Living life to the fullest

Building fast, but lately it feels like you’re running two lives. 

9-5 all day, business after 5pm and the time with loved ones shrinks. 

You are fried by 2pm, reactive in meetings, then crash at night, brain still on, wondering why freedom feels heavier.

I know exactly how that feels because I’ve been there.

I used to run on 14-hour days, missing the very moments I was working for. But then I burned out hard. And with it some €30k from my savings.. GONE in rehab. 

I tried all the apps, courses, talking therapy society through at me, nothing stuck sustainable.

Since then I spend 1000+ hours in the field, worked with 20+ founders and executives, did international certifications in the field of NLP and Personal/Business and learned from the biggest coaches in Germany. 

That’s when I discovered that there’s a different way to win. A way in which stress isn’t the main driver but clarity based on health, love and vision. And time doesn’t slide away from you, but flows back into your day. 

Now I am on my mission to help ambitious founders and agency owners still in a 9-5 break free from high stress, reclaim 10+ hours a week, so that they can keep building thriving businesses that fuel their life, not drain it. 

I’ve had plenty of pinch-me transformations.
But here are my favorites: 

- C.P. - Doctor/Business Owner - reclaimed 8 hours in just 7 days by uncovering hidden beliefs and communicating clear boundaries with his team. Scaling from 30K to 37K in 2 months.

- B. - Habit Coach - In his first 30 minutes, he realized how powerful reset moments are through out the day, to recharge and instantly build his focus up again.

- L. - Small business owner + 9-5 - Reshaped their family and business life around her core values, truly focus on what moves the needle and find that inner joy again.

And the way I do it is backed by neuroscience. In 12 weeks we go through my 3R System that rewires your mind, resets your energy and builds resilience. So that you can lead with calm, confidence, and clarity.

At work and at home.

- 1st: Reset
- 2nd: Rise
- 3rd: Reshape

If you’re also done with overwhelm. And just want to build, but in a human way.

Making space in the day for you and your loved one.

Then simply:
- Book an intro call here: https://calendly.com/aplankcoaching/game-plan-call
- Or simply DM me “Scale”

Let’s build a business that works for your life - not the other way around.🧡 Alex

My coaching services are for educational and personal development purposes only. They are not a substitute for legal, medical, financial, or therapeutic advice.

15k followers in less than a year.

And I didn’t get to say thank you.

This one year changed everything:

- #1 in LinkedIn Germany for Personal Growth
- Working with people from 30+ countries
- Creating my own framework (3Rs)
- Podcasts around the world
- Finally feeling like myself
- Finding real friends here
- Getting healthier
- Getting married

Honestly, I never thought this was possible back in 2024.

- Lost $78K
- Burned out in 2023
- Survived 14-hour days
- Asked myself daily, “Is this it?”
- Waited 3 months to post - pushed back by fear

So thank you - YOU.

You show up. 
You read. 
You support this mission.

To my clients: I learn from you every day.

To my friends and my wife - the real backbone behind everything I build.

And 15,291 people supporting my mission:

To help people tear down the masks, unleash who they truly are, 
and defeat stress and burnout - for good.
For a free, self-determined life, everywhere.

Thank you. 🧡

Here’s to an even more aligned, honest, and powerful 2026.

P.S.: If we’ve never talked before - don’t be a stranger. My inbox is open, and I’d love to hear your story.

Alexander Plank

You want to keep growing fast, but lately…
It feels more like your business is running you instead.

You’re hitting goals - yet time with your loved one keeps shrinking.
You wake up tired, react all day and crash at night wondering why success feels so heavy.

I know exactly how that feels because I’ve been there.

I used to run on 14-hour days, missing the very moments I was working for.
But then I burned out hard. 
And with it some €30k from my savings.. GONE in rehab.

I tried all the apps, courses, talking therapy society through at me, nothing stuck sustainable. 

Since then I spend 1000+ hours in the field, worked with 20+ founders and executives, did international certifications in the field of NLP and Personal/Business and learned from the biggest coaches in Germany. 

