A graphical invitation to participate in the Innovation Lab (i.e. the initial launch) of the Burnout Proof Life Retreat.

Combat burnout by adopting a growth mindset.

Create a life that allows you to be the fullest, most joy-filled version of yourself.

You have SO MANY reasons for ignoring your own needs and putting off self-care. These are burnout mindsets, and they are very effective at convincing you to overwork.

The burnout mindsets:

  • Push you to power through work even when you need rest to prevent burnout.
  • Force you to squeeze in one more appointment, even though you know you won’t be able to make it in time.
  • Tell you that everything should be “perfect” before you can do a restful activity.
  • Keep you answering emails and texts long after work hours have supposedly ended.
  • Kill your spirit by keeping you in a too-demanding, toxic or even abusive job simply because you are passionate about what you do and the people you help.
  • Make you think that everyone else’s needs are more important than your own.

These mindsets are full of BS.

It’s not your fault. A racist, patriarchal and toxic capitalist culture tells you that hustle and grind is the only way you earn any value. You are taught to sacrifice yourself for the sake of “saving” your family, workplace, school or religious community. You are told from the time you can barely walk and talk that taking time to rest is selfish. You never learn how to really rest. You’re taught that you must get more efficient, more productive, more organized … so that you can do more, more, more.

And if you’re someone like me who really wants to make a difference – we artists, activists, spiritual or religious leaders, teachers or students, social workers and therapists … all of us who feel a passionate calling to what we do –  you are more likely to burnout.

    The problem:

    Because of our culture’s constant pressure to work, you develop a mindset that dissuades you from taking the time you need to truly rest. As a result, you often burn out.



    The solution:

    Adopt a growth mindset to prevent or recover from burnout.Neutralize your toxic mindset and scheduling self-care habits that help you feel rested and whole.

    Combat your burnout mindset in this online retreat

    Over my years of coaching and training professionals and teaching yoga and meditation, I’ve heard every reason under the sun that prevents people from really taking time to rest. 

    Although every person’s mindset is unique, I’ve noticed some patterns that fall roughly in line with our natural stress responses of fight, flight, freeze and fawn.

    Here are the mindsets that you will work with in the retreat:

    🏆 Accomplishment Addict: You fight through stressful times like a warrior, even when you have nothing left in the tank.

    👍 Reliably Unreliable: You say yes to almost everything … then cancel or fail to show up.

    🚫 Routine Rejecter – You have trouble making choices and setting a schedule because everything seems important and interesting. So you don’t.

    👏 Perpetual Pleaser: You need to be needed, so you do everything for everyone. Except yourself.

    You may read these types and say, “I do all those things!” Is it possible to be all the types?

    Yes. We likely all use all of the mindsets at different stages of life and in different situations. In this retreat, you can start with one that seems to be your go-to mindset and then work with the other ones if you feel it’s helpful to you.

    You will create a burnout proof life plan that works best for you.

    Develop habits that combat burnout and work for you

    You are your own person with unique knowledge, experiences and challenges. I don’t believe in cookie cutter or one-size-fits-all solutions. You will create a burnout-proof life plan that works best for you.

    This retreat is for you if:

    • You overwork because you feel a passionate calling to what you do – artists, activists, spiritual or religious leaders, teachers or students, social workers and therapists.
    • You feel you are emotionally exhausted, lacking empathy for others, and feeling like nothing they do makes a difference any more. (i.e., you’re burned out).
    • You aren’t burned out yet and are striving to create and/or maintain good work-life balance habits.
    • You want to start a new role or job with good boundaries and self-care practices.
    • You struggle to set priorities and want instead to focus on what will result in you having the most impact using your unique set of gifts and skills.

    My retreat offers concrete alternatives to the burnout mindset

    I’m drawing on my years of experience in coaching, teaching yoga and meditation, and being a spiritual guide to help you create a burnout-proof life plan that will help you:

      • Adopt a growth mindset when it comes to rest and self-care.
      • Identify the burnout mindset that is holding you back most.
      • Apply the right antidote to combat your burnout mindset.
      • Use your grit for getting things done and apply it to caring for yourself.
      • Eliminate non-essential doing from your life, and embrace being.
      • Create and adapt your burnout-proof life plan until it is right for you.

