(When I’m Tired, Burnt Out, and Already Working 40+ Hours a Week)
Category: GETTING STARTED
You want to build a business.
You want time freedom.
You want out of the 9–5 grind.
But every time you sit down to work on your dream, you’re already exhausted.
Your brain’s fried. Your body’s stiff. Your willpower is toast.
So what’s the answer?
It’s not some miracle routine or $80 supplement.
It’s this:
Energy is built. Not found. Not wished for. Not waited on.
This article is your playbook to generate energy—physically, mentally, and emotionally—so you can build after hours without burning out.
🧠 1. Energy is a Byproduct of Clarity
Confusion drains. Clarity energizes.
Most people think they’re tired.
What they really are is overwhelmed.
Why?
- Too many ideas → decision fatigue
- No clear plan → constant context switching
- Trying to “do everything” → no momentum
You don’t need more caffeine. You need to get crystal clear.
🔧 Fix It:
- Write down: What’s the ONE outcome I’m working toward this month?
- Reverse engineer the outcome and break it down into weekly and daily steps.
- Use a simple 3-column system to keep track of your progress:
- ✅ To Do
- 🔨 Doing
- 🏁 Done
- ✅ To Do
Use Notion, Trello, a physical whiteboard, iPhone reminders, Google Tasks, Microsoft To-Do, or even sticky notes—whatever keeps it visible and simple.
You’ll stop wasting brain cycles and start channeling energy into action, not anxiety.
🌙 2. Start the Night Before
You don’t “get more energy” in the morning—you steal it from the night before.
Every choice you make after 8pm either powers your next day or poisons it.
🔧 Fix It:
- Shut screens down at least 30–60 min before bed. Blue light = poor sleep = poor focus.
- Set out clothes, prep breakfast, and write your 1–3 goals for tomorrow. This removes morning friction. Decision fatigue is real, the more brain power you use on meaningless decisions drains your daily battery. This is why high performers like Steve Jobs and Warren Buffet set their outfits out the night before. This may seem rudimentary but realize that every decision drains energy – use that limited daily energy on something with an ROI.
- Put your phone in another room and get a proper alarm clock, or a vibrating wristband alarm clock. If your phone is on your nightstand, you’ll scroll until you fall asleep.
Even going from 6.5 hours → 7.5 hours of sleep can drastically improve mental clarity, memory, and mood. And remember – the less decisions you have to make per day, the more energy you will have. This is why high performers meal prep, have planned outfits, and ascribe to repeatable routines everyday.
Rule: You don’t need a 5am wakeup. You need a full charge, and less energy drain on low-ROI decisions.
⚡ 3. Design a “Clock-In” Ritual
You don’t need motivation—you need a trigger.
Rituals tell your brain:
“It’s time to work. Let’s go.”
Think of this as your business warm-up. Think of it as the same way athletes warm up before a game.
🔧 Try This:
- Brew a cup of coffee or tea
- Play the same playlist every time you work
- Light a candle or switch on a lamp
- Say a short mantra (yes, out loud):
“This is for my freedom. Let’s build.”
It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It just has to be repeatable.
The ritual builds the habit. The habit builds results. Results and freedom are built on repeating boring tasks with military-like discipline.
Pro tip: Do it even when you don’t feel like it. That’s what makes it powerful. That is what builds success.
🏃♂️ 4. Move Your Body (Even Just a Little)
You don’t need a gym membership.
You don’t need a full workout.
You just need to move.
This is a non-negotiable.
Why?
Because energy flows through blood and oxygen.
Sitting for 9 hours → stiff joints, low oxygen → mental fog. We were not meant to be idle all day – it atrophies our bodies and our minds. Our bodies only generate just the amount of energy we need to fulfill the tasks that we are doing everyday. If we are doing the bare minimum (i.e. sitting for 9 hours and staring at a computer) our bodies only produce the amount of energy needed for that, and no more. Our bodies are wildly efficient in this manner. That is why it is important to supplement movement everyday – it extends our daily battery capacity so we can fit more high-ROI tasks in the day.
🔧 Move Like This (Easy, Quick, & Simple):
- Walk around the block before starting your side hustle
- Do 25 jumping jacks or squats to spike endorphins
- Try a standing desk for your evening work
- Stack this with a $99 Amazon walking pad and really get going
- Stack this with a $99 Amazon walking pad and really get going
- Stretch your shoulders, back, and hips every hour
- Get up and walk around the office every hour, or even walk around the building if possible
All of these activities take mere minutes and are able to be done multiple times a day. If you have a crazy schedule, and are unable to get to the gym, these are perfect for you.
