You know the story of the Golden Goose, right? 

I’ve alluded to it several times in emails and videos, because it’s the catch-phrase in my company when things get too busy (for me). 

I say, “Guys, protect the Golden Goose!”

There are many variations of this story but my favorite goes like this:

A man had a goose that unexpectedly started laying a golden egg every day. 

It soon made him very rich, but he got greedy and impatient and wanted to become even richer. 

So, he cut open the goose to get all the gold at once. 

But when he butchered it, all he discovered inside was goose guts. 

There was no gold, and the man realized that, in his greed, he killed the source of his wealth.

There are many things Chillpreneurs can learn from this story, and the first is that you are the golden goose. 

You can profit for a long time through your skills and talents, but not if you kill the source of your creativity.   

When Mark joined my business and saw what I had created (a million-dollar business working part-time and half-assing everything), he concluded that, if we just worked harder, had more launches, and perfected everything, we’d make even more money! 

Let’s flog that golden goose! 

Not only did that kill my energy and enthusiasm for the business, it almost killed our marriage! 

I’m being dramatic, but there was a lot of yelling and resentment during that first year of working together.  

Without me, there is no business. Maybe I could squeeze a bit more profit but for how long? 

It’s taken some time, but I’ve learned to care for myself well enough to keep laying the golden eggs that my entire family relies on. 

I’ve become a fierce advocate and defender of my inner golden goose—protecting it from anyone who demands more than it can deliver (and sometimes the person who expects too much of it is me). 

Are you in burn out mode?

Many of my business friends have experienced burnout recently, including myself. 

I was almost ashamed to acknowledge it because it felt like admitting that I couldn’t “hack it,” which is a huge part of the problem. 

I was embarrassed that I was suddenly so “weak,” and I beat myself up about losing my motivation for my business. 

In my quest to succeed, I created way too much work for myself, and one day I woke up feeling completely empty. 

I was burned out and just wanted to sit and play mindless games on my phone. 

Look, I admit that I’m the kind of person who goes on holidays and still thinks about work. 

I’ll get blog ideas during a relaxing massage, and I love going to my office and digging into work on Monday mornings.

I’m a high achiever by any measure and that’s never going to stop.  

If that’s you too, let’s just accept that we’re lifelong learners and consummate entrepreneurs. 

We’re always thinking about our businesses because we love them. There’s nothing wrong with that.

But, if that leads to burnout because you never take time off, or you resist sustainable business practices, it’s a huge problem. 

And if you’re not having that problem now, you will one day. 

I often overestimate what I can achieve in a month, regularly schedule launches back-to-back, and forget that I’m a human who needs time off for pleasure and restoration. 

Ignore your body and your need for rest at your own peril. 

Do you really want to burn out in a few years, instead of having a long, successful, and rewarding career? 

Me neither. 

If you have a business that requires every drop of blood, sweat, and tears, it’s only a matter of time before it catches up to you—either in the form of a health wake-up call or another type of disaster. 

I’ve had friends who only stopped working because of a cancer diagnosis, the traumatic birth of a baby, or another “forced intervention” from the Universe. 

We can avoid that intervention by consciously choosing to look after ourselves first, and we often succeed a lot more quickly when we do.

If this sounds all too familiar, you might be a Ruler archetype like me. 

Rulers thrive on working in their business and have the tendency to push themselves to the point of burn out in pursuit of success and achieving more. 

But there is a better way to do business and embrace your natural gifts as a Ruler, or no matter what your money personality. 

Take the quiz here to find out which of the 8 Money Personalities you are and how to set up your business to avoid burnout and overwhelm for your personality type. 

Remember, we’re in this for the long term. 

You are the only finite resource in your business. 

Protect the Golden Goose and you’ll be able to create abundance for a long time.