58: Andy Johns - Stop. Burnout within High Performers

Summary

Burnout and the pursuit of external validation in tech. 

The pressure to constantly achieve and the belief that success will bring happiness and fulfillment is driving some of us into ruin. It almost did with Andy Johns, he was never more successful and unhappier in his life until he his body hit the reset switch.

Top companies, top jobs, top titles. Achieve, achieve, achieve. And yet it’s never enough… A lot of us are chasing external validation so we don’t have to deal with and accept ourselves.

Takeaways

• The tech industry, with its emphasis on high performance and success, often perpetuates the cycle of burnout.
• Removing the masks we wear and being vulnerable with others is important for personal growth.
• Letting out suppressed emotions and desires is a crucial step towards healing and finding our true selves.

Sound Bites

• "The human superpower is the ability to imagine things that aren't real."
• "Not everyone who's succeeding, at least on paper, is doing as well on the inside as they are on the outside."
• "I was seeking something external to myself that would make me feel lovable, whole, and complete."

Chapters

03:42 The Pressure to Achieve and the Illusion of Happiness

09:56 The Importance of Self-Love and Addressing Traumas

15:45 The Tech Industry and the Cycle of Burnout

33:42 The Limitations of Free Will

37:35 Losing Touch with Our Authentic Selves

42:52 Strength in Vulnerability

57:03 Regretting the Delay in Self-Discovery

01:02:11 Depression as a Result of Suppression

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