If you’re productive but stuck, this episode is for you.
Taskcrastination isn’t procrastination—it’s what happens when overachievers hit uncertainty and their nervous systems choose safety over significance. We explore the brain science, leadership patterns, and simple tools to move forward even when clarity is missing.
👉 Join the free Facebook group Overachiever Burnout Recovery Lab for deeper conversations and practical support.
Overachievers constantly feel behind—not because it’s true, but because their nervous system and external-validation habits say it is. In this episode, I break down how a meta program shapes this illusion and why “enough is a decision, not an amount". A quick reset for leaders who want clarity without the pressure.
PS: Get my weekly newsletter with uncommon leadership insights. I've spent 30+ years leading in male-majority cultures. My superpower is seeing the hidden systems—both human and structural and translating complexity into clarity that sparks transformation. I bridge logic and intuition to activate change at the exact point where mindset, behavior, and structure intersect. It's a fun ride!
In this episode of Musings of a Former Overachiever, I break down how negative thinking traps your nervous system in reactivity and closes off your perspective. You’ll learn a simple, practical method to step out of the spiral by placing your thoughts “on the stage” instead of living inside them.
If you want more clarity, calm, and conscious leadership, this episode is your reset button.
PS. I invite you to sign up for my weekly newsletter "Between the Lines of Leadership", a look at how systems thinking and nervous system regulation create calmer, clearer leaders.
We’ve been trained since childhood to question our own knowing.
At home, at school, at work, and even in the medical system, we learned that safety and approval go hand in hand. The result? A nervous system that equates confidence with danger and external validation with safety.
In This Episode You’ll Learn
Why second-guessing is a nervous system response, not a mindset flaw
How systemic conditioning teaches us to outsource worth and safety
The difference between external validation and sound boarding (and why it matters)
How second-guessing leads to chronic resentment and emotional fatigue
Practical steps to rebuild self-trust and regulate your body’s response to doubt
PS. I invite you to sign up for my weekly newsletter "Between the Lines of Leadership", a look at how systems thinking and nervous system regulation create calmer, clearer leaders.
Are you leading from your true self or just reacting from habit? In this episode, we explore the 8 C’s of Self from Internal Family Systems (IFS) and how to use them as a leadership check-in tool. Learn how to recognize when autopilot is running the show and what it feels like to return to calm, clarity, and confident decision-making. Sign up for my newsletter here.
Why do we interrupt, shut down, or mentally rehearse our rebuttals instead of truly listening? In this episode, we explore the hidden fear behind it all: the worry that listening might be mistaken for agreement.
You’ll learn:
Why empathy doesn’t equal approval
How fear of being misunderstood shuts down connection
4 practical tools to stay grounded and present in tough conversations
What real leadership sounds like when you stop performing your values and start embodying them
If you’ve ever felt anxious about being “too understanding,” this one’s for you.
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Urgency is a trap that makes every decision feel like a crisis.
Learn how to pause with power, regulate your response, and lead with long-term clarity.
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Your story isn’t just commentary. It’s the blueprint your brain follows. In this episode, I break down the neuroscience, hypnosis principles, and NLP tools behind why you create what you narrate and how to start rewriting the script for better leadership and life results.
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Feeling stuck, frozen, or overwhelmed by your to-do list? In this episode, I break down the science and strategy behind microtasking which is a powerful tool to calm your nervous system and take action. Learn how to build momentum, reduce overthinking, and move forward with clarity.
Sign up for Between the Lines of Leadership for more practical tools.
Is compartmentalization a leadership superpower or a hidden emotional trap? In this episode, I unpack the misunderstood skill of mentally separating roles, responsibilities, and emotions. You can lead with clarity without disconnecting from yourself. Learn how to use this tool intentionally, not avoidantly.
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Join Between the Lines of Leadership, my weekly email for high-performing leaders who are done burning out and ready to lead with clarity, calm, and conviction. It’s where we talk nervous system regulation, mindset shifts, and leadership that actually feels good. Sign up here.
“Later” is lying to you. This episode breaks down what you’re really saying when you delay, why it’s costing you more than you think, and how to lead yourself out of the mental chaos it creates.
P.S. If you’re ready to lead with clarity instead of overwhelm, make sure you’re subscribed to Between the Lines of Leadership, my weekly email full of sharp insights and practical tools for high-achieving leaders who want more peace, power, and perspective. Click here to sign up.
Ever catch yourself spiraling over a thought like “I must avoid looking bad”? In this episode, I unpack how to challenge those sneaky beliefs using Robert Dilts' "thought viruses", Byron Katie’s The Work and nervous system awareness. Learn how to question your assumptions, calm reactivity, and lead with more clarity and confidence.
Perfect for overachievers, leaders and anyone ready to think differently.
✨ Get more weekly mindset tools in my free newsletter, Between the Lines of Leadership
In this episode , I unpack the identity labels we carry as leaders that feel productive, but actually hold us back. I’ll share how my addiction to urgency wasn’t a strength, it was a stress cycle. Letting go of that label gave me access to peace, clarity, and a more empowered team.
You’ll learn:
Why some leadership labels feel true but aren’t helpful
The hidden cost of urgency on your nervous system (and your team’s)
How to challenge the thoughts that create pressure
A practical experiment to shift from chaos to calm
How peaceful leadership begins with self-trust, not stress
Plus, I’ll give you 7 powerful journal prompts inspired by Byron Katie’s The Work to help you uncover the label that’s running your leadership.
Links & Resources:
Download the free journal prompts
Join my newsletter: Between the Lines of Leadership
Follow me on LinkedIn
The first thing I had to learn how to do to get a sense of balance in my life was move from urgency to intentionality. Here are 10 ways that I did that. Feel free to take what works for you and tweak as necessary.
PS: Not on my email list? Come join us and get weekly tips on how to change your self image from an overwhelmed overachiever to a calm and balanced achiever. Click here!
Ben Maden is originally from the UK. He moved to Australia in 2006 and discovered that working at full-tilt for years on end comes with a price. When things go wrong, they cascade. Today, he's sharing his overachiever story. He's still an entrepreneur and digital marketer at Matter Solutions but has oriented his life much more around a family centric life-design.
Today I cover a worksheet I put together to help you deal with that difficult person in your life and get to a win-win.
Click here to get the worksheet.
Sign up for the Overachiever's Manifesto here.
Do you label people at work as difficult?
What if it's just a difference in your programming?
Having this awareness helped me stress less and find it easier to get to a win win with people I had previously labeled as difficult.
I hope it helps you too!
PS: Sign up for the Overachiever's Manifesto here.
I often get asked how to tell the difference between being an optimal performer or an overachiever. Well, here's how.
I would love to meet you or catch up. Click here to schedule some time! If you have my phone number, just call me!
PS: Click here to get my weekly newsletter, The Overachiever's Manifesto.
Are you making the assumption that you can't say no to your boss?
In this episode, I'll talk about why that is and give you a technique to use to bust that assumption.
PS: Get more tips every week from the Overachiever's Manifesto. Click here to sign up.
Are you constantly trying to prove your worth? I did this for a long time. Today I talk about my journey and how I finally got to a place where I believe that I am enough at least 80% of the time.
PS: I invite you to sign up for the Overachiever's Manifesto, which is a weekly newsletter full of practical ways to rebalance your life and stop being so addicted to work.