My Burnout Story: From Success to Misery

I never thought burnout would hit me.

By all appearances, I had “made it.” I had built a business far beyond what I ever imagined possible. A long way from where I started at 12 years old, hustling door-to-door trying to do whatever I could just to make a few bucks. On the outside, life looked amazing: I had a great family, a bigger, stronger business, and more money than I’d ever seen before.

But inside? I was miserable.

It felt like I was trapped in the movie Groundhog Day. Every morning, I’d wake up to the same grind, the same pressure, the same cycle of chasing and never catching anything that mattered. No matter what I accomplished, something was missing.

I tried distractions. Big vacations gave me a temporary recharge, but the recharges kept getting smaller and smaller. I tried drowning my frustration in alcohol—one drink became many, until it was a bottle a day. My temper flared. I was as friendly as a cactus and just as sharp. The people around me—family, employees, even customers—caught the brunt of it. I was short, sarcastic, and often cruel.

Honestly, I don’t know why people put up with me. My gratitude was gone. My joy was gone. And I blamed everyone else for how I felt.

I was locked on a set of tracks headed straight for burnout town.

And here’s the truth: there wasn’t a quick fix. There never is. But there was something that changed everything for me. It wasn’t a gadget, or another vacation, or a new “hack.”

It was something ancient. Over 2,000 years old. A mindset so simple, yet so powerful, it cracked my old worldview wide open.

That something was Stoic philosophy.

Stoicism taught me one thing that shifted everything: your mindset is everything.

And in this post, I want to share with you the five Stoic principles that helped me crawl out of burnout—and can help you do the same.

1. Control What You Can, Release What You Can’t

“You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius

One of the biggest lessons Stoicism taught me was this: I was wasting energy trying to control things that weren’t mine to control.

I thought I could control my staff. My customers. My reputation. Even how people reacted to me. But the truth? None of that was in my control. The only thing I ever had power over was my mindset and my actions.

Burnout thrives when you keep fighting battles you can’t win. You can’t control the traffic jam on your way to work. You can’t control whether your boss is in a bad mood. You can’t control how others see you. But you can control your response. You can control your effort. You can control your attitude.

When I finally let go of all the things outside my control, it was like taking a hundred-pound backpack off my shoulders.

👉 Practical step: Try this today. Make two lists. On the first list, write down everything that’s draining you that you can control (your habits, your words, your choices). On the second, write down what you can’t control (other people, the past, random events). Now—commit to focusing only on the first list. That’s where your true power is.

2. Practice Voluntary Discomfort

“Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare… and then ask yourself: is this the condition that I feared?” – Seneca

Burnout doesn’t always come from overwork. Sometimes it comes from fear. Fear of losing the lifestyle. Fear of losing status. Fear of not being enough without all the “stuff.”

The Stoics had a practice called voluntary discomfort. They would deliberately go without—eat simple meals, sleep on the floor, wear old clothes—not to punish themselves, but to prove they could handle it. To show themselves that comfort isn’t what makes you strong.

When I first read this, it hit me. I realized how much of my burnout was tied to clinging to comfort and control. I was terrified of losing what I had built, so I kept pushing, working, grinding—even when it was killing me.

👉 Practical step: Start small. Try “micro discomfort.” Take a cold shower. Skip your daily coffee run and brew at home. Go for a walk without your phone. The point isn’t suffering—it’s building resilience. Once you learn you can live without the small comforts, you stop fearing the bigger losses.

3. Focus on Virtue, Not Validation

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” – Marcus Aurelius

This principle was a game-changer for me.

When I was burned out, I said “yes” to everything. Every customer request. Every social obligation. Every business opportunity. Not because I cared—but because I was terrified of letting people down.

The Stoics believed the highest good wasn’t recognition, but living with virtue—courage, justice, self-discipline, wisdom. Validation comes and goes. But virtue? That’s eternal.

When I started asking myself, “Am I doing this because it aligns with my values, or because I want someone’s approval?”—my life started changing. My decisions got clearer. My stress went down.

👉 Practical step: Before you agree to anything new, pause and ask yourself: “Am I doing this to live out my values, or am I chasing validation?” If it’s just validation—you’ve got permission to say no.

4. Memento Mori — Remember You Will Die

“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” – Marcus Aurelius

This one hit me hard.

The Stoics often reflected on death—not in a morbid way, but as a tool for clarity. They called it Memento Mori: remember you will die.

When I was burned out, I acted like time was infinite. I loaded up my calendar with obligations, convinced I’d always have more time “later.” Later to rest. Later to appreciate my family. Later to live.

But the truth is—none of us know how much time we have. Every “yes” we give to something meaningless is a “no” to something that actually matters.

👉 Practical step: Each morning, ask yourself: “If today were my last, would I spend it this way?” If you answer “no” too many days in a row, something needs to change.

5. Amor Fati — Love Your Fate

“A blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it.” – Marcus Aurelius

The last principle that helped me beat burnout is called Amor Fati—Latin for “love of fate.”

It’s the idea that you don’t just accept what happens—you embrace it. Even the hard stuff. Even the setbacks.

For me, burnout wasn’t something I wanted. But looking back, I’m grateful for it. Because it forced me to search for something deeper. It forced me to find Stoicism. It forced me to face my mindset—and change.

👉 Practical step: Next time something goes wrong—an unexpected bill, a fight, a missed opportunity—pause and say: “This is fuel. How can I use this?” The challenge doesn’t shrink, but you grow bigger than it.

Bringing It All Together

Burnout isn’t solved with bubble baths and three-day weekends. It’s solved by rewiring how you see the world.

The Stoics remind us: strength doesn’t come from escaping hardship, but from facing it with clarity, courage, and calm.

For me, applying these principles—Control, Discomfort, Virtue, Memento Mori, Amor Fati—pulled me out of the worst burnout of my life. And I’m still practicing them every single day. Because mindset isn’t a one-time fix. It’s a lifelong discipline.

If you’re burned out, you don’t need another vacation or another distraction. You need a new lens. And Stoicism can give you that lens.

Your Next Step

If this spoke to you, I’ve created a free guide: 7 Days to Stoic Calm. It’s a simple plan to start applying Stoic principles to your daily life. One step a day, one principle at a time.

👉 Grab it here and start your reset today.

Because you don’t have to stay stuck in burnout town. You can choose a different track. And once you do—the ripple effect touches not just you, but everyone around you.