Whether from the relentless expectations of work, the endless responsibilities at home, or the deep seated desire to bring the “best version” of ourselves to everything we do – burnout is a big problem.

In our fast-paced, hyperconnected world, it has become an increasingly pervasive issue. So pervasive, in fact, that we seem to have gone deaf to its cry. Normalizing it as “just the way things are”, or worse – actually admiring it – worn like a badge of honor we’re almost proud to achieve.

But, ignoring burnout has consequences.

Did you know that a gathering of monarch butterflies is called a kaleidoscope?

Sara shares how community and connection are transforming the lives of achievers and survivors through Monarch.

Most of us think that hard work pays off. That for something to be worthwhile, it has to be a little bit of a challenge.

We devalue easy things, because learning how to do hard things…saved us. But, ease isn’t the absence of effort. Ease is what happens when your effort is finally aligned with who you really are.

Monarchs are the strongest, bravest, people in the world – but they almost never feel that way.

This week, Sara has written a love letter just for you – the one no one even thinks to check one.

Hello, hyper-independence.

This trait is among the most common I see in achievers and survivors. And it causes way more problems than it solves.

This week, we’re talking about how to replace this way of functioning with something that sustainably works.

There’s a group of people no one even thinks to check on.

People who function so well, it never occurs to anyone they could fail.

The overachievers. The hyper-functioners. The people breaking generational cycles, achieving, succeeding, and seemingly “doing it all” well.

But, despite their brilliance, competence, and wisdom – these are precisely the people most likely to burn out.

This week we’re checking on the people no one else does.

If I strip away the capability, the achievement, the relentless productivity…take away the hard work and the hustle, and the grit — what’s left?

The Monarch Method starts with that all important question. With claiming your identity. Your true identity.

Not the one you built for survival or the role you’ve been playing, or the capable, competent, always-handles-it person the world has come to rely on.

But, your deeper identity. The one that actually informed your survival skills. The part of you that knew you needed something you didn’t have & went about building it with whatever raw materials it could find. The you – behind what you survived.

You did everything that needed to be done. You checked the boxes, created value, saw your friends, maybe even received some positive feedback on your work.

You’re good at what you do. Known for being good, in fact. The person everyone relies on to get the hard stuff done. The default adult in every group.

Your reputation used to make you proud. But, you stopped feeling accomplished a long time ago. Now, you’re just playing the role. Living in the skin of who you used to be.

And, spending most of your time – active, productive, achieving – but somewhere on a continuum between frustrated and numb.

You are surviving your life. Running it on sheer will, momentum, & survival skills. And, like most high achievers, it’s all you’ve ever known.

You survived the trauma. Did the therapy. Read the books. Burned the sage. So, why does life still feel like this?

This week, Sara walks us deeper into what happens when cycle breakers and survivors live in a constant state of bracing – and what to do about it.

I have not traditionally been a fan of Valentine’s Day.

But, as I’ve gotten older, my perspective has changed. I still think Valentine’s Day is kind of absurd, but not because it celebrates love. Because it focuses on celebrating the wrong kind.

We spend so much time thinking about romantic love—hoping for it, finding it, keeping it, optimizing it—that we completely miss the relationship that determines the quality of every other relationship in our lives.

The one with ourselves.