I’m what you would call an “insecure overachiever.”

Insecure overachievers are exceptional performers who are ambitious yet motivated by a deep sense of inadequacy. They constantly feel like they aren’t enough.

When I worked in a corporate 9 to 5 job, I would punish myself with 80-hour weeks, but never feel like I was doing enough or doing the right things. I ended up developing a chronic stress-related illness and was told that I would need to reduce my stress or face a devastating surgery (or worse).

Years later, I figured out the secret to performing at a high level without facing burnout and exhaustion.

Today, I run my coaching business online from all around the world. My husband and I have been to 19 countries in the last two years. We work fewer than 30 hours a week, and our time is entirely our own. In the morning, we show our clients how to bring sanity and freedom back into their lives. In the afternoons, we pursue hobbies like salsa, pilates and learning new languages.

There is a poisonous mindset that all top performers suffer from. That mindset is that you need to work hard and put in a lot of hours to be successful. And it’s just not true! In fact, your hard-work paradigm is what’s holding you back from that next level. Your strong work ethic is actually hurting your results as a high achiever.

Sure, when we all worked in factories, being the hardest worker could get you ahead. But today’s economy doesn’t care about the hours you put in. We have to face facts. The information revolution is creating a huge disparity in how people get rewarded. Some folks are working one hour and getting paid a million bucks. Others grind themselves into the dust and barely get by.