That’s when I discovered that there’s a different way to win.
A way in which stress isn’t the main driver but clarity based on health, love and vision. 
And time doesn’t slide away from you, but flows back into your day.

Now I am on my mission to help ambitious founders and agency owners break free from high stress, reclaim 10+ hours a week, so that they can keep building thriving businesses that fuel their life, not drain it.

I’ve had plenty of pinch-me transformations.
But here are my favorites: 
- C.P. - Doctor/Business Owner - reclaimed 8 hours in just 7 days by uncovering hidden beliefs and communicating clear boundaries with his team. Scaling from 30K to 37K in 2 months.
- B. - Habit Coach - In his first 30 minutes, he realized how powerful reset moments are through out the day, to recharge and instantly build his focus up again.
- L. - Small business owner - Reshaped their family and business life around her core values, truly focus on what moves the needle and find that inner joy again.

And the way I do it is rather simple and backed by neuroscience.
In 12 weeks we go through my 3R System that rewires your mind, resets your energy and builds resilience. So that you can lead with calm, confidence, and clarity. At work and at home.

- 1st: Reset
- 2nd: Rise
- 3rd: Reshape

If you’re also done with overwhelm.
And just want to build, but in a human way.

Making space in the day for you and your loved one.

Then simply:
- Book an intro call here: https://calendly.com/aplankcoaching/game-plan-call
- Or simply DM me “Scale”

Let’s build a business that works for your life - not the other way around.

🧡 Alex

My coaching services are for educational and personal development purposes only. They are not a substitute for legal, medical, financial, or therapeutic advice.

NLP-Coach, ICI

Professional-Personal- and Business Coach 

NLP-Practitioner

New Worker Hotspot 

Kanban – Grundlagen (2015)

Professional Scrum Master™ I (PSM I)

Certified Finance Student 

I help ambitious business owners break free from high level stress and overwhelm - so they can lead with clarity, confidence, and calm.

After years of chasing success at the expense of my health and happiness, I rebuilt my life around one truth:

Sustainable success - When you master your brain, your life and business follow.

Now, I guide founders to reclaim their time, rebuild self-trust, and scale their business without sacrificing what matters most and to avoid burnout. 

Picture this: More time for family, less stress, and a business that finally works for your life - not against it.

The Peak Performance Coach

Guiding founders to AVOID burnout & work 10hrs LESS/week

Money pressure crushes founders...

But here’s what no one says:

Your brain didn’t wire “revenue fear” overnight.

Years of (9-5) grind + late-night hustling builds a pattern where:
- No new clients = “I’m a fraud.”
- Low bank balance = “I’m not enough.”
- Uncertainty = “I can’t protect my family.”

No wonder people go crazy.

And the mechanism is simple:
Threat mode → bad decisions → more money stress

You actually start fearing the numbers
(They can create physically pain)

So you do things that look “strategic”… 
but are actually fear-driven:

- you delay price increases (because “what if I’m not worth it?”)
- you work longer hours (to prove your value through output)
- you avoid sales calls (because rejection feels personal)
- you sacrifice family time (provider guilt)

And then you tell yourself:
-> “I need a better spreadsheet.”
-> “I need a closer framework.”
-> “I need the next $3,000 DM course.”

The fix isn’t more tactics.
-> It’s identity.

Identity = how you see yourself
And money pressure exposes it fast.

For me personally, the shift was this:
From: “I’m a revenue machine.”
To: “I’m the rock. I build from calm.”

That’s when revenue changed.

Because revenue becomes a symptom of certainty.
Not the source of it.

I’ve seen it with clients too:
-> one added +10k/month while working less
-> one got booked out until Christmas and took holidays without guilt

And me?
+ Weekends off.
+ 5-6 hours max per week on LinkedIn.

One simple truth:
Identity > Income

Your money pressure isn’t just cashflow.
-> It’s congruence.

Change how you see yourself
and upgrade that inner blue brint 

If you want to discover the limits that sabotage you daily, send me a text 
we'll hop on a call and see if its a fit

P.S.: A lot of “money talk” on LinkedIn is still just self-worth in a suit...

