This Entrepreneur Finally Beat Burnout for Good. Here’s How He Did It

Owning a business can burn you out in a really big way.

At first, it's fine. Crunch times happen.

You're passionate about your business, so you trudge through those tedious 60-hour workweeks like a champ.

But over time, it starts to wear on you. You dread going back to work.

You feel like the rest of your life disintegrated, and all that's left is the business.

That's not a good headspace to be in.

Sometimes you wish you could just, you know, leave. Run off. Go where the wind takes you.

Step away from your business for as long as you need.

That's exactly what entrepreneur Adam Daily did to cure his own overwhelming burnout.

The CEO of a multimillion dollar firm, he reached a point where he'd had enough overload for a lifetime.

He and his wife and kids took a yearlong sabbatical, during which he traveled the world.

In 2013, I had what could only be called a dream job. I was the founder and CEO of a $7 million company.

It was a sports-travel firm called Ludus Sports that organized hospitality packages to the world’s largest sporting events and counted Olympic athletes and Fortune 500 companies as clients.

To the outside, I looked like a success.

But in truth, I struggled.

But one day soon after, en route to an industry conference, I was overcome with anxiety.

I worried about who I might run into, who I might have to talk to. I didn’t know what to do, what to say.

That’s when I finally accepted that I needed a break.

I needed to clear my head, refocus and reignite my passion for work — which meant I needed a full escape.

So I convinced my wife of something crazy: Our family, which included four kids under the age of 7, should spend the next year traveling the world.

Even crazier, she agreed.

As it turned out, the lessons along the way translated quickly back into my life as an entrepreneur.

First, I learned I needed to loosen up. I was an efficient, detail-oriented planner in all corners of my life, but this expedition taught me to embrace flexibility.

To cut costs, we’d book accommodations just days before arrival and schedule flights based on price rather than preferred schedule.

Did it add stress? Of course!

But dealing with a few unknowns to save money was worth it.

Now, as I’ve resettled into my everyday life, I find myself approaching conversations with vendors and customers with more flexibility.

It’s led to a healthier bottom line, as well as healthier, longer- lasting relationships.