Execution Without Burnout—What That Actually Looks Like

A practical, faith-driven conversation on how to follow through—without exhaustion, pressure, or hustle.

Episode Description:

Most of us don’t struggle with execution because we’re lazy—we struggle because we’ve only ever been taught one way to execute: hustle harder, grind through exhaustion, and prove our worth by how much we produce.

But here’s the truth?
 That way doesn’t work. Not if you want to be healthy, present, and actually enjoy your life.

In today’s episode, we’re breaking down:
 ✔ What real, sustainable execution actually looks like.
✔ How to stay consistent without running yourself into the ground.
✔ Why execution without exhaustion isn’t just possible—it’s biblical.

We’ll unpack the myths we’ve believed about execution (spoiler: rest doesn’t slow you down) and explore God’s rhythm of work and rest—so you can start executing from peace, not pressure.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, overworked, or just plain tired, this episode is for you. Let’s talk about what it really looks like to take action with faith, ease, and sustainability.

🎧 Listen now and let’s shift how we execute—without burnout.

📲 DM me on Instagram (@thekerenelijah) and let me know: What’s one way you’re choosing to execute differently this season?

🔗 Want structured, faith-driven execution support? Explore InMotion™—my audio coaching experience for women who want to take action without the pressure.

Transcript

 Let's be real for a moment. Most of us don't struggle with executing because we're lazy.

We struggle because we've only been taught one way to execute the hustle through it. Way the no sleep, no grind way, that if you're not exhausted, you're not working hard enough way. And let's be honest, that way it doesn't work, not if you want to be healthy, present and actually enjoying your life. So today we are breaking this all down what real sustainable execution actually looks like. How to stay consistent without running yourself into the ground. And why execution without exhaustion isn't just possible. It's biblical. So let's get into it.

Hey friend. Welcome to the Keren Elijah podcast. If this is your first time here. Hi, I'm Keren, your follow through mentor, and this episode, this one is where every woman who's just. Plain tired, gets to feel seen. Tired of overthinking, tired of starting and stopping. Tired of feeling like the only way to get things done is to run yourself into the ground, because I get it.

I know what it feels like to want to be consistent, but not at the cost of my peace. And I've had to learn the hard way that burnout is not a badge of honor. It's a warning sign. So today we're talking about how to execute in a way that actually works for your life without draining your spirit, mind, or body let me tell you something about me. Something I wished I learned sooner. I used to think execution equals hustle. I'm a hustler. I'm a I'm must. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That song. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I thought rest was something you earned after you've done enough. I thought if I wasn't exhausted, I wasn't doing it right. For sure. And you know what?

That landed me straight into burnout. Working long hours, but still feeling left behind, overcomplicating and over committing to things that drained me, ignoring my body's need for rest because I had too much to do. And let me tell you something, burnout doesn't hit you all at once, it hits you slowly.

It's not one big moment where you suddenly collapse, although it happens to some, but it's a slow, steady depletion. By the time you realize it, you're already running on empty. And here's what I had to learn the hard way. Burnout is in a badge of honor. Rest isn't a reward, it's a requirement.

Execution isn't about how much you do, it's about how sustainably you do it. Now, I know I said we're gonna talk about how rest is biblical. 

So what happened to me after I burnt out?

When I realized that I was burning out and I was exhausted, and drained, I got thinking God doesn't want us to operate this way. I checked the Bible and found out what it says about rest. Here's what it says in Genesis two, verse two to three even God rested after creating the world.

If rest is part of his design, why do we think we can't skip it? When I realized I was burnt out and exhausted and drained emotionally, physically, mentally, I sat down and realized that God designed us to not operate this way. So I was curious to find out how does he want us to operate? What does the Bible say about resting? 

These are things I've learned and I am sharing with you based on the scripture and what I got from it.  Even God rested after creating the world. If rest is part of his design, why do we think we can skip it? You can read that in Genesis two, verse two to three.

Solomon literally said, overworking leads to anxiety and emptiness. It's not wisdom, it's vanity. And if the wisest man on earth tells us that you should take it, you can find that in Ex Ecclesias two first 22 to 23, Jesus never wanted us to hustle harder. He said, come to me and I'll give you rest. You can read that in Matthew 1123 to 30.

