Burn the Map

23: Don't Build the Same Box You Just Escaped


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You finally escaped corporate. Three months later, you're at your desk at 8am sharp, working through lunch, feeling guilty about that doctor's appointment you're thinking of canceling. Again.

You rebuilt the exact same prison you just left. Same hours. Same guilt. Same burnout.

Here's what's happening: your corporate wiring is running your new system. Decades of conditioning about productivity, worth, and "acceptable" work doesn't disappear overnight. The box was the only system you knew, so you brought it with you.

What's the point of leaving corporate if you don't take advantage of the flexibility? Let's figure out how to design work around your actual life, energy, and values; not replicate the system that burned you out.

You'll learn:

  • The corporate box you internalized - How productivity became hours in a chair, self-worth got tied to performance reviews, and why you learned to ignore your natural rhythms
  • Signs you're recreating the same prison - Why you default to 9-5, feel guilty for breaks, and skip the activities that actually energize you
  • Permission to build something different - How to work with your chronotype, build in fuel (not distractions), and spread the weight your corporate job used to carry
  • Be the manager you always wanted - Why you might have brought your tyrant boss with you (as a voice in your head), and how to become the fair leader you deserved all along

Shelley McIntyre helps GenXers stop slogging through corporate life, reclaim their identity, and build something real. Through her coaching programs and podcast Burn the Map, she guides midlife professionals to design a vibrant, intentional next chapter with clarity, courage, and structure.

🚀 Ready to start your next chapter?

👉 Apply for the Reinvention Partnership Program: Shelley’s step-by-step, personalized coaching framework for post-corporate professionals.
🔗 https://burnthemapcoaching.com/work-with-shelley

Or jumpstart your clarity with an Own Your Edge Strategy Session: a focused 90-minute conversation to help you move from stuck to starting.
🔗 https://burnthemapcoaching.com/own-your-edge

Let’s connect:
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Burn the MapBy Shelley McIntyre