      This retreat will walk you through the steps of creating your burnout-proof life plan with:

      • An opening webinar to embrace a growth mindset to combat burnout
      • Two group coaching sessions that support you while you are developing and implementing your burnout-proof life plan
      • Engaging emails that pull you away from whatever is currently demanding your attention and prompt you to get back to creating your burnout-proof life plan
      • Fun challenges that help you “Power Up” your burnout-proof life as you develop and implement your plan (No one said this had to be boring!)
      • Unlimited access to the online retreat forum (In other words, I don’t kick you out of the online retreat content just because our time is up.)
      • A printable guidebook that “coaches” you through every step of the process

      What does the burnout-proof life retreat cost?

      I have lots of experience coaching people through developing their own burnout-proof life plans. However, this is the first run of this online retreat. I acknowledge that I am learning right alongside you. That means I’m giving you a deep discount for the 2023 retreat.

      This is wonderful for early adopters and people who like to save money while also combating burnout in their lives!

      Full registration is open NOW for only $249 or three payments of $83. Is the cost the only thing holding you back? Email me with what you can afford and you’re in. Seriously.

      Need a sample first? Try the free Burnout Proof Life mini course compiled five of my most actionable tips that address the emotional exhaustion and apathy that is part of burnout delivered straight to your inbox!

      Here’s the Burnout-Proof Life retreat schedule 2023:

      There is one live webinar and two live coaching sessions: Feb. 28, March 7 and April 4, all at 11 a.m PT/1 p.m. ET. We will get through all the main content Feb. 28 and March 7 that will help you create your first draft of your Burnout-Proof Life Plan. Then, from March 8 to April 4, you will begin to implement your Burnout-Proof Life Plan. Because we adopt a growth mindset here, you will learn from what works and what doesn’t work and make changes to your plan. This is how you get to the best version of the plan for you. We have regular online check-ins and prompts for conversations that unlock a new BPL Challenge Level each week! Comment on the prompt each week and you unlock the next level! (Fun is an antidote to all the burnout types, y’all!)

      Feb. 28, 11 a.m PT/1 p.m. ET. Opening webinar, “Combatting your burnout mindset”

      March 7, 11 a.m PT/1 p.m. ET. Group coaching, “Creating a first draft of your burnout-proof life plan”

      March 8 – April 4. Unlock weekly BPL Challenge Levels

      Wednesdays between March 1 – April 5, 8:30 a.m. Option to attend Nicole’s weekly restorative yoga and meditation class that can help you rest and combat burnout

      Note that the content from all live sessions will be recorded and made available within about 24 hours of the original gathering date.

      Who am I?

      Glad you asked! I’m Nicole, and I’m not some perfect guru who works 4 hours a week.

      I’m here for the change agents who are tired of being tired.

      One of the most important things about me: I cannot resist making change.

      It’s just who I am.

      I learned that people really liked to hire me for this quality – to start and lead innovative new programs and initiatives and put to rest some past programs that had reached the end of their lifespan.

      That was pretty great for getting hired. Not so great for the long haul.

      After some months or years, I would start to get traction with the change that they said they wanted. But soon the pushback from stalwart supporters of the way they’d always done it would begin to make noise, and the support for change would wane.

      I honestly loved what I was doing, even with the resistance. But I got really exhausted and burned out.

      Good thing I learned very early that I needed to take care of myself to survive and even thrive in these stressful situations. Now I’m passing on those insights to you in my Time Boss online retreat, which is part of the Defy the Trend Trailblazer coaching community I founded. I support change agents and evolving organizations who want to make change from the inside out. I approach you as the unique individual that you are in:

      • My group and individual coaching
      • Yoga and meditation classes and downloads
      • Engaging online and in-person trainings and team building
      • A useful and entertaining blog
      • My mini course that helps you create a burnout-proof life
      • My Defy the Trend coaching community
      Smiling Nicole Havelka with long purple hair, black sweater and gold necklace.