When we trust God, we don't have to rush. We move with endurance, not exhaustion. We can read that in Isaiah 40, 31. So here as a truth, I realized. After being burnt out, after being stuck in one place, due to my mobility, being caught off and being forced to rest, execution should feel like a partnership with God and not punishment for not being enough.

We are called to work hard, yes, but never at the cost of our wellbeing, our faith, or our ability to hear God clearly. So if hustle culture has been making you feel guilty for resting, I need you to know that is not bial.

I hope that freed you a bit because finding this out freed me a lot, honestly, I started reading more learning more, and observing more about things we actually believe about getting things done, about following through, about executing. 

Whew. Let's break some myths because we've been lied to.

Myth number one. If I just had more discipline, I wouldn't struggle with execution. The truth is, execution isn't just about discipline, it's about alignment. We've all been there telling ourselves if I just woke up earlier. If I stopped procrastinating, if I just had more willpower, I would be consistent.

But let me ask you something. Have you ever tried to force yourself to follow a plan that didn't fit you? Like waking up at 5:00 AM when you're naturally a night owl or trying to batch content when you work better in spurs of creativity? The problem isn't that you lack discipline. The problem is that you're trying to execute in a way that doesn't align with how God wired you.

Proverbs three, verse five to six says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways submit to him and he'll make your path straight. That means alignment is greater than striving. Instead of trying to force discipline, what's, if you asked what is the most natural and sustainable way for me to execute?

Execution isn't about doing more. It's about doing what works for you in partnership with God. Now let's move on to Myth number two.

I just need to push through and keep going the truth is execution that ignores your capacity season or energy is not execution. It's just self sabotage. Let's be real. How many of us keep pushing even while we are running on empty?

How many of us have said. I just need to keep going. I can't stop now until suddenly we physically can't move. I know I'm guilty as charged. Our brain is foggy, our body's exhausted, and our creativity is drained.

There is a time for everything and a season for everything under the sun. That's what Ecclesias three verse one says. There are seasons of intensity and seasons of arrest. There are times to go hard and times to pull back, and here's the reality. Ignoring your body signals doesn't make you disciplined.

It makes you disconnected. Pushing through burnout doesn't make you strong. It makes you vulnerable to break down. When we refuse to pause. We are not proving we're committed. We're proving we don't trust God's timing. Executing wisely means knowing when to go hard and when to recharge so you can sustain what you're building.

Please rest. 

Which is funny 'cause the third myth I'm going to share today is rest will slow me down. The truth is rest fuels execution. If you don't rest, you'll eventually be forced to stop. I hear this all the time. I don't have time to rest. If I slow down or lose momentum, I'll rest when I reach my goal. Let me ask you this, would you drive a car that has no gas and say, I'll refill it when I reach my destination?

Of course you wouldn't. So how do you assume your body works the same way? Your body, your spirit, your soul don't work like that. Even Jesus told his disciples in Mark six verse 31, come with me by yourself to a quiet place and get some rest. Even Jesus approves.

Jesus, who had the most important mission on Earth, stepped away to recharge. So if Jesus took rest seriously, why do we act like it's optional? Rest is not a waste of time. It's what makes execution sustainable. Rest is not laziness. It's to worship of your body, mind, and creativity.

Rest is not slowing you down. It's giving you the energy to go further. You don't have to earn rest. You just have to take it. Take that vacation. This is a word for you who is listening.

Take the time off work and recharge your spirit, your soul, and your body. 

I've learned in my journey that clarity comes from movement, not overthinking, I thought I had to have it all figured out before I take a move because it doesn't feel safe to do that. I love a good strategy session. Making aesthetic notion boards, clickup dashboards, diving into research and refining the plan.

I'm the girl you come to for the business plan. I create wonderful business plans. But let's be real. How much of that is really necessary? How much of that is avoiding execution? That's a question I should ask myself because according to Ecclesias 11, four.