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Guiding founders still in a 9-5 to AVOID burnout & work 10hrs LESS/week

"Why do we love New Year’s resolutions?"

Thats the question I got last week. 

Everyone’s talking about resolutions.

But almost nobody is committed to the deep changes
-> identity work and beliefs
that actually solve what “resolutions” promise.

We see these posts everywhere.
But studies show up to 88% of resolutions fail after 2 weeks.

I was the king of resolutions tbh.
But I haven’t made one in 3 years.

Resolutions give us hope.
They make us feel like change is possible

-> without demanding the uncomfortable work.

I waited three months to start my company because I believed I wasn’t good enough.
 
-> my resolution was “start posting.”
 
But that was just the surface. 
The real issue was IDENTITY
my beliefs, not my calendar.

-> resolutions are too shallow

Tying change to a date instead of your identity 
will always create friction and disappointment.

If you’re genuinely serious about changing something in 2026:
- less doubt in your decisions
- less overthinking every move
- no more drowning in a million tasks
- no more 12-hour days snapping at your team
- no more revenue plateaus or burnout cycles

-> see every day as your New Year for business and life 

Start making changes for your future self and the company you want
not for the calendar, not for social media, and not to fit in.

If you are a founder finally ready to leave the fears, struggles, problems from 2025 behind
↓
DM me if you’re ready to talk, and we’ll see if it’s a fit.

P.S.: Did you made new years resolutions this year?

Had a talk with my wife about our goals for 2026. It nearly turned into a fight.

Here’s what I told her:
You keep living the same kind of life because you keep 
- thinking
- feeling
- acting 
the same way every day.

You have big goals for 2026 
But don't work on your identity
So you run 2025s all over again 

It’s like playing the same movie on repeat
Most people give up control of their destiny 
BUT you don’t have to

That’s the loop I see daily:

Thoughts → Feelings → Actions → Same results

You build that loop (daily) yourself 
BUT YOU can also change it.

Here is how we do with founders: 
-> We calm your nervous system, so you’re not always “on” or stuck in survival mode 

-> We uncover and challenge the old beliefs running your life like “I have to do it all myself” or “hard work is the only way” and show you that what you believed was never the full truth.

-> We do real identity work: helping you see that you’re not defined by your old stories, roles, or past results. You get to choose who you want to become.

-> We build resilience so you don’t get pushed down by your environment, clients, team, or even family pressure don’t knock you off your path.

-> We design daily routines and boundaries that protect your energy and help you show up as the founder you want to be, not the one you’ve always been.

Your PERSONALITY creates your PERSONAL REALITY

Change the script you live and your results change 
-> in business and in life.

Here is how I did it today: 
- Noticed one loop I stucked in 
-> Interrupted it and choose a new thought

- Took a different action
-> meditation today 

- practicing a new habit 
-> breathwork for me 

- getting the right people around me
-> Christoph everyday big brother  

So show up as the version of you who already has what you want.

You’re the one holding the pen.
If you want a new picture, stop using the same colors.

P.S.: What is something new you would try today?

Had a call with a female founder last week.

60+ hours a week. 14-18 hour days.

- Building an international business
- holding up a family 
- million tasks at once
- handling multiple hires
- keeping investors satisfied 

She asked how my program actually works.

I showed her what I call the “Hardy Owner” trap 
(here is the workbook to it: https://lnkd.in/dSCB5MBt)

when you’re so deep on autopilot you don’t even know where to start.
 
-> Awareness is the first level.
 
She realized what most high-performers miss:
It’s not just “too much work.” 

- too much running on empty
- too many long hours
- too many hats
- false beliefs
- misaligned
- stress

That’s where my 3Rs framework comes in:

RESET -> Calm your nervous system so you’re not always “on”

We uncover the beliefs running your calendar and stress like:
- “i have to say yes to everything to keep harmony”
- “others handle more, why can’t I?”
- “it’s just a busy phase”

You learn simple, science-based daily practices so your brain stops living in survival mode: 
-> less lying awake at 2am
-> less snapping at small things
-> more feeling like yourself again

RISE -> Stop doing “real work” after your family goes to bed

- We redesign your week so you’re not in back-to-back calls all day and then doing your real work at night. 
- You get 4 - 6 hours of deep work, clear stop times, and fewer “emergency” tasks.
- You stop checking Slack/WhatsApp first thing and build a work rhythm that 
doesn’t depend on adrenaline, guilt, or last-minute heroics.

