You spent years grinding—late nights, extra hours, pushing through exhaustion—all for this. The dream job. The one you told yourself would make everything worth it. But now that you’re here, something feels… off. You don’t love it. If you’re being really honest with yourself, you might even (gasp!) hate it.

A woman with red hair smiles in front of a white board. This image presents a high-achieving women who is burnt out and unsatisfied in their career. Dr. Molly Moore is a licensed psychologist in Austin, TX who works with high-achieving women in law.

You find yourself stuck in the cycle you thought would be left behind in graduate school- long days rushing between patients, skipping lunch, so exhausted at the end of the day that self-care is doom scrolling on your phone, and always on the edge of burnout.

Yet, the thought of leaving feels impossible. After all, you worked so hard to get here. What would people think? What about the money, the title, the years of effort? Would quitting mean you failed? You went into your career for a reason but lately are finding yourself dreading the very career you worked so hard to get to.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many high-achievers reach a point where the job they once obsessed over turns into something they dread. The good news? You have options and you may not have to quit— although, that is an option!

It Wasn’t Supposed to Be This Way: How Did I Get Here?

If you are like my high-achieving clients, you are goal-oriented, driven, and ambitious. Those traits were so helpful in getting you through the demands of medical school or law school, meeting unrealistic expectations in your career, and getting the next promotion. You hoped that once you were done with graduate school, that life would look different. But you find yourself still anxious, full of self-doubt, and on the edge of burnout, just with a bigger paycheck. How did you get here?

Your Career is Your Identity

Most high-achievers take pride in their accomplishments. It also feels good to be recognized for their dependability and reliability. But if they aren’t careful, their accomplishments and career can become their identity. Because they are so goal-oriented, they are willing to sacrifice certain aspects of themselves to meet their ambitious goals. Lunch? Who needs that when you are trying to meet billable hours and have 30 patients to see? And while that may work in the short-term to meet your goals, it’s a recipe for burnout and feeling unfulfilled in your career.

A woman sits on a mountain top with the sun rising. This image represents how living a life not in alignment with your values can lead to burnout and feeling unsatisfied in your career.

You Are Not in Alignment With Your Values

Growing up, our values are usually those that our family holds. But once we enter emerging adulthood and adulthood, there becomes space to define our own values. A lot of high-achievers may value education, giving back to others, making a difference in their career, etc. But graduate school and working in high-stress environments can lead us to not be in alignment with our values. We may value our relationships, health and fitness, and financial stability, but our careers may keep us from being present or even having time to focus on our values.

The Past Influences the Present

Despite our best efforts, sometimes our past can influence how we show up in the present. For example, if you were constantly praised by family and others for your achievements, this may lead you to constantly strive in your career and “chase” external validation. Or maybe you grew up with the belief that you constantly need to be working towards something. This may make it hard to relax without feeling guilty. Therapy can be a great place to explore how your past experiences may influence your current circumstances.

What to Do When You Don’t Want to Quit

Feeling stuck in your career can be so hard. A part of you may daydream about quitting while another part of you doesn’t want to give up everything you worked so hard for. If you are stuck in a place of burnout and feeling unsatisfied in your career, there are things you can do to help you figure out what to do next.

Identify Your Values

Our values can change over time and moving into adulthood is a wonderful time to get clear and identify your values. Our value system can influence how we show up in our personal and professional lives. The first step to identifying your values is to think about what is important to you—is it relationships, career, community, faith, health and fitness, adventure, financial stability, etc.?

Three women sitting at a coffee shop with their laptops and laughing. This image represents the importance of community in preventing burnout. Dr. Molly Moore is a licensed psychologist who helps women in Texas overcome anxiety, burnout, & self-doubt

Find Community

Community is SO important. We are hard-wired to be in community. And for a lot of my high-achieving folks, their personal and professional goals can make it hard to find and stay in community. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who are supportive, nurturing, and have similar values can help us when we face challenging times.

Find Identity Outside Your Career

This can be hard for my high-achieving folks. A lot of them have had to put their hobbies and interests on the side while they were pursuing their goals. After all, who has time for a hobby when you are in law school or getting your MBA? Finding time to pursue passions and develop hobbies can help separate your identity from your career.

Challenge Your Mindset

Our mindset and our thoughts have a huge influence on our decisions. Some folks may stay in high-stress environments because it would feel like a failure to quit. Challenging unhelpful thought patterns can help us gain a different perspective

Seek Professional Support

If you find yourself feeling unsatisfied in your career and struggling with anxiety, imposter syndrome, and burnout, you’re not alone and you have options. Working with a specialized therapist can help you figure out what needs to change.

Final Thoughts

Finding yourself feeling burnt out and unsatisfied in your career with no work-life balance can be defeating when you worked so hard to get to where you are. But there are things you can do so you can live the life you always wanted to. A life where you enjoy your career, feel like you are making a difference, and have the space and capacity for your personal life. I would love to help you get there.

Therapy for High-Achieving Women in Austin and throughout the state of TX!

Working in high-pressure and stressful jobs can be a recipe for anxiety, imposter syndrome, and burnout. If you find yourself dreading the very job and career you worked your ass off to get, you’re not alone. If you want to have more balance in your work and personal life, I would love to help you get there.

Ready to make a change?

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Other Services Offered by Dr. Molly Moore of Moore Psychotherapy

Are you a high-achieving woman struggling with anxiety, burnout, and imposter syndrome? I can help. I’m Dr. Molly Moore, a licensed psychologist in Austin, TX who specializes in working with high-achieving women. I offer a variety of services for clients in Texas including Therapy for Anxiety, Therapy for Imposter Syndrome, and Therapy for Burnout. Not in Austin, no problem! All services are provided online. Reach out today to get started!

Trapped In Success: When High-Achievers Hate Their Job