You’ll feel more awake, more alert, and less stiff and slouched. And your daily battery will grow in capacity.
Bonus: Exercise boosts dopamine. Dopamine drives action.
🧽 5. Eliminate Energy Leaks
This is the silent killer of most entrepreneurs.
You don’t lack energy—you just leak it:
- Endless phone scrolling
- Overeating processed foods
- Fighting battles that don’t matter (people, politics, online drama)
- Saying yes to social events out of guilt
- Keeping toxic clients, friends, or habits around because it’s easier than letting go
🔧 Fix It:
- Use screen time limits (or app blockers like Freedom, Opal, or Focus).
- Set “work hours” for your side hustle and for social time. (use Google or Apple calendar to set aside this time)
- Create a “no list” of things you’re done tolerating.
- Do not use social media without purpose. This is one of the LARGEST sources of energy leakage today. You could’ve built your website or made content today – but you spent that battery power on an hour of Tik Tok scrolling or arguing on Twitter with strangers (or bots). Think about “will my tomorrow self be proud of the things I did today?”, “Did I inch closer to freedom today?”.
Protect your peace like it’s your profit margin. And STOP wasting your peace on social media.
Energy management > time management. Every single time.
💧 6. Stack Physical Energy Habits
Your body is the machine. Fuel it like you care.
Most people are 3% dehydrated at all times. That’s enough to drop your energy by 20–30%.
Add blood sugar crashes and poor sleep, and it’s no wonder your evening work session feels impossible.
🔧 Stack These Habits:
- Drink 16oz of water the second you get up, and the second you get home
- You should aim for at least 64oz a day
- You should aim for at least 64oz a day
- Eat a high-protein snack before your “second shift” (nuts, eggs, Greek yogurt, chicken, protein shake)
- Keep some protein bars or Clif bars in your cabinet for a quick healthy snack. You should ideally have 0.5g of protein per lb of body weight
- Keep some protein bars or Clif bars in your cabinet for a quick healthy snack. You should ideally have 0.5g of protein per lb of body weight
- Use caffeine strategically—cut it off by noon to protect sleep
- Prioritize sleep like it’s your business plan (because it is)
- Having trouble sleeping? Read our sleep article HERE
- Having trouble sleeping? Read our sleep article HERE
If your body’s running on fumes, your brain won’t back you up.
✅ 7. Micro-Wins Build Macro-Energy
We’re addicted to dopamine. Use that to your advantage.
Every time you finish something, your brain rewards you.
Every time you start and don’t finish, your brain punishes you.
So stop trying to do the big thing first. Start with the small win.
🔧 Fix It:
- Knock out one 5-minute task first: reply to a message, update a headline, post a reel
- Use a visible checklist or progress tracker
- Celebrate wins—no matter how small (write them down, say them out loud, track them in Notion, Trello, Google Tasks, iPhone Reminders, Microsoft To-Do, etc)
Wins fuel confidence. Confidence fuels energy.
Energy fuels momentum.
🧨 8. Stop Trying to Feel Motivated
This is the biggest trap.
You wait until you’re in the mood.
But the mood never shows up. So nothing happens.
Here’s what the top 1% understand:
You don’t work because you’re motivated.
You get motivated because you started working.
🔧 Fix It:
- Set a 5-minute timer and just begin.
- Commit to doing one thing before quitting.
- Build a “default action” when you feel stuck (ex: open your business dashboard, send a DM, read one page of your plan).
Once you start moving, the energy shows up.
Momentum is the cheat code. Simple, quick tasks are the key to building momentum.
🧠 Final Thought
You’re not lazy.
You’re not unmotivated.
You’re just tired of spending energy on things that don’t build the life you want.
But here’s what no one tells you:
Energy comes from purpose.
When you’re building something meaningful, your brain wants to wake up.
Your body wants to go.
Your spirit wants to show up.
You’re not tired.
You’re under-activated.
So:
- Get clear.
- Move with purpose.
- Cut the noise.
- Stack small wins.
- And never wait for motivation again.
Because once you start showing up—even tired—you’ll stop being tired of where you are.