RESHAPE -> Build a life and environment where this doesn’t snap back
We change how your days are structured:
- boundaries with clients and team
- notification rules
- when you’re available and when you’re not

-> so you’re not the constant shock-absorber anymore.

You set up simple systems and rituals that protect your time with your partner and kids, 
so you’re not always “there but not really there.”

And honestly she’s NOT alone.

Most founders wait until the pain is unbearable before they get honest about what’s not working.

If you’re reading this and you’re already feeling the squeeze

-> You don’t need another hack.
-> You need a system that actually fits the reality of running a business and a life.

I show my clients how to do exactly that:

One of my clients was fully booked out until Christmas and had a stress-free, fulfilled holiday with her family.

Another?

He’s down to a 4-day workweek and headed to the mountains to celebrate the holidays away from home actually present, not just “off.”

You want a different January? 
it starts with YOU.

If you are finally ready to leave the fears, struggles, problems from 2025 behind
↓
DM me if you’re ready to talk, and we’ll see if it’s a fit.

P.S.: Who can relate to a 60+ work week?

Do you need coaching?

You tell me.

Because when I look back
I sometimes wonder how different my life could have been
And not in the “positive” way.

Until I was 21, I believed I could handle everything myself.

- Emotions? For the weak.
- Crying? Not for men.
- Drinking? The solution (or so I thought).

Life gave me brutal feedback: 
→ Severe depression and panic attacks.

When my mother died, it hit even harder: 
→ PTSD and more panic attacks.

And then, the third time: 
Building a business, climbing the career ladder
→ Burnout. Depression. Again.

Today, I’m healthy. 
I’m here.

And I owe it to one thing:
COACHING

I mean it when I say, “I practice what I preach.”

Coaching didn’t just save my ass, it helped me rewrite my internal blueprint.
When my identity shifted, so did my business and life: 
+ more clarity,
+ more revenue
+ more real leadership.

That’s why I do this work now.
Why I’m building a world where people tear down their masks
unleash their true thoughts, feelings, and actions
and defeat stress and burnout for good.

This year, I’m leveling up again:
- Launching new programs and products

- Exploring a partnership with a startup building one of the first AI coaching apps

- Bringing in new methods (being part of the PQ Grant with my big brother Christoph)

- Creating webinars for my second company with pediatricians for parent-kid coaching

So thank you, Coaching.
For saving me. For helping me change, not just my results, but who I am.

And for giving me a vision big enough to change as many lives as possible.

P.S.: Is your current identity really built for the business and life you want in 2026?

Burnout is the most overused word right now.

Perfect candidate for “word of the year”.

Last year I saw more and more posts using burnout for everything:
bad weeks, low motivation, one stressful project…

With zero science behind it.
And often zero personal experience.
(No offense. But words matter.)

My wife told me: “You should clarify this again.”

So here it is:
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight.
It doesn’t knock like your food delivery.
And most people don’t recognize it for years.

It’s not “too much work.”
It’s not “bad time management.”
And if you only call it burnout when you crash…
you’re late.

Here are 3 early signs that research supports and I’ve lived myself:

1) CYNICISM SHIFT
You start getting annoyed at your own goals.
You ask: “Why am I even doing this?”
The purpose disappears.

2) EFFICACY LOSS
You feel slower. Messier.
You try to juggle a million tasks and still feel behind.
It’s like your brain lost IQ points overnight.
(And you’re terrified people will notice...)

3) EMOTIONAL NUMBING
You’re there… but not really there.
Your partner talks about their day and you’re physically present, mentally gone.
I lost friends over it and the affection was gone. 

That’s the difference between high stress and burnout:
High stress = gas pedal stuck.
Burnout = engine blown.

