In today’s fast-paced world, success often comes with a hidden cost—burnout. For many high achievers, the relentless pursuit of perfection, people-pleasing, and over-commitment leads to exhaustion and disillusionment. In a powerful episode of Daring to Leap, burnout expert Hannah Tackett shares her insights on how to escape these success traps and reclaim your life.

The Perils of Overachievement
Hannah Tackett, a former tech leader with over 16 years of experience, knows firsthand the toll that overachievement can take. Despite her outward success, she found herself battling severe burnout, driven by the very traits that had propelled her career—perfectionism, people-pleasing, and an inability to say no.

Hannah describes burnout as a result of unmanaged, unhealthy stress levels that accumulate over time. For many women, this stress manifests in behaviors that are often celebrated in the workplace but are ultimately destructive. These include taking on too much to please others, setting impossibly high standards for oneself, and constantly helping others at the expense of personal well-being.

Recognizing the Signs of Burnout
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It begins with subtle signs like irritability, anxiety, and insomnia. As stress levels rise, these symptoms evolve into more serious issues like detachment, cynicism, and a pervasive sense of dread. Hannah explains that one of the key indicators of burnout is resentment—when you start resenting your job, your obligations, or even your loved ones, it’s a clear sign that something needs to change.

For Hannah, the breaking point came when she physically couldn’t get out of bed. However, she points out that burnout looks different for everyone. Some might feel an overwhelming sense of dread every morning, while others may experience a gradual decline in their energy and enthusiasm.

Breaking Free from the Success Traps
Hannah identifies five common success traps that high achievers fall into:

People Pleasing: Overcommitting to please others and taking on too much.
Perfectionism: Setting unrealistically high standards that drain energy.
Helper Syndrome: Constantly helping others at the expense of personal needs.
Overachievement: Always chasing the next win without celebrating accomplishments.
Fear of Saying No: Avoiding boundaries due to fear of rejection or failure.
These behaviors, while often rewarded in the short term, are unsustainable and lead to burnout. To break free, Hannah emphasizes the importance of shifting from a mindset of individual achievement to one of leadership and empowerment. Instead of trying to do it all, she encourages delegating, setting boundaries, and focusing on what truly matters.