happened…

• My mind stopped racing. 

• My body eased.

• I was present.

I wasn’t chasing the next task or replaying yesterday’s meeting.

It struck me: 

I had spent years filling every silence with work, thinking progress only came through motion.

But true growth often starts in the pause.

That further validated one of the principles I teach in the 10 Career Commandments:

“Clarity precedes power.”

When you stop long enough to reflect, you don’t just recharge.

You realign.

👉 Download The 10 Career Commandments here

ICYMI: Links to past issues

📣 The Art of Getting Noticed and Paid What You’re Worth

🤦🏻‍♂️ Commandment #7: No One Is Coming to Save You

💱 Stop Underselling Yourself: The Case for Backing Your Ask

To your success,

Dr. Lex ✍️

Founder, Career Ladder | The 6PM Method