So if you’re “pushing through” right now, don’t wait for the crash to take it seriously.

For the weekend inspo., 4 things you can do (from the 3Rs Reset phase):

1. Stabilize your brain: simplify everything (fewer priorities, fewer open loops)

2. Calm your system: small daily recovery actions (not once-a-month breaks)

3. Protect your mental energy: reduce inputs that spike pressure (news, pings, endless scrolling, PEOPLE)

4. Upgrade your identity under pressure: stop operating like you must earn rest through suffering

Take care of yourself.
Your future self will thank you.
And your family will feel it first.

P.S.: Which signs are new to you?

If color-coded calendars solved burnout,
I’d design my whole apartment like one.

Tried it... my wife nearly kicked me out. 

So how do you really recover from a 60+ hour work week?

A 3-hour stress management seminar isn’t the answer.

If you’ve ever worked in a company, you know the drill:

Once a year, HR rolls out the “Burnout & Stress Management” training.

The stats are scary, 84% affected by anxiety, stress, or burnout.

And what’s their solution...
- Use a matrix
- Color-code your week
- Reorganize your calendar
- “Ride an elephant” (kidding)

I sat through those seminars for years.
Nothing changed because the system didn’t change.

- Talking therapy? I tried. too shallow.
- Apps? Just productivity hacks, more noise, more chaos
- AI? It’s not a nervous system reset (studies back this up)
- Courses? Same as the HR seminar, no depth, no real shift

Founders in a 9-5 or not fall into the same trap.
Trying to “fix” a 60+ hour week with surface solutions.

You’re missing the depth.

-> Energy management
-> Nervous system regulation
-> Identity work (your inner blueprint, your core beliefs)

That’s where real change happens.
Not at the surface, at the root.

So, for your own sake, stop chasing quick fixes:

- Companies: Bring real mental health work into your workplace. 
Go deeper in that seminar, create systems and space for people to open up.

- Founders: Attack the problem at its root aka YOU. 
And if you lead a team, your people need space to be human, not just productive.

This year, I’m bringing this work back into companies 
because change only lasts when it happens at the identity level.

Thank me later.

P.S.: Anyone falling asleep at those HR seminars?

P.S.S.: I don’t have anything against HR, it’s just my expirience in today’s system 🤷🏼‍♂️

I disappeared for 7 days. 

Now I’m stepping down from LinkedIn 

If I told you the start of my year went as planned, I’d be lying.

-> New project at my 9-5
-> 2 companies to run
-> My wife and family
-> New timelines

And the usual “stuff on the side”

This isn’t a pity post.

It’s about what happens when you’re a founder, still in a 9-5, and life throws you a big ass curveball.

I could have stuck my head in the sand (like Melman from Madagascar - you know, you know).

 But instead, I asked myself:

 How do I handle a new project at work…
... completely new work hours ...
...different daily structure...
 …run two companies…
 …and not burn out?

--> One goal: NO STRESS, NO BURNOUT.

Not this year. Not ever again.
This is my toughest test yet.

It’s a chance from the universe to refine my methods because I have to use them every single day.

Here’s what I’m doing (no hacks, no shortcuts):
- Diving deeper into real conversations (not just content, but connection)
- Speaking openly with my wife (real partnership, not just “support”)
- Prioritizing my health (if I’m not well, nothing else works)
- Focusing on the big mission, aligning my next steps

I’m also making some changes:
- DMs first - relationships matter more than reach
- I’ll post when I have the time to actually engage with you guys
- My programs? Even more exclusive. Quality over quantity, always
- No more forcing myself into LinkedIn time slots just to “stay visible”
- I’m working on projects that bring my mission to life in a bigger way (stay tuned
- I’m showing what it’s really like: 2-time founder, 9-5, family, and still building

!Welcome to a new timeline!

In the end, it’s only you against you.

And sometimes, the bravest move is to get radically honest with yourself and maybe even create a shift in the system.

Because I won't sabotage my marriage for my business or job

P.S.: Any founders with a 9-5 out here?

