Is ambition burning you out?

Through perseverance, will and ambition, you have taken the helm of a successful roofing company that is well-respected in your community and among your workforce. But the drive that got you to this point seems to be waning, and rather than feeling energized, you feel exhausted by the very idea of being successful. Sound familiar?

This feeling is widespread among top performers, according to the Harvard Business Review article “When your ambition starts to exhaust you,” by Rebecca Knight.

Amy Wrzesniewski, an organizational psychologist and professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, told Knight: “If your success has always depended on enormous effort and energy, and suddenly you can’t sustain that anymore, it’s terrifying. But instead of beating yourself up about what used to work, put that energy toward understanding why things have changed.”

Wrzesniewski says you should ask yourself a few questions:

1. Is this an engine problem or a fuel problem? Knight writes “an engine problem means the machinery (in other words, your body) is older. You still love the work, but recovery takes longer, and the horsepower isn’t there. … A fuel problem is different. The engine parts are fine, but what’s powering it has changed.”

2. Am I chasing the next achievement or doing work that mattersto me? Some folks see work as strictly a means to financial success; some focus their careers on advancement and promotion. But those who view work as a calling have higher overall satisfaction and greater likelihood of sustaining ambitious goals.

3. Whose standards am I living by? Knight says leaders “often internalize unrealistic expectations from demanding clients … then hold [themselves] to a bar that’s higher than what anyone actually requires.”

4. When am I most energized at work—and what would it take to build my role around that? Knight suggests leaders identify what’s worth their energy. Do you enjoy being a mentor? Do you thrive in strategic planning sessions? She says crafting a job to make it more engaging and meaningful is necessary.

Focusing on what you truly want and what matters to you now can help you realign your expectations and re-energize you for what is ahead.