You know the feeling: another back-to-back day, another week that flew by, another month where your goals stayed untouched because – well – everything felt urgent.
Your calendar is full, your inbox is overflowing, your team leans on you constantly… and yet,
at the end of the week, you’re wondering:
“What did I actually get done that mattered?”
If you’re nodding along, this episode is for you.
After 30+ years in HR leadership roles, I’ve seen exactly how often “busy” masquerades as success. But the truth? It’s a trap.
One that’s exhausting, discouraging, and holding a lot of smart, capable HR professionals back from the leadership impact they know they’re meant to have.
Today, I want to talk about why you stay stuck in cycles of nonstop activity… and how to break free from that spin so you can shift from “overwhelmed operator” to intentional leader.
You don’t have to keep spinning. Let’s get into it.
Why High-Performing HR Pros Are the Most at Risk of Burnout
Here’s the hard truth:
The better you are, the more people depend on you.
If you’re known as the fixer, the doer, the one who gets it done – people naturally bring you everything. And while it’s nice to be trusted, it can quickly become overwhelming.
There’s no shortage of urgent needs in HR: terminations, performance conversations, last-minute policy updates, and of course – “just one quick thing” requests from every corner of the organization.
But that constant responsiveness?
It slowly chips away at your ability to focus on what matters most: your own growth, strategy, and leadership development.
And what’s wild is how normalized it all becomes. You tell yourself, “Next week will be better,” or “Once this project is done, I’ll get some space.” But that breathing room never arrives, does it?
It started to become a joke in my family, because every time someone asked me how work was going – I said crazy busy. Well, at what point is crazy just the new normal?
This episode isn’t just about burnout – it’s about a pattern we’ve learned to accept. One where you’re always on, but never really in control.
The Busyness Trap: How Your Calendar Is Lying to You
Let’s talk about your calendar.
It should be a reflection of your goals and priorities. But for a lot of HR leaders, it becomes a record of other people’s emergencies. Meetings, Slack messages, pop-up requests… it’s all reactive.
If you look at your calendar and don’t see any time for:
- Deep thinking
- Strategic planning
- Vision setting
- Career growth conversations
…then your calendar is running you.
You’re not managing time – you’re surviving it.
And look, I get it. For years, I prided myself on how much I could handle. If someone needed something, I was the one who made it happen. But what I didn’t realize until much later is this:
You can’t lead if you’re constantly in reaction mode.
There’s a big difference between being busy and being effective. And often, the “busiest” HR professionals are the ones who feel least connected to their long-term goals.
So here’s a question to sit with:
What’s on your calendar that reflects the future you’re trying to create?
If the answer is “not much,” you’re not alone—but it’s time to change that.
The Mindset Shift: From HR Doer to Strategic Leader
This next part is tough, and you probably don’t want to hear it, but it’s necessary. Ready?
Busy feels productive – but it’s often avoidance in disguise.
It’s easier to answer emails than to advocate for a new initiative.
It’s easier to say yes to another meeting than to say no and make time for strategic thinking. And it’s certainly easier to stay in the role everyone expects than to step up and say, You want more.
But real leadership requires visibility. Voice. Vision.
And if you want to grow your career – to reach that next level, whether that’s Director, VP, or CHRO – you can’t wait to find the time. You have to make it.
You have to claim your seat and own your growth like it matters – because it does.
And the best part? You don’t need permission. You just need a plan.
So ask yourself:
- What kind of leader do you want to be known as?
- What do you want to be known for?
- And how are you making space to become that version of yourself?
These are not just questions – they’re your compass.
CALL TO ACTION
If this episode hit home for you – if you’re realizing that you’re busy all the time but not building the career you really want – I’d love to talk.
I have three openings for free discovery calls this month for HR professionals who are tired of spinning their wheels and ready to get clear, intentional, and aligned.
This is a casual, no-pressure conversation – just you and me talking about where you’re stuck, where you want to go, and what’s getting in the way.
You can schedule directly on my website at www.HRHigherVersion.com or message me on LinkedIn.
WEEKLY CHALLENGE
Here’s your weekly challenge – and I highly encourage you to do this in writing:
Audit your past 7 days.
Look at your calendar or planner and mark each block of time as:
- Reactive – responding to someone else’s needs
- Strategic – building, planning, creating
- Low-value – things you could have skipped, delegated, or batched
Once you’ve done that, ask yourself three questions:
- What’s one thing you can start saying no to this week?
- What’s one area you want to spend more time in?
- What’s a small change you can make to protect that time?
That’s how change begins – not with a huge overhaul, but with small, intentional shifts.
If you take action on this challenge, I’d love to hear from you. Message me on LinkedIn or drop me a note. Tell me what you noticed – what surprised you. Start building your leadership with intention, not just endurance.
Until next time – remember:
Busy isn’t the goal. Aligned is.
So keep leading, keep growing, and keep striving for that next higher version of yourself.
