"In this blog post, I unpack why most burnout isn’t about doing too much—but about living out of alignment with your true values, and how knowing your terms can change that." -Rebecca Misek

Stop Living on Autopilot: Why You Need to Know Your Terms

You’re halfway through your day, and it already feels like you’re behind.
You had every intention of waking up early, eating well, maybe even getting in a workout or journaling.

But instead—you’re reacting.
Putting out fires. Responding to what’s urgent.
Doing the things you “should.”

And if you’re being honest, this isn’t just today.
It’s a pattern.

You’re doing the things, keeping your commitments, showing up for your people…
But something feels off.

Not broken. Just… misaligned. Like you’ve drifted from yourself without realizing it.

It’s subtle, but it’s costing you.
Your clarity. Your energy. Your peace.

And the truth is:
Most people don’t burn out because they’re doing too much.
They burn out because they’ve lost connection with why they’re doing it.

This Is Where Your Terms Come In

Most of us live with a silent script in our head that sounds like:

“I should do that.”
“I have to show up for this.”
“I guess I’ll just squeeze it in.”

We say yes because we’re capable.
We push through because we’re strong.
We perform because it’s what’s expected.

But at some point, you stop recognizing yourself in the process.
You’ve gotten so good at keeping up—you haven’t noticed you’re running on autopilot.

This is where “knowing your terms” changes everything.

What Are Terms, Exactly?

Your terms are your personal code.
They’re not goals.
They’re not wishful thinking.
They’re not the rules someone else gave you.

They are the standards you choose to live by—on purpose.

They're forged through clarity, not pressure.
They’re how you show up when no one’s watching.
They’re what you return to when you’re tired, triggered, or tempted to numb out.

A Real-Life Example

Let’s say one of your terms is:

“I honor my body by feeding it what fuels me.”

That doesn’t mean you need a gourmet kitchen or a five-day meal prep plan.
It might look like reheated leftovers instead of a drive-thru run.
Not out of guilt—but because you’ve already decided who you are.

That’s the power of your terms.
They remove the noise and help you return to what’s yours.

You’re not scrambling to figure out what to do in the moment.
You’re simply living from your identity.

What Happens When You Don’t Know Your Terms?

You’ll default to someone else’s.

You’ll find yourself scrolling through other people’s routines, strategies, lives—trying to cobble together something that works for you.

You’ll look successful on the outside, but feel stuck on the inside.

You’ll get reactive.
Resentful.
Exhausted.

And you’ll wonder why nothing feels quite like you anymore.

Let’s Get You Back

Grab a pen. Ask yourself:

• Who am I when no one is watching?

• What do I want to be known for—not by the crowd, but by the people closest to me?

• What do I keep compromising that actually matters to me?

Then write three terms that feel like home. You can start with these prompts:

• I am a person who…

• I operate at a standard where…

• From this day forward, I choose…

You’ll know you’re onto something when it doesn’t feel like a rule—it feels like relief.

Last Thing

If you’ve been living by default, following other people’s pace or priorities—you’re not behind. You’re just ready to come home to yourself again.

And when you live by your terms?

You stop trying to prove, impress, or perform.
You move with clarity.
You make decisions faster.
And you start building a life that actually fits.

You don’t need another productivity hack.
You need to remember who you are.

Let your terms lead the way.