Work Ethic? Or Well-Packaged Panic?

You say you’re just committed.

Driven. Focused. A little obsessive, maybe — but that’s what it takes, right?

You call it work ethic.

But let’s be honest:

It might just be panic wearing a button-down.

When Fear Puts On a Suit

It’s the part of you that can’t sit still. That confuses stillness with laziness.

That doesn’t feel safe unless you’re producing something, proving something, earning your right to breathe.

You don’t rest because the silence feels like failure.

You don’t stop because you’re afraid of what might catch up if you did.

You’ve built a business — maybe an entire identity — around this invisible contract:

But you’re not okay.

You’re just performing okayness at scale — and calling it excellence.

Try This: The Stillness Test

If any of this feels familiar, try this 5-minute gut check:

1. Sit somewhere quiet.
2. Set a timer for 3 minutes.
3. Do nothing. No phone. No journaling. No thinking "productively." Just sit.

Pay attention to what comes up:

• Restlessness?

• Guilt?

• Mental bargaining? ("I’ll do this then get back to work…")

• A sudden urge to fix something?

That’s not boredom. That’s fear.

And it’