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You’re Not Burned Out With Your Business. You’re Bored and Running From It.

Jul 21 2026 | By: Charlene Stackle

At the risk of sounding like Gary Vee with this title. I hope I got your attention. This blog might be a bit of tough love, but hear me out.

After 20+ years of management, I’ve seen good leaders, meh leaders, and truly crappy ones. In all that time, I’ve only worked with two truly great leaders: one of them was my dad, so count me biased there.

But that’s a story for another time. So why does this matter to you? Even if you’re feeling burned out, chances are you’re managing as a good leader at best. That might be tough to hear, but here’s the good news: you have the power to change this.

And it’s not just you. What I keep seeing, and what shows up in the data too, is that 40% of small business owners point to poor work/life balance, or just plain working too much, as one of the hardest parts of running the thing they built (Patriot Software survey).

 

🧠 Start With Two Questions

And all it needs is a bit of self-awareness. We can start with some simple questions.

  1. What am I holding on to, managing, thinking about, or stressing over that I could let go of or finally take action on?

  2. What would I rather be doing if I wasn’t doing business? Alternatively, if I had a magic wand to handle all the things, what could I finally do?

Give yourself some space to imagine life without the stress, without the business, and waving that magic wand.

 

📥 What You’re Actually Holding Onto

For example, you may feel you need to read and respond to all your emails. That only you know how to filter and respond to them. You haven’t even given that task to your Executive Assistant; they are so near and dear to your heart. Let me put it plainly: you are more important than your emails/tasks.

And there’s a reason letting go of that stuff feels so hard to do. The average entrepreneur spends about 36% of their week on admin tasks, and almost a third are burning somewhere between a quarter and half their week on the kind of small, delegable work that was never really theirs to do in the first place (Time etc / Forbes).

But here’s the thing: anything that’s task-, project-, or even money management-related can be delegated. That doesn’t mean letting go completely; it just means you don’t have to do it all yourself.

Where you matter most is time spent with people or in places only you can be, like with loved ones, friends, or on vacation. Only you can show up for those moments.

Or things that need your express decision. That’s what it really boils down to: is the fact that you can actually remove yourself from a lot of different places you haven’t even been thinking about. Dig in to that vision. Where you show up where only you can.

Take a moment to consider: where do you truly add value, and where are you just keeping busy? Maybe the magic wand question (question 2 above) resonates more with you; either way, it’s worth exploring.

If you want a bit more structure for working through that than just sitting with the questions, that’s exactly what my free Expand Blueprint walks you through.

If you let those tasks, projects, and money management fall away, what’s left?

Presence.

And for most founders who’ve hustled instead of flowed, that can be a scary place to be.

 

🤵 What I Learned From Watching Other Managers

Here’s an example from my own experience.

There was a time when I thought I was a bad manager, mostly because of what I saw my peers doing. I remember going to off-site meetings, which were rare opportunities to actually see other managers in person, since we usually just communicated by phone or email.

When we did get together, I’d notice most of them glued to their phones, texting, calling, and constantly talking about the latest crisis they had to handle. It always seemed like they were rushing from one emergency to the next. I started to wonder: Was I doing something wrong? I loved my team, but I wasn’t constantly putting out fires. Nobody was bugging me. Did that mean I wasn’t important?

When the status quo in business is hustle and crisis aversion, it’s natural to feel like you’re doing it wrong if you slow down, take time off, and be present.

The truth is, I had learned how to delegate and trust my team, and they trusted me in return. Things often ran even more smoothly when I wasn’t there. I’d come back after time away and find that not only had everything gotten done, but often more had been accomplished than expected.

Sure, my team probably took advantage of my absence in small, harmless ways, maybe goofing off here and there. But it was never anything serious. In fact, the team usually seemed a little happier when I returned.

That kind of trust is rarer than most people think. Only 15% of small business owners say they don’t work at all during time off, which means the vast majority have built something that can’t actually run without them (Groove HQ). So, I want to ask you: are you able to step away and still trust your team to thrive?

Have you set your team up to run smoothly when you’re away, whether it’s for an offsite meeting or even a few weeks? Would you feel compelled to check your phone, constantly message or call, and put out fires? Or could you truly trust your team to hold down the fort?

I’ve thought a lot about what it means to feel “important.” When I used to see those managers glued to their phones, I’d wonder: Am I not important enough? Maybe the real key is making yourself less indispensable.

It’s important to be comfortable with being present. Try setting your phone aside, maybe even turning it off for a day, and see what comes up for you. It’s not always about the tasks; sometimes it’s about feeling needed, or feeling important. Sometimes, it’s simply boredom, and not knowing what to do with yourself when you’re truly present.

One last note: Recognizing burnout starts with self-awareness. I’m not a health professional, and if you’re struggling or need support, please seek professional help. I’ve been there myself, having to step down from corporate positions due to burnout and health issues, so I don’t minimize what you may be experiencing.

Take a real look: Are you bored, and just running from it?

 

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