Monday mornings can often feel like the start of another relentless climb. This past Monday, I found myself sharing a candid moment with my husband about the mounting dread I’ve been feeling. My confession? I no longer look forward to the workweek. As an executive director of a nonprofit, my days have become a cycle of endless emails and the constant quest for funding—a pursuit made all the more challenging by the nature of our mission, serving a population many would rather pretend doesn’t exist.

It’s exhausting to champion a cause that resonates with so few. To fix problems that, while invisible to most, are crucial to our organization’s survival. The joy I once found in my work has been overshadowed by fatigue, leaving me yearning for weekends not because I want a break but because I want to escape.

Later that day, my husband interrupted my routine with a question about a hypothetical client of his, a CEO facing her own version of burnout. He reminded me of a principle we often discuss: the trap of working in the business rather than on it. He challenged me to apply that lens to my own situation.

Reflecting on this, I realized I had let vital tasks accumulate—tasks like tackling backlogged emails, each requiring actions I had postponed: a call to the IRS, editing a policy document, addressing a cash flow issue. Inspired to shift my perspective by the afternoon, I cleared these tasks. At 3:00 PM, I repotted seedlings, preparing for the gardening season. At that moment, something clicked. The strife I felt was mainly of my own making. I had pigeonholed myself into the role of an employee in my own organization, losing sight of my role as a leader. Once I addressed the lingering tasks with a renewed mindset, I alleviated some of my stress and reclaimed the balance I desperately needed.

I’ve come to realize that leadership burnout can be as much about perception as it is about reality. When we dwell on the sensation of burnout, we give it power over us. But when we step back and tackle the responsibilities we’ve been avoiding, we can disrupt the cycle of exhaustion.

My takeaway from this is a reminder to myself and perhaps to other leaders feeling similarly stuck: sometimes, getting out of your own way is the first step toward rediscovery. It’s about more than just managing tasks or finding leisure time; it’s about nurturing the vision and passion that drew us to our roles in the first place. Let’s remind ourselves to work on the business, not just in it—to elevate our perspective and reignite the joy in our work.

This journey of confronting burnout isn’t just about personal recovery; it’s about embodying the kind of leadership that can inspire a whole organization. By being vulnerable about our struggles, we heal ourselves and pave the way for a more resilient, passionate, and visionary workplace.