Most business owners don’t burn out because they work too much—they burn out because they’re working on the wrong things.

They get trapped in a grind loop, thinking that hustling harder will fix everything. But the harder they work inside the business, the slower it grows.

Burnout isn’t just about exhaustion. It’s about misallocation of energy.

Why Business Owners Get Stuck in a Grind Loop

Many small business owners start off doing everything themselves—and at first, it makes sense. They know the product, they handle sales, they manage operations. But then, the business grows, and suddenly, they’re drowning.

Here’s what happens:

1. No Systems in Place
   • Instead of documenting repeatable processes, everything stays in their head.
   • They micromanage because they haven’t built a system others can follow.
2. Not Knowing Their EHR (Effective Hourly Rate)
   • If you don’t know how much your time is worth, you don’t know what you should delegate.
   • Many owners spend €20/hr on admin tasks when they could be making €200/hr selling or coaching high-value clients.
3. Not Delegating Properly
   • Delegation doesn’t mean just dumping tasks on employees.
   • It means training someone to do it well, measuring the results, and getting out of the way.
4. Forgetting That Growth Comes From Getting Customers, Not Doing Operations
   • As a small business owner, your #1 job is to bring in customers.
   • You should know your product so well that you can train others to deliver it, while you focus on growth.
5. The More the Owner Is in Operations, the Slower the Growth
   • Every hour spent working in the business is an hour NOT spent on growth, sales, or strategy.
   • This is why many businesses stall—owners stay in the weeds instead of building the bigger picture.

How Elite Performers Avoid Burnout

Athletes don’t just train all day. They have:
✔ Structured training & recovery cycles
✔ Specialists who handle different areas (coaches, nutritionists, therapists, trainers)
✔ A long-term plan to maximize output while avoiding exhaustion

Business should be the same:
✔ Systemize and delegate low-value tasks
✔ Measure where time and energy are best spent
✔ Prioritize strategic work over reactive work

The shift is simple: Stop thinking like an employee inside your business and start thinking like the CEO.

3 Quick Questions

1. Are you spending your time on high-impact work, or just being busy?
2. How do you recharge to stay effective long-term?
3. What would happen if you removed 50% of your daily tasks?

Burnout isn’t a badge of honor, it’s a symptom of a broken system. Fix the system, and you fix the business.

When I was the most focused on my ice hockey training, I knew that success wasn’t just about showing up on game day. I had to get my nutrition right, sleep well, practice my skills, train consistently, and stay away from distractions. Every game day had its own ritual that helped me feel sharp and ready to perform.

The best business owners I know operate with the same level of structure and discipline. They are intentional about their routines, how they train their minds, and how they prepare for key decisions. The future of high-level leadership will look even more like elite sports. CEOs will need to take care of their nutrition, sleep, exercise, and business training to perform at their best, just like athletes.

The best future CEOs actually focus on the same core principles as elite athletes: nutrition, sleep, training, and business development. The health of the CEO will determine the health of the company long-term.

Skill Practice: Mastery Comes From Repetition

Athletes don’t just show up and play. They practice core skills, break down their technique, and refine the smallest details. A hockey player spends hours perfecting their stickhandling (what we call “dribbla” in Swedish), timing passes, and shots. These skills don’t develop overnight; they require constant repetition and refinement.

Most CEOs rely only on experience to improve their leadership skills instead of practicing deliberately. If you want to improve your ability to lead, negotiate, or make better decisions, you need structured training.

• Rehearse important conversations the way an athlete drills game scenarios.
• Get coaching and mentorship to refine leadership and strategy.
• Track progress and review past decisions the same way an athlete studies game footage.

Steve Jobs practiced his keynotes hundreds of times before stepping on stage. He did not rely on natural talent. CEOs who take skill development as seriously as athletes will always have the advantage.

Training and Adaptation: The Best Keep Improving

In sports, what worked last season will not always work this season. Athletes evolve, change their training, and adapt to new challenges.

Great CEOs approach business the same way. They are not locked into outdated strategies. They stay ahead by constantly improving.

• They study their industry the way an athlete studies game footage.
• They refine weaknesses instead of ignoring them.
• They test new strategies, knowing that staying static is not an option.

Amazon is a great example of this mindset. Jeff Bezos built a culture of constant testing and adaptation. Businesses that fail to evolve will be overtaken by those that are always learning.

Teamwork and Leadership: Success is Built With Others

The greatest athletes are not just skilled. They elevate their team. They lead by example and create an environment where everyone performs at a higher level.

A CEO needs to do the same.

• Develop the people around you instead of trying to do everything alone.
• Build a culture of feedback and growth so the company keeps improving.
• Learn to trust and delegate rather than micromanaging every decision.

Phil Jackson, the legendary coach of the Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers, built championship teams by focusing on leadership and team dynamics. The best CEOs build companies that operate at a high level because of strong leadership, not just because of their personal effort.

Recovery: The Most Overlooked Advantage

Athletes know that recovery is as important as training. Without it, injuries happen and performance declines.

Many CEOs pride themselves on overworking. They treat exhaustion as a badge of honor. They do not realize that overwork leads to worse decisions, slower reaction times, and burnout.

• High performers treat sleep, exercise, and mental clarity as business priorities.
• Breaks and recovery are built into the schedule, not left to chance.
• Long-term performance matters more than short-term grinding.

LeBron James spends over a million dollars a year on recovery because he knows it extends his career. CEOs who take care of themselves will outlast and outperform those who burn themselves out.

The Danger of Compensation Patterns

Athletes who compensate for an injury create bigger problems in the long run. A minor knee issue ignored today can lead to a serious tear later.

The same happens in business.

• A leader avoiding difficult conversations will see their team fall apart.
• A company chasing fast revenue with no foundation will struggle long-term.
• A CEO who micromanages will become the bottleneck that holds the company back.

Short-term fixes cause long-term damage. The best leaders solve the real problems instead of covering them up with temporary solutions.

Elon Musk built Tesla by focusing on long-term vision, not short-term sales. The businesses that think ahead will always win over those that chase quick results.

The Future CEO Will Train Like an Athlete

The next generation of CEOs will not just be managers. They will be trained to perform at a high level in all areas of their lives.

• They will practice leadership skills deliberately.
• They will treat recovery as part of performance, not a luxury.
• They will focus on long-term strategies instead of quick fixes.

Athletes know that real success comes from smart training, discipline, and recovery. The CEOs of the future will operate the same way.

3 Quick Questions

1. What is one skill you should be deliberately practicing instead of hoping to improve over time?
2. Are you allowing yourself proper recovery, or are you heading toward burnout?
3. Where in your business have you been compensating instead of fixing the real issue?