If you’ve ever felt exhausted but looked at your calendar and thought, “Nothing here seems that overwhelming,” this episode is for you.

In this solo episode, Courtney shares a personal story from a recent wake-up call to unpack why burnout isn’t a result of poor time management.

It’s about energy.

This conversation is especially for working moms and high performers who are tired of optimizing their calendars while still running on fumes.

The truth of it is, burnout isn’t a scheduling problem. It’s an energy-allocation problem.

💡Inside this episode, we explore...

• Why Courtney’s past performance had nothing to do with intelligence, and everything to do with exhaustion
• The two biggest misconceptions about surviving intense work seasons
• Why flexibility can backfire during busy seasons without guardrails
• The difference between time management and energy management
• How poor sleep quietly sabotages performance
• Why “I’ll rest next week” is one of the most dangerous lies we tell ourselves
• The role of intentionality in sustainable success
• How Pareto’s Principle (80/20 rule) applies to your energy
• Why burnout is not failure, but exceeded capacity

⚡ What managing your energy actually looks like

Courtney breaks energy management into three practical levers:

• Physical (sleep, movement, nervous system regulation)
• Cognitive (deep work vs. constant context switching)
• Emotional (boundaries, expectations, resentment)

She also shares:

• The three biggest energy drains: decision fatigue, constant availability, unclear expectations
• Why B-minus effort can be strategic
• How context switching torches high-value energy
• The small, but powerful, shift she’s making right now

Protecting your energy doesn't need to be dramatic, it just requires you to dogmatically honoring the basics.

🧠 Key reframes to remember:

• Burnout isn’t a scheduling problem, it’s an energy-allocation problem
• Time is fixed, but energy can be generated
• Intentional allocation beats reactive optimization
• Small boundary erosion creates big energy leaks
• Sustainable performance requires systems, not hacks

If you’re trying to manage time better while running on empty, you’re solving the wrong problem.

🔗 Resources mentioned in this episode

🧠 Episode 70: How work rewards over functioning and exhausts women

🧭 Boundary Self-Check Quiz: A quick, 3-minute self-assessment to help you identify where you may be leaking time and energy

🎙️ Episode 11: How to fix your own sleep struggles after kids

💤 Apollo Neuro nervous system + sleep tool (use code COURTNEY4 for $60 off)

If today’s episode hit, especially the parts about sleep depletion, running on fumes, or realizing you’ve been gambling with your energy, make sure to listen to Episode 11 next.

Your time is fixed, but your energy is not. Protect it accordingly. ♥️

📈 Keywords

energy management for women, burnout prevention for working moms, high performer burnout, busy season survival, time management vs energy management, decision fatigue, context switching productivity, postpartum exhaustion, nervous system regulation, work-life sustainability, boundaries and burnout, sustainable performance, Courtney Cecil, Life Management System