How to Thrive Without Burning Out | Buffini Podcast
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In today’s “always on” world, working harder isn’t enough. Dr. James Hewitt, a human performance scientist, former elite cyclist and advisor to Formula One teams, believes there’s a better and healthier way to achieve your ultimate goals while avoiding burnout. The key? Adequate and efficient recovery.
Recently, Hewitt was a guest on Brian Buffini’s It’s a Good Life podcast, where he shared additional insights into what he calls “regenerative performance.”
From Effort + Optimization to Effort + Recovery
Hewitt once believed peak performance came from a simple equation: effort + optimization = peak performance. As a young professional, he lived this way at full speed, trying to be a great husband and father, build a business and work toward his PhD.
“On the surface, everything did look great, but the truth was, behind the scenes, I was pretty close to the limit,” he admitted. “That effort and optimization approach was exhausting.”
But it was something unexpected that stopped him in his tracks — a cancer diagnosis.
“I stopped and I had to reflect. And my reflection was that that effort plus optimization algorithm, as attractive as it sounds, wasn’t sustainable,” he said. “I couldn’t keep going, being always on, a million miles an hour. But giving up and checking out, disengaging — that was clearly not an option either. It was never going to work for me. And I needed what I came to describe as a third way forward.”
Fortunately, Hewitt made a complete recovery. He also had a new focus — the concept of regenerative performance.
“This is true sustained high performance that doesn’t emerge from this constant optimization, but rather by creating the conditions, the skills and the context where our well-being and our performance complement rather than undermine each other,” he explained.
Avoid the ‘Triangular Pattern’
In his research, Hewitt identified a common trap he calls the triangular pattern:
- Initiation – You start a new routine or program with enthusiasm.
- Maintenance – You stick with it for a while.
- Resistance – Life intervenes, you falter and then abandon the habit.
This cycle leads to oscillating between over-optimization and disengagement.
Drop the Myth of Perfect Balance
Many professionals aim for “work–life balance,” but Hewitt said trying to achieve a perfect equilibrium is unrealistic. Instead, he advises striving for healthy flexibility — knowing when to go all-in and when to recover deeply. In endurance sports, it’s rarely overtraining that ruins performance; it’s under-recovery, he added. The same applies to leadership and entrepreneurship.
Make Recovery Multi-Dimensional
Hewitt breaks recovery into three dimensions:
- Cognitive: Continuous learning, mental breaks and time away from screens to reset thinking.
- Emotional: Strong relationships, trusted peers and mentors — the “personal board of directors” who can help you recalibrate.
- Physical: Sleep, nutrition, movement and rest periods matched to your actual energy needs.
Hewitt said he hopes that more highly stressed businesspeople will see how regenerative performance will help them achieve freedom from what’s holding them back from their goals.
In doing so, they can break out of the cycle of over-optimizing and burnout, he said, and instead become “their best selves and make the impact in the world” that they desire.
For more on Hewitt’s work, check out his new book, Regenerative Performance: How to Thrive in an Always-On World Without Sacrificing Your Well-Being. Click here to listen to the entire podcast.
