Resilience. The golden word in leadership. The badge of honor worn by high achievers. The proof that we can “handle it.” But this relentless push to grind harder, endure more, and tough it out no matter the cost? It’s a trap.
I see it all the time in my clients. From the outside, they’re kicking goals – leading teams, hitting targets, scaling businesses. But behind the scenes? The cracks are forming. Energy is drained, joy is missing, and the weight of “just one more push” is suffocating. The risk? They’re burning themselves out in the relentless pursuit of results.
And I get it. I lived it.
I spent years slogging through late nights and early mornings, climbing the corporate ladder, positioning myself for the next big job. The formula seemed foolproof: work harder → get results. And for a while, it worked.
Then I left corporate.
I stepped into the world of entrepreneurship, fired up by the promise of more freedom, more control, and more time to do things differently. I was determined to break the cycle. But guess what? The same relentless conditioning followed me.
I continued to work harder, max out the hours, push myself to the limit. Because that’s what I thought success demanded. And the results rolled in – three best-selling books, businesses built and sold, seven-figure success, a client book to die for.
Again the formula seemed foolproof: work harder → get results.
But here’s the truth no one tells you: toxic resilience is a slow killer.
I had to unlearn and re-learn.
Here’s what I know now – real success isn’t about being the rock that takes every hit. It’s about being the river. The river flows around obstacles. It adapts, it moves, it carves new paths without losing itself in the process.
That’s the conversation I have every single day inside my Inner Circle and Elevate communities. It’s not about sacrificing yourself at the altar of achievement. It’s about building a business and life by design. On your terms. With boundaries, strategy, and intention.
Where in your life are you still trying to be the rock when you should be the river?
Where do you need to stop pushing and start flowing?
It’s time to shift the game.
👉 Listen in here where I go deep into a discussion on Toxic Resilience with the incredible and inspiring Repa Patel.
Janine X