Burnout isn’t just about being busy—it’s about misalignment with your values and purpose.

Do you ever hear someone say, “I can’t help you with that, I’m too busy?” When you hear it, do you think, “there is just NO way you’re as busy as I am?” Many with packed personal and professional schedules likely hear and think these thoughts.

For many talking heads, influencers, and content creators, this is what drives even the most dedicated executives into burnout. They’ll say, “you have to say ‘no’ to almost everything” to avoid burnout. “Prioritize yourself” or your “personal time,” or (my favorite) “get your work-life balance right.”

Bologna. Of the Oscar Mayer variety.

The Real Causes of Burnout

The truth is you’ll likely burn out for many other reasons than simply having a packed schedule. Research identifies the top causes as: excessive workload, lack of control, insufficient rewards, poor social support, unfair treatment, and mismatched values.

Now, excessive workload can certainly contribute to burnout—but here’s the key distinction: it’s not just about the volume of work, it’s about whether that work feels meaningful and aligned with your purpose. The next factor, lack of control, is equally important. You might have time if you had help and autonomy to make decisions about how that time gets used.

Insufficient rewards and poor social support often stem from being in the wrong environment rather than having too much on your plate. You might work long hours gladly when you feel valued and supported by your team.

Unfair treatment is a special situation. If you’re being taken advantage of, undercompensated, overutilized, or abused in a professional setting, no amount of time or help will save you from burning out.

The Critical Factor: Values Alignment

But that last item is critical. Mismatched values can mean many things—between you and a manager, you and business goals, or you and corporate culture. While these misalignments can feel overwhelming, the path forward depends on your situation and sphere of influence.

Finding the right manager and team environment is ultimately key to avoiding burnout altogether. When you’re doing work aligned with your values—when you feel part of the mission and supported by your immediate team—you’re far less likely to feel constrained by time, resources, or management pressures. But getting there doesn’t always require starting over somewhere new.

Before You Jump Ship: Strategies by Role

If you’re in a leadership position, you have both opportunity and responsibility to address values misalignment—for yourself and your team. Start by having honest conversations about what’s driving the disconnect. Is it unclear priorities? Competing demands? A culture that doesn’t match stated values?

You can often create pockets of alignment within your sphere of influence. Clarify how your team’s work connects to the broader mission. Advocate upward for resources and support your team needs. Model the values you want to see, even if the broader organization hasn’t caught up yet.

If you’re an individual contributor feeling stuck, you’re not powerless. Begin by identifying which aspects of your current role do align with your values—and lean into those. Volunteer for projects that energize you. Build relationships with colleagues who share your perspective. Sometimes a simple reframe of how your work serves others can reignite purpose.

Look for small ways to influence your immediate environment. Suggest process improvements. Offer to mentor newer team members. Create the culture you want to see in your corner of the organization.

The key question for both scenarios: Can you create enough alignment to make the work sustainable while you either drive broader change or plan your next move strategically?

If after genuine effort the answer is no—or if you’re facing truly toxic conditions—then it’s time to plan your exit. But don’t let frustration drive you to hasty decisions when you might be able to create meaningful change right where you are.

Define Your Mission First

You must first fully define your value system to understand what to look for in a manager, role, or employer. You must then have a system for seeking out the right targets and evaluating them based on your personal mission. Remember Jerry Maguire’s moment of truth? It comes not from changing his employer’s mind, but in realizing it can’t be changed. His personal mission statement leads him to the best possible outcome and delivers him from a career path laden with burnout potential.

The Power of Integrated Purpose

My personal mission combines both my professional and individual goals—I seek to provide the very best opportunities for my family, my clients, and my students. This combination of constituents covers everything I do and, most importantly, fuels my days, evenings, and weekends of work. I don’t feel burned out because of the intertwined nature of this mission. I feel energized!

These overlapping audiences provide balance for each other as well. When I’m not feeling great about my performance with one, I’m likely extra energized by another. Without that balance, I might find myself exhausted by that one “failing” area and unable to find focus to recover. Being extra busy actually makes me less vulnerable to burnout!

Your Burnout Prevention Strategy

That doesn’t mean this approach is for everyone or that you should run out and get a second or third job. But it does mean your mission and values should span as broad a base as possible and align with everything you choose to pursue.

When that alignment slips more than periodically? It’s time to re-evaluate that portion of your life and reconsider the resources you allocate to it.

Key Takeaways for Leaders

1. Burnout isn’t just about being busy—it’s about misalignment with your values and purpose
2. Define your personal mission before evaluating roles, managers, or organizations
3. Seek an integrated purpose that spans multiple areas of your life for natural balance
4. When values misalign consistently, it’s time to make a change rather than endure
5. The right organizational fit can transform overwhelming work into an energizing mission

As Jerry Maguire says, “Help me help you”—let your values rescue you from future burnout by guiding you toward work that truly matters to you.

For leaders looking to create more purpose-driven organizations that prevent burnout while driving results, consider how your team’s values align with your mission. The investment in this alignment pays dividends in both performance and retention.

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