Whoever watches the wind will not plant. Whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. So in other words, if you wait for perfect conditions, she will never move. Ooh, execution without burnout means trusting that you don't need all the answers before you take that first step. I know people like me. Listening to this would be like, I don't like how that sounds, because we like to have all our bases covered before we move.

But the truth is you don't have to figure everything out before you start moving. You don't need a hundred percent clarity to begin. Clarity comes after action. Let's take this podcast for example. When I first started, I thought I wanted to do something different, but when I started, it made more sense why I wanted to start a podcast.

Even today, if you're close to me, you've known I, I've wanted to start a podcast for about five years now, and I never did it because I thought I wanted to have everything figured out. It felt so overwhelming, but now that I'm doing it, I can't believe we're even in our seventh episode and it's not as hard as I think.

Is it perfect? Of course not. In a few years I might look back. I laugh at what I'm doing now. But it's still done. Done is better than perfect.

And for some of you, like me, sometimes the only way to get on stock is to stop overthinking and just move.

Now for miss number five.

This one is for people that pressures themselves into thinking that if they don't do it now, it is going to be a missed opportunity. The truth is, if it is God's will, you will never have to rush to keep it. This one is for my fellow overachievers, the ones who always feel left behind, the ones who panic when they see someone else doing what they want to do.

Listen, I get it. You don't want to miss your moment. You don't want to waste time. But here's the thing, rushing out of fear of missing out is not faith. It's panic.

Speed doesn't always mean success. Sometimes it just means sloppy. If God has called you to it, you don't have to chase it. He will align it.

According to Isaiah 40, verse 31, but those who hope the Lord will renew their strength, they will sow on wings like eagle and they will run and not grow very. This verse doesn't say, those who hustle the hardest will succeed. It says Those who trust God will move with endurance.

So if you've been feeling pressure to push or keep up, I need you to breathe. Breathe, because what's for you will not pass you. 

Execution in faith means trusting God's timing, not forcing your own.

Let's make this practical because I am not here to just talk about it. I want you to actually leave it. If you've been running off fumes, overthinking, or struggling to stay consistent, these steps will help you shift from burnout to sustainable faith-driven execution.

Now, step one, create realistic. Execution rhythm. Instead of, I need to work on this every single day, try, I commit to two to three focused execution blocks per week. One of the mistakes people make is they set on realistic expectation and they feel guilty when they can't keep up. This will look like I need to be productive every single day.

I should be able to get everything done in one sitting. If I don't finish this today, I'm failing. Let's be real. That's unsustainable. Execution is about rhythm, not rigidity, and that's why you feel like you're failing. Identify your most productive time of the day and schedule tasks around it.

Work in focus blocks instead of all day marathons, because you are not the most productive every single time. Like for me, I prefer to walk in the morning because that's when I'm sharper.  By the time it's noon, I start to get exhausted. If I set my day around that time to do something that requires a lot of brain work, I'll set myself up for failure.

Of course, there are times where I have to walk hard around that time, but it's not the best and it's not the most effective. Give yourself some breathing room. Between tasks so your brain can rest. It needs it. Example of things that you can do or say, so even help yourself to feel , safe to execute 

now for business owners, especially if you. Need to post on social media

instead of saying, I need to post on Instagram daily. Try this. I'll create content on Mondays and Wednesdays and post three times a week. This your most pressure and helps you execute even better and lighter. It makes it structured and doable, you know? Step two will be to make follow through inevitable.

Notice how it's easier to do something when your environment supports it. Think about it. You don't forget to drive because your car is sitting in the driveway. You don't forget to. It's because your fridge is right there. But execution, it is not set up to be easy. You will push it off.

When I was researching more about this episode about the Bible this verse hit me in Proverbs 24 verse 27. It says, put your outdoor walk in order and get your fields ready. After that. Build your house, there is an order in how to do things before you execute. You have to prepare the part so that it's easier.

Make it a habit, it makes it easier to do so. What are shifts that you can use practically? Use calendars, templates, or even automations to make things easier.

Yeah. Keep your workplace space clutter free and distraction free so you can focus. 

Set up virtual cues, like sticky notes, reminders, checklists, so that you don't rely on your memory. Hmm. As a busy woman. If you are only reli on your memory and it works for you, please tell me your secrets because the way my brain is set up, I need to utilize sticky notes. Reminders on my phone. Set alarms just to remember to do things.