I lost $$$$ in business to noise

Time management was my excuse...

When I started building my businesses next to my 9-5, I worked:
- 7 days a week
- up to 14 hours a day
- believed hard work was the answer
- jumped on every “hack” I could find

And my typically answer was always:
-> The day needs more hours

So I “fixed” time management:
-> new calendar
-> new productivity app
->  the best YouTube gurus
->  more systems, more structure, more optimization

It got me nowhere.
Just straight into burnout.
(at least a direction…)

What I didn’t understand back then:

It wasn’t something I couldn’t see.
It was something I couldn’t hear.

-> I was running on AUTOPILOT

No self-command.
No clarity.

Because my brain was full of noise:
- “I’m not good enough.”
- “I’m doing this alone.”
- “I don’t earn enough.”
- “I don’t deserve this.”
- “I’m not making my family proud.”

That noise isn’t “just thoughts”.
It’s identity.

Identity = how you operate under pressure
-> How you see yourself

And it decides:
-> what you delay
-> what you avoid
-> what you focus on
-> what you overthink
-> what you call “busy” instead of “progress”

And yes it costs money.
Because you don’t lose money from lack of discipline.

You lose money from:
- inconsistent execution
- bad decisions under pressure
- chasing tactics instead of building momentum

When you learn to notice the noise, you save:
+ time
+ energy
+ money

That shift is a big reason I’m here today:
- building two international businesses
- more calm day to day
- happily married
- working with clients around the world

No hacks
No magic app
No caffeine roid rage 

Just less noise… and more self-command.

P.S.: which sentence shows up most in your head when pressure hits?

Time management is overrated.

Sometimes it’s straight BS.

Because it doesn’t work when your energy is sh*t.

Time management is the strategy companies love.

And founders copy it:
- optimize focus
- optimize hours
- optimize routines
- optimize calendars

BUT society misses one big point:
->  Nature doesn’t run on calendars. 

It runs on energy.
-> Called Ultradian Rhythm 

If you’re building a business next to a 9-5, 
you’re basically running a “5-9” shift.

And for most founders it feels like:
- tired by 2pm
- time slipping away
- a never-ending to-do list
- zero creativity left at night
- million tasks at once -> overthinking 

that 10-12 hour days… 
then expecting “founder mode” to magically appear

That’s why time management alone fails.
Because time management is just the frame.
Inside that frame, everything is energy management.

-> Every overthinking loop steals energy.
-> Every busywork task leaks energy.
-> Every doubt adds friction.
-> Every “I should be further” thought drains your brain power

So you wake up tired.
You go to bed tired.
And you call it “lack of discipline.”

It’s not discipline.
-> It’s CAPACITY
.
Real leverage for founders isn’t finding more hours.
It’s protecting the hours where your brain actually works.

Implementing methods through out the day to spark that energy again. 

Less noise.
Less friction.
More self-command.

In the end we still need to remind ourselves, humans weren't build for 12 hour days.

P.S.: Who can remember the time management seminars with the matrix and color coded calendars?

You don’t lose money because you lack discipline. I lost $78K in business because of my identity.

Even after reading every book
taking every course
and writing out my goals,
I kept falling back into old habits.

Founder life with a 9-5 is different (I had to learn that...):
- Overthinking every decision
- Being present, but not really there
- Panic in the morning and again at night
- Lying awake worrying about revenue, even on holiday

And underneath it all? (As if that wasn’t enough)

Beliefs like:
- “I have to do it all myself.”
- “Working harder is the only way.”
- “If I slow down, everything falls apart.”
- “I’m not the kind of leader who can have it easier.”

So let’s do a quick neuroscience round table:
Your brain is built on highways (neural pathways)
that get stronger every time you think, feel, or act a certain way.

If you’ve spent years running on stress and survival,
your brain has literally paved a superhighway for those patterns 
(like the Route 66).

→ That’s why surface-level fixes don’t work.

You can’t just:
- time block
- “think positive”
- use a new app

and expect your brain to build a new road overnight.

