“I have to work twice as hard so no one finds out.”

When your voice says:

“If I stop working, they’ll find out I’m not good enough.”

“I have to keep proving myself, every single day.”

Coach Lynn says:

Overworking can feel protective, but it can also keep the fear alive by suggesting you’re only safe when you push beyond reasonable limits.

Then you say:

Here’s what I need to do:

• Take one or more Composure Breaths to settle my body.
• Ask: "What would a solid, competent version of this look like?" Write down the two or three things it truly needs.
• Set a stopping point before I start like a time ("I'm done at 5:30") or a finish line ("when it covers those three things").
• When I reach it, stop, even if I'm tempted to add more. Extra effort past that point is fear, not quality.

Coach Lynn says:

Real competence doesn’t require endless proving. When you work to the standard the task needs and then stop, you protect your energy and build success that lasts.