Your most successful year might be the one that destroys you.

I know that sounds dramatic, but here's what I've learned after a decade of building online businesses and working with hundreds of course creators: Burnout isn't a badge of honor. It's a business strategy problem.

And here's the truth nobody's talking about—you can be hitting your revenue goals and simultaneously falling apart. You can have a six-figure business and zero energy left for the life you built that business to support.

I learned this the hard way. In 2021, I had what looked like a successful business from the outside—great clients, steady revenue, growing team. But I was crying constantly, unable to relax even on vacation, and eventually had a full-blown panic attack that landed me on anti-anxiety medication.

It took me almost three years to fully recover. Three years.

This sustainable business audit is designed to help you catch the warning signs before you get to where I was. Because your body will send you signals—the question is, are you paying attention?

After completing this audit, you'll know:

• Exactly which parts of your business are energy drains vs. energy gains
• Whether you're operating at unsustainable capacity
• What to eliminate, delegate, or redesign immediately
• How to build a business that actually gives you freedom

Because burnout isn't inevitable. It's preventable. And it starts with asking yourself the right questions.

Estimated reading time: 18 minutes

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💡 Want the full picture? This article goes hand-in-hand with Episode 321: Everyone's Burning Out – You Don't Have To. Here's How

Pop in your earbuds and get the deeper dive.👉 [Listen to the companion episode here]

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Section 1: Energy Awareness

Question 1: When Was the Last Time You Felt Genuinely Energized by Your Business?

Not just “that launch went well” or “I hit my revenue goal”—but when did you last finish a workday feeling alive, creative, and excited rather than depleted?

What this reveals:

If you can't remember, or if it's been more than a month, you've likely structured your business around activities that drain you rather than fuel you.

Your action step:

For the next 7 days, track your energy levels after every business activity using this scale:

• +2 = Energizing (I feel alive, creative, excited)
• +1 = Neutral (Fine, not draining or energizing)
• -1 = Slightly draining (Tired but manageable)
• -2 = Seriously draining (Exhausted, anxious, depleted)

Track everything—podcast recording, client calls, social media posts, email writing, admin tasks, content creation.

Red flag: If 60% or more of your activities rate as -1 or -2, you're operating an unsustainable business model.

Question 2: Are You Unable to “Switch Off” Even During Designated Rest Time?

Think about your last vacation, weekend off, or evening. Could you be fully present? Or was your brain constantly churning through work problems, to-do lists, and business anxiety?

What this reveals:

This is often the first warning sign of burnout—long before the panic attacks or complete collapse. When your nervous system is chronically activated, it loses the ability to downregulate.

Your action step:

Test your “switch off” ability right now:

• Set a timer for 10 minutes
• Put your phone in another room
• Sit somewhere comfortable and just breathe
• Notice what your brain does

If you can't make it 10 minutes without thinking about work, or if you feel anxious just reading this exercise, you're in the danger zone.

What to do about it:

Start with “bookend” practices—5 minutes at the start of your workday to transition IN, and 10 minutes at the end to transition OUT. This could be as simple as:

• Morning: Three deep breaths + setting one intention for the day
• Evening: Close your laptop, write down tomorrow's top 3 priorities, take a short walk

Red flag: If you're checking email before bed, working on weekends “just for an hour,” or feeling guilty when you rest, your relationship with work needs immediate attention.

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Section 2: Capacity Reality Check

Question 3: What Would Happen to Your Business If You Got Sick for Two Weeks?

Not “what would I do to prevent this”—but honestly, if you couldn't work for 14 days, what would break?

What this reveals:

If your answer is “everything would collapse,” you're running at 100%+ capacity with zero buffer. You're one crisis away from disaster.

Your action step:

List every critical business function:

• Client delivery
• Sales/marketing
• Email list management
• Financial management
• Content creation
• Customer support

Now, for each one, identify:

• ✅ Green: Someone else could handle this or it could pause for 2 weeks
• ⚠️ Yellow: Would be challenging but manageable
• 🔴 Red: Would completely fall apart without me

What to do about it:

For every red item, you have three options:

1. Delegate it (hire, outsource, or train someone)
2. Systematize it (create SOPs so others can do it)
3. Eliminate it (stop doing it altogether)

The 60% Rule: You should be operating at 60-70% capacity most of the time, leaving a 30-40% buffer for creativity, strategic thinking, life events, opportunities, and rest.

