The CEO Who Couldn't Downshift

One of my CEO patients came to me because he felt stuck.

The strange part was that he was successful by almost every measure.

His company was growing.

He exercised regularly with a trainer.

He had more discipline than most people I meet.

When we reviewed his energy data, his pattern looked surprisingly familiar.

Most days were spent in Overdrive.

Occasionally he shifted into Balanced High Power, where work and health power were high.

At first glance, that seemed like a good thing.

Many of us, including myself, spend our days exactly the same way.

There is always another email to answer.

Another project to finish.

Another problem to solve.

Another responsibility waiting for our attention.

Overdrive can feel productive because, in many ways, it is.

That’s why it becomes so easy to normalize.

Over the years, I’ve noticed something else.

The Overdrive quadrant is also where I often encounter Surprise Disease.

Not because Overdrive guarantees disease.

Because many people stay there longer than the situation requires.

There are precious moments where we can downshift, but we often choose not to. 

That was the issue this CEO and I began exploring together.

Wednesday: Why high performers often mistake Overdrive for normal, and what happens when a temporary operating mode becomes a permanent one.

The Mechanism (The Overdrive Trap)

Over the past three weeks we’ve identified several parts of our operating system.

Adrenaline is the gas pedal.

Dopamine is the foot pressure applied to that pedal.

Cortisol is the dashboard clock that helps regulate your daily energy wave.

The CEO we met on Monday wasn’t missing any of those components.

His problem was that the foot rarely came off the pedal.

Most people assume Overdrive is caused by major stressors.

A difficult project, demanding client, family conflict or crisis, etc. 

Sometimes that’s true.

More often, Overdrive is maintained by dozens of smaller signals repeated throughout the day.

Checking messages between meetings.

Thinking about tomorrow during dinner.

Reaching for the phone the moment you wake up.

Solving one problem and immediately searching for the next.

None of these events seem significant on their own.

But together, they keep a subtle pressure on the gas pedal.

The challenge is that adrenaline and dopamine don’t just help us perform.

They can also make progress feel rewarding.

Finishing tasks and solving problems can feel really good.

Over time, many high performers become conditioned to seek that state without realizing it.

Eventually, Overdrive stops feeling like Overdrive.

It simply feels normal.

That is when a temporary operating mode becomes a permanent one.

When that happens, it’s not just a problem with energy and performance.

Persistent adrenaline-fueled overdrive can fuel chronic inflammation.

This is when I see high performers present with conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, prediabetes/diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disease, etc. 

I’m not saying that Overdrive directly causes these conditions.

Instead I’m saying that over many years of clinical practice, I’ve consistently observed a relationship between persistent high-activation states like Overdrive and increased disease risk.

The Tool: The Missing Interval

I’ve noticed high performers rarely struggle to get started on tasks. 

The challenge is often the opposite.

Finishing one task simply becomes the starting point for the next.

A meeting ends and the email inbox appears.

An email gets answered and another problem needs attention.

A project gets completed and the mind immediately starts scanning for what’s next.

For the next few days, experiment with creating a small interval between activities.

After a meeting, a workout, or a completed task, pause for about a minute before moving on.

There’s nothing to accomplish during that minute.

No phone. No planning. No productivity hack.

Just notice what happens.

Adrenaline and dopamine make us almost instantly move onto the next task without pause. 

The goal isn’t to get rid of that drive, but instead to notice it. 

What does that sensation feel like before you move onto what’s next?

Is there a change in your breathing?

Do you notice urgency, pressure, tension, or restlessness?

Does your posture shift?

Do certain muscles tighten?

The CEO’s breakthrough was realizing that he wasn’t deliberately choosing Overdrive. 

It was an automatic reflex that had become his default gear. 

That realization laid the foundation for the downshifting skills we’ll learn in the coming weeks.

Many people assume Overdrive is created by major stressors.

This week introduced a different possibility.

Sometimes Overdrive is maintained by dozens of daily activation moments.

One more email, task, errand, problem to solve, etc. 

Over time, the foot rarely comes off the pedal.

The challenge is that this state can become so familiar that we stop noticing it.

The goal is not to eliminate ambition, drive, or productivity.

The goal is to recognize when Overdrive has become your default setting.

Reflection:

Where in your day do you feel the strongest pull toward “what’s next” rather than fully finishing what’s happening now?

Next week: One of the most effective ways to leave Overdrive has nothing to do with willpower. It begins with a skill most people overlook every day.