For example, this if you struggle to stay consistent with prayer, leave your Bible open on your nightstand. That way every time you wake up, it's already set up for you. Making follow through inevitable removes the mental resistance to trying and starting 

step two, step three. Protect your energy. You cannot execute well if you are running on empty. Saying yes to everything would be draining. Over committing is burnout. We tend to happen. Being available 2, 4 7 with is like having no boundaries. But then more than that, it's like bondage.

Mark six plus 31 says Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat. Jesus said to them, come with me by yourself to a quiet place and get some rest. Jesus literally had to put his disciples away because people were draining them. You know what that tells me?

You don't have to be available all the time. You don't have to say yes to everything. Your energy is your resource. It's a resource, and you're allowed to steward it well, so how can you make this work and put it in action?

Start asking, is this actually aligned, or am I just saying yes out of guilt? Set clear boundaries. Turn off notifications, limit social media. Protect deep work time. You can also prioritize yourself. You don't owe one instant access of your time and energy.

Execution feels lighter when you're not overbooked and emotionally drained. Let's move on to step four. Build in rest before you need it. If you don't schedule rest, burnout will schedule it for you. Rest is not about taking a break from execution. It is part of execution. Rest is not something you earn.

It's something you schedule. Genesis two, verse two to three says. By the seventh day, God had finished the work he had been doing. So on the seventh day he rested from all his work. If God the creator of Heaven and earth rested, what makes you think we can run 24 7? I mean, that's amazing. So here's how we can do better.

We need to schedule rest into our week. That's an intentional rest day. Take micro breaks in between tasks, even if it's just 10 minutes. You just need your mind to reset and to rest. Your mind is not a machine. Stop treating rest as if it's optional. It is necessary for you to be able to sustain whatever you are doing long term because one thing I have learned in this season of my life is if you don't take a break, your body will take it for you and it will be drastic.

So please take some rest when you start honoring your body's need for rest, your energy and creativity increase. Anytime I go for a vacation, I feel a new sense of creativity and excitement bubbling inside of me. Maybe this is your sign to schedule that vacation in.

It doesn't have to be luxurious or anything. It can just be a staycation somewhere different. Rest your body, your soul, and your mind.

Let's move on to step five, and step five requires us to move from pressure to face based execution. Now, pressure says I have to do this now. Or I'll fall behind. But faith-driven execution says, I'll move in obedience and trust God's timing. Sometimes we put unnecessary pressure on ourselves to do everything at once, but faith-driven execution means you're trusting that what's for you won't pass you by, that we're moving at God's pace, not culture's pace, that we're letting obedience not overwhelm, guide our steps.

Isaiah 40 verse 31 says, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will so on eagle's wings and they will run and not grow very. They will walk and will not faint. So when you walk in obedience to what God has called you to and trust that what is yours will be there for you.

Then you're able to execute from a place of peace and no pressure now. So how can we put this into practice? Now that will look like praying. Before you do something or moving or executing, you'll ask, God, what do you want from me? What do you want me to focus on today? Then you release that pressure of having to have everything figured out.

But we just trust that clarity comes from movement because honestly, no matter how perfect your plan is, once you start moving, you see that there are blind spots that you didn't account for, that you only looked good on paper. But when doing the work, you begin to have more clarity on what exactly you need to do to take that movement today.

Don't wait for clarity before you move. Stop rushing. If it's truly God's will for you, you wouldn't have to force it, my dear. Execution without burnout, it's about flowing with God's peace, not forcing your own. How far can you take yourself without God's grace? That's a question I have for you this, this morning, evening, or afternoon, wherever you're, listening from

another question is, what would it look like for you to start executing from a place of peace and no pressure? You can DM me on Instagram at the Karen Elijah, and tell me how you're choosing to execute differently in this season. But listen, you don't have to burn yourself out to be successful.

You don't have to hustle to prove your worth. There is a way to execute wisely sustainably, and in full alignment with your faith. And I truly, genuinely want that for you. I'll see you in the next episode. Ciao.