Red flag: If 80% or more of your business functions are red, you've built a business that requires you to work at an unsustainable capacity indefinitely.

Question 4: How Many Hours Per Week Do You Actually Work (Including “Quick Check-Ins”)?

Be honest. Count the hours at your desk PLUS the time checking email on your phone, the Sunday afternoon “planning sessions,” the evening social media scrolling for “content research.”

What this reveals:

Most burnt-out business owners dramatically underestimate their actual working hours because they've normalized being “always on.”

Your action step:

For one week, track every single work-related minute using a time-tracking app like Toggl or Clockify. Include:

• Actual work hours
• Email checking
• Social media (even if it's “just scrolling”)
• Thinking about work
• Phone calls/texts about business

Sustainable benchmarks:

• 35-40 hours/week: Sustainable for most people
• 40-45 hours/week: Manageable short-term, unsustainable long-term
• 45-50 hours/week: Red flag territory
• 50+ hours/week: You're heading for burnout

What to do about it:

If you're over 45 hours consistently, go back to your energy audit and identify activities to:

• Eliminate (stop doing)
• Reduce by 50% (do less frequently)
• Batch (consolidate into focused blocks)
• Delegate (hand to someone else)

Red flag: If you don't actually know how many hours you work because you're “always sort of working,” that's the problem right there.

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Section 3: Business Model Design

Question 5: Is Your Business Designed Around Your Natural Energy Patterns—Or Against Them?

When during the day are you most creative? Most energized? Most social? And when is your calendar forcing you to work?

What this reveals:

Most burnt-out entrepreneurs are trying to force productivity during times when their body and brain naturally aren't at their best. This creates constant friction and exhaustion.

Your action step:

Map your natural energy patterns for 3 days:

• Peak creativity hours: When does your best thinking happen?
• Peak energy hours: When do you feel most alive?
• Social energy hours: When do you want to interact with people?
• Low energy hours: When is your brain foggy?

Now, look at your actual calendar:

• Are you doing creative work during peak creativity?
• Are you taking calls when you're naturally social?
• Are you forcing content creation during low energy?

What to do about it:

Redesign your calendar to match your rhythms:

• Morning person? Protect 9am-12pm for deep work
• Night owl? Stop forcing 6am wake-ups and work when you're actually energized
• Afternoon slump? Schedule admin tasks, not creative work

Real example: One of my clients discovered she was scheduling client calls during her peak creative morning hours—when she should have been creating course content—and then trying to create in the afternoon when her brain was tired. We flipped it. Same hours worked. Completely different energy levels.

Red flag: If your calendar is dictating your energy instead of supporting it, you're fighting your own biology. You'll lose that fight every time.

Question 6: What Percentage of Your Revenue Comes From Activities You Actively Enjoy?

Not “tolerate” or “don't mind”—but genuinely enjoy and feel energized by?

What this reveals:

You can't build a sustainable business if the majority of your revenue comes from activities you hate. Eventually, you'll burn out or sabotage yourself.

Your action step:

Look at your last 90 days of revenue. Break it down by source:

• Email list sales
• Webinar conversions
• Social media sales
• Discovery call conversions
• Other sources

For each revenue source, rate your enjoyment:

• ❤️ Love it (energizing, aligned, enjoy the process)
• 😐 Neutral (fine with it, not draining)
• 😫 Hate it (draining, dreading it, feels terrible)

What to do about it:

Calculate: What % of revenue comes from “Love it” activities?

• 60%+: You're on the right track
• 40-60%: Room for improvement
• Under 40%: Your business model needs redesign

The redesign process:

• For “Hate it” activities: Can you eliminate them and replace with “Love it” activities that generate similar revenue?
• For high-revenue “Hate it” activities: Can you redesign the process to be more enjoyable? Or hire it out?

