GNT #116: Beware this burden of growth

read time: 1.5 minutes

The dream is to grow.

A few years ago, I would’ve said “growth” was the ultimate goal.

The business.
The impact.
The income.
The lifestyle freedom.

And it still is, in many ways.

But what I've learned personally and alongside the leaders and founders I coach:
Growth also adds weight.

I remember a season when I had so many exciting things in motion — new client work, sitting on a non-profit board, a fresh coaching offer, a partnership I really believed in. But underneath the surface I was tired. Things that used to light me up started feeling like obligation. That was my wake-up call.

And if you’re not careful, that weight can quietly turn into a burden.

More stuff.
More moving parts.
More relationships, systems, decisions, deliverables.
More promises made and plates to keep spinning.

If you're wired like most purpose-driven entrepreneurs and leaders, you probably say “yes” often — because it aligns with your mission.

Me too.

But if we’re not intentional, the vision we’re building can start to feel heavy instead of energizing.

That’s what I want to unpack today. 

Not to scare you away from growth, but to bring more clarity and intention to how you grow.

Because unchecked, the mental burden of more can quietly wear you down.

Let’s get to it.
 

The hidden cost of more

As the Stoic philosopher Seneca said:

“Some objects are superfluous; others are not worth the price we pay for them... But we do not see this clearly, and we regard things as free gifts when they really cost us very dear…”

We feel this — not just with things we own, but with the things we build.

The client you onboard that doesn’t align.
The project you launched that’s off-purpose.
The new offer you thought would bring energy — but just brought stress.

Growth without clarity breeds clutter.
And clutter —physical, emotional, operational — is expensive.
 

Every spinning plate has a price

Every new thing you start carries a subtle mental tax.

A new offer means more systems to maintain.
A new channel means more content to create.
A new tool means more learning curves.
A new collaboration means more communication to hold with care.

Even if you’re not thinking about it consciously, it’s running in the background — like apps open on your phone, quietly draining energy you didn’t know was low.

This is how burnout sneaks up on smart people.
Especially the ones who care deeply about the work they’re doing.

So what can we do?

This is not a call to stop growing.
It is a call to grow with eyes wide open.

Here’s a simple prompt I use with clients (and myself):

• “What am I holding that no longer aligns with the next version of me or my business?”

Then take it further:

• "Is it time to let this go?"
• "Is there a simpler way to do it?"
• "Can someone else carry it?"

And most importantly:

• "What would I have more energy for if I released this?"

What I’ve come to realize over time is that subtraction isn’t failure.
It’s focus.

I walk through this exercise often with clients — and myself. Just last quarter, I realized one of my personal “growth projects” had quietly turned into a mental drain. I officially paused it, moved it backwards on my kanban board until I had more mental bandwidth to dig into it.

Takeaway

Growth can be energizing and expansive.
Or it can be exhausting and chaotic.

I've lived in both worlds.

The difference lies in how we manage the mental weight that comes with it.

So this week, take a moment.
Look at what you're carrying.
Ask yourself honestly — does it still serve you?

Because you don’t need to carry it all.
You just need to carry what matters most.

I'm always rooting for you. See you next Thursday.

If this resonated with you, forward it to someone who might need it today.

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If you liked this article, you might also like:

GNT #021: 5 Boundaries Every Growth-Builder Needs
GNT #086: 4 Signs You’re Not Growing Where You Want to Go
GNT #061: Buy Back Your Time

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