Every repeated thought or action deepens a neural pathway.
The more you use it, the faster your brain defaults to it, automatically.

To create real change, you have to build a new pathway, and that takes awareness, repetition, and practice.

So if you’re up for it:
- Notice one “old highway” you keep driving down
(the overworker, the self-doubter, the people-pleaser)

- Interrupt it, even once
(You can even just say “change” to yourself.)

- Choose a new thought, action, or feeling
(even if it feels awkward at first.)

- Repeat. The more you drive the new road, the easier it gets.
(Your brain is a muscle, do the mind gym)

That’s not identity work, but it’s the door to something deeper.

The real identity work, you can’t get it from a post, a hack, or a checklist.
(I won't sell you easy peasy tricks here that are not lasting) 

It’s not just a framework.
It’s an experience.

It’s the work that happens when you’re finally ready to build new highways in your brain, not just patch up the old ones.

Because your “inner blueprint” isn’t just a story, 
in the end it’s a set of brain highways.

If you want new results in business and life, you need to lay down new tracks.
-> like Lightning McQueen in Cars

P.S.: What’s one sabotaging pattern that keeps you up at night?

3 years ago I hated Mondays.

And I lived for the weekend.

Looking back, I know exactly why I spent 5 days a week waiting for Friday evening:

- 50-60 hour weeks
- restless but tired by 2pm
- trying to build businesses after my 9-5
- guilty at night because I was exhausted… 
(and still didn’t cross off my 30 tasks)
- comparing myself to founders who “made it” faster

Back then I had no idea that:
-> you actually have a choice
-> identity shapes how you operate under pressure
-> your nervous system decides whether you lead your life… or your autopilot does

But the world has changed.
Stress, anxiety, burnout numbers are rising (87-88%). 
 
-> And most “solutions” society offers (therapy, courses, seminars) are either too shallow or too generic.

So I want a movement: 
-> real data + real language about what’s happening behind closed doors.

So I’m doing something deeper in Q1: 
I’m collecting insights across industries, cultures, and ages
-> turning it into a scientifically paper that reflects reality (not motivational fluff)

Please vote HONESTLY in the poll.

It doesn’t matter if you’re employed or a founder (I’ll split the data afterwards)

And just to be clear:
This isn’t a free coaching resource.
 
This is research for a real cause
-> I’m collecting the voices that usually don’t get heard the ones who can’t just "buy the solution"

If you want to help even more:
I’ll DM a few people with 2-3 deeper questions.
If you’re open to that, comment “PAPER” or DM me “PAPER.”

P.S.: After you vote: what’s your #2 biggest stress driver?

You may burn out this year.

You may lose your business.

The future is uncertain.
And the media doesn’t make it easier with all the negativity.

So, I have some news...
You will never be “ready.”
(shocking) 

But that’s not a bad thing.
And it shouldn’t block you.

In my survey, 47% (30.01.26) said their biggest stress driver is money pressure / uncertainty.

And here’s the mistake I see founders make (especially founders with a 9-5):
-> You try to predict the future.
-> You try to prepare for every scenario.
-> You try to control what can’t be controlled.

And without noticing, you shift into control mode instead of building.

It looks like this:
- overthinking
- doing busywork to feel safe
- delaying launches and pricing decisions
- killing momentum… while calling it “being responsible”

and the certainty in the end is this, behavior: 
- anxiety when things don’t go as planned
- stress because you replay the past or fear the future
- your body is never “here” - it’s always ahead or behind

For founders with a 9-5 it’s even worse.

Because the day starts in someone else’s priorities…
and ends in your own pressure.

- anxiety because you feel behind full-time founders
- guilt when you don’t have energy left for your side business
- constant “what if” thoughts because your salary feels like the only safety net

IMO

Uncertainty is part of life.
trying to eliminate it is what breaks you.

You don’t win by controlling the future.
You win by building in the present.

Focus on inputs, not hours.
Decisions, not drama.
Momentum, not perfection.

Because if you keep letting uncertainty run the show
it becomes a certain failure
Been there, done that ...

P.S.: Whos a founder with a 9-5 here? :)

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