Real example: One client was spending 6 hours weekly creating Instagram Reels (hated it, -2 energy drain) that never converted to sales. We eliminated them completely. Replaced them with one weekly email she actually enjoyed writing—which converted at 10x the rate. Revenue UP. Energy drain DOWN.

Red flag: If you're making money from activities you hate, you're essentially paying yourself to be miserable. That's not sustainable.

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Section 4: Recovery & Sustainability

Question 7: How Many Completely Work-Free Days Have You Taken in the Last 30 Days?

Not “I checked email but didn't do real work”—actually, completely unplugged days where you didn't think about, look at, or do anything business-related.

What this reveals:

If you can't remember your last full day off, or if the number is under 4, you're operating without recovery time. Your brain and body need rest to consolidate learning, process stress, and restore energy.

Your action step:

Count your actual days off in the last 30 days. Then:

Minimum sustainable benchmark:

• 8+ days per month: Healthy
• 4-7 days per month: Manageable short-term
• Under 4 days per month: Unsustainable

What to do about it:

Block out at least 2 days per week as completely work-free. Put them in your calendar as non-negotiable appointments with yourself.

What counts as “off”:

• ✅ No email checking
• ✅ No “quick” client messages
• ✅ No social media for business
• ✅ No thinking about work problems

What's allowed:

• ✅ Passive income generation (if systems are automated)
• ✅ Consuming content for pleasure (not market research)
• ✅ Creative thinking that feels playful, not obligatory

The recovery week strategy:

After every major business initiative (launch, big promotion, program delivery), schedule a full recovery week where your only job is low-energy maintenance:

• No new content creation
• No new calls
• No big decisions
• Only urgent emails
• Admin catch-up only

Red flag: If the idea of taking a full day off makes you anxious, or if you feel guilty when you rest, you've normalized an unsustainable pace.

Question 8: Do You Have Early Warning Systems in Place to Catch Burnout Before It Catches You?

What metrics are you tracking to ensure you're staying sustainable? Or are you just hoping you'll notice before it's too late?

What this reveals:

Most people don't realize they're burnt out until they're completely falling apart. By then, recovery takes months or years. Early detection = easier intervention.

Your action step:

Set up a monthly “Sustainability Check-In” (last Friday of every month, 10 minutes). Track these 5 metrics:

1. Hours worked per week

• Target: 35-40 hours
• Yellow flag: 45 hours
• Red flag: 50+ hours

2. Percentage of week in peak creativity zones

• Target: 60% or higher
• Yellow flag: 40-60%
• Red flag: Under 40%

3. Number of -2 energy activities per week

• Target: 0
• Yellow flag: 1-2
• Red flag: 3+

4. Days completely off per month

• Target: 8+
• Yellow flag: 4-7
• Red flag: Under 4

5. Physical symptoms

• Target: None
• Yellow flag: Trouble sleeping, tension headaches, digestive issues
• Red flag: Panic attacks, constant crying, inability to relax

What to do about it:

Create a simple spreadsheet with these 5 metrics. Review monthly. If you see multiple yellow flags, that's your signal to pull back before you hit red.

Intervention strategies:

• 1 yellow flag: Adjust one thing this month
• 2-3 yellow flags: Time for a recovery week
• 1+ red flags: Stop everything non-essential immediately and get support

Red flag: If you're experiencing physical symptoms (panic attacks, constant crying, inability to relax, chest tightness, insomnia), your body is screaming at you. Listen.

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Section 5: Decision-Making & Boundaries

Question 9: In the Last Month, How Many Times Did You Say Yes to Something You Knew Would Drain You?

Opportunities, collaborations, client requests, speaking gigs, partnerships—how many times did you say yes even though you knew it wasn't aligned?

What this reveals:

Burnt-out entrepreneurs often have a boundary problem disguised as an opportunity problem. Every yes to something draining is a no to your sustainability.

Your action step:

Create your “Opportunity Filter” by answering these questions for every future opportunity:

The 5-Question Filter:

1. Energy test: Does this energize me (+1 or +2) or drain me (-1 or -2)?
2. Revenue test: Will this generate significant revenue relative to the energy cost?
3. Alignment test: Is this moving me toward my Freedom Empire vision?
4. Capacity test: Do I have buffer space for this, or am I already at 70%+ capacity?
5. Sustainability test: Can I do this without sacrificing rest, family time, or health?

Decision matrix:

• 5 yes answers: This is a hell yes
• 3-4 yes answers: Proceed with caution
• 2 or fewer: This is a no (even if it “might” make money)

What to do about it:

Practice saying no to opportunities that don't pass the filter. Here are templates:

• “Thank you for thinking of me! Unfortunately, I'm at capacity right now and need to protect my existing commitments.”
• “This sounds amazing, but it's not aligned with my current business focus. I hope you find the perfect fit!”
• “I appreciate the opportunity, but I've committed to a more sustainable pace this year, and I need to honor that.”

The energy ROI calculation:

Before saying yes to anything, calculate:

Hours required × energy drain level = total energy cost

Potential revenue ÷ total energy cost = energy ROI

If the energy ROI is low, it's not worth it—even if the dollar ROI looks good.

Red flag: If you're saying yes to things out of fear (fear of missing out, fear of saying no, fear of leaving money on the table), you're making decisions from scarcity, not strategy.

Question 10: If You Could Redesign Your Business From Scratch Today, What Would You Change?

Not “what's realistic” or “what's practical”—if you could wave a magic wand, what would your business look like?

What this reveals:

The gap between your current business and your ideal business shows you exactly where your sustainability problems live.

Your action step:

Dream big for a moment. Describe your ideal business:

• How many hours per week do you work?
• What days/times do you work?
• What activities fill your days?
• What have you eliminated completely?
• What does your team handle?
• How much revenue do you generate?
• What does your launch calendar look like?
• How much time off do you take?

Now, compare that to your current reality. What's the biggest gap?

What to do about it:

You can't redesign everything overnight, but you can start closing the gap. Pick ONE element from your ideal business and ask:

“What's the smallest step I could take this month to move closer to this?”

Examples:

• Ideal: Work 35 hours/week → This month: Cut one weekly activity to get to 40 hours
• Ideal: No client calls on Fridays → This month: Block Fridays in calendar, move existing calls
• Ideal: Team handles all admin → This month: Hire a VA for 5 hours/week
• Ideal: Take 4 weeks off per year → This month: Schedule one week off in the next quarter

The 12-month redesign plan:

Break your ideal business into 12 monthly milestones. Each month, make one change that moves you closer. By this time next year, you'll have a completely different business—one that's actually sustainable.

Red flag: If you can't even dream about your ideal business because it feels “impossible” or “unrealistic,” you've lost sight of why you started this in the first place. Your business should serve your life, not consume it.

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The Real Talk Wrap-Up

Here's what I need you to understand: Burnout isn't a badge of honor. It's not proof that you're working hard enough or taking your business seriously. It's a sign that something in your business model is broken.

I learned this the hard way—lying by a pool in Noosa unable to relax, crying all through October, having a panic attack in November that landed me on medication. It took me almost three years to fully recover.

Three years.

And you know what changed? I stopped measuring my worth by how busy I was. I stopped saying yes to everything that might make money. I started designing my business around my energy patterns instead of fighting them.

I built sustainability in from the beginning, not as something I'd add “once I was successful.”

This sustainable business audit isn't just a worksheet—it's your early warning system. It's the thing I wish someone had given me in 2020, before I hit the wall.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long does it take to complete the full sustainable business audit?

A: The complete audit takes about 60-90 minutes if you answer all 10 questions thoroughly. However, you don't need to do it all at once. Many people work through one section per day or tackle 2-3 questions during their weekly planning session. The energy tracking (Question 1) and hours tracking (Question 4) require a full week of data collection, so plan accordingly.

Q: What if I'm already experiencing burnout symptoms? Should I still do this audit?

A: Yes, absolutely—but with one important caveat: if you're experiencing severe symptoms (panic attacks, inability to function, constant crying), prioritize getting professional support first. A therapist or coach can help you stabilize while you work through the audit. The audit is a diagnostic tool, not a replacement for mental health care. Think of it as identifying what needs to change in your business structure so you don't end up back in crisis mode.

Q: I scored red flags on almost everything. What should I do?

A: Don't panic. This is actually valuable information. Start with Question 3 (the two-week test) and identify ONE critical business function you can delegate, systematize, or eliminate this month. Just one. Then move to Question 4 and cut your hours by 5 hours per week. Small changes compound. You didn't build an unsustainable business overnight, and you won't fix it overnight either—but you can start today.

Q: Can I do this audit with a business partner or team?

A: Absolutely. In fact, I recommend it. Have each team member complete the audit individually first, then compare notes. You'll likely discover that different people are experiencing different energy drains. What's energizing for your operations manager might be draining for your content creator. This creates opportunities for strategic role redesign and delegation that benefits everyone.

Q: What if my business model requires me to do activities I hate (like sales calls)?

A: This is where the redesign conversation gets real. You have three options: (1) Hire someone who loves sales calls to handle them, (2) Redesign your sales process so it feels less draining (maybe group calls instead of 1-on-1s, or a different sales mechanism entirely), or (3) Accept that this activity is part of your business and build in extra recovery time around it. But be honest: if you hate it AND it's not generating significant revenue, option 1 (eliminate it) might be the answer.

Q: How often should I repeat this audit?

A: I recommend doing a full audit quarterly (every 3 months) and a quick sustainability check-in monthly (Question 8). Your business evolves, your capacity changes, and new drains emerge. What was sustainable in January might not be sustainable in April. Regular audits help you catch drift before it becomes a crisis.

Q: I'm a solopreneur with no team. How do I delegate?

A: Delegation doesn't always mean hiring full-time staff. Consider: virtual assistants (5-10 hours/week), freelancers for specific projects, automation tools, or batching tasks so they take less time. Even a part-time VA for 5 hours weekly can handle email management, scheduling, and admin—freeing you for revenue-generating activities. Start small. A $500/month VA investment often pays for itself in recovered productivity.

Q: What if I realize my entire business model needs to change?

A: That's what Question 10 is for. If the gap between your current business and your ideal business feels massive, use the 12-month redesign plan. Pick one element to change each month. By next year, you'll have a completely different business. This isn't failure—it's evolution. Many of my most successful clients have completely pivoted their business model after doing this audit.

Q: How do I know if I'm just being lazy vs. actually burnt out?

A: Burnout isn't laziness. Burnout is your nervous system in chronic stress mode. Lazy people don't care about their work. Burnt-out people care deeply but are running on empty. If you're experiencing physical symptoms (sleep issues, headaches, digestive problems), emotional symptoms (constant anxiety, inability to relax, crying), or behavioral symptoms (avoiding work, procrastinating, making mistakes), that's burnout, not laziness. Trust your body.

Q: Can I use this audit for my team members?

A: Yes! This audit works beautifully as a team diagnostic tool. If you have employees or contractors, consider having them complete it and then discussing the results together. You'll identify which roles are sustainable, which need restructuring, and where people are closest to burnout. This creates opportunities for better role design, delegation, and team support—which benefits your entire business.

Q: What's the difference between this audit and just “working less”?

A: Working less without strategy often just means you're behind on everything. This audit helps you work differently—eliminating low-impact activities, delegating what doesn't require your unique skills, and designing your schedule around your natural rhythms. It's not about doing nothing. It's about doing the right things in the right way at the right time.

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Your Next Steps

Here's what I want you to do:

✅ Answer all 10 questions honestly. (The ones that make you uncomfortable are the most important.)

✅ Identify your top 3 red flags. (Where are you closest to burnout?)

✅ Choose ONE action step to implement this week. (Start small. Build momentum.)

Because your business should fund your freedom—not your therapy bills.

Want the full story and strategies? Tune into The Launch Lounge Podcast 321. Everyone's Burning Out – You Don't Have To. Here's How for the complete breakdown of how I rebuilt my business to last.

Know a course creator who's working themselves into the ground? Forward them this audit. You might just save them from where I was.

Because your Freedom Empire should energize you, not exhaust you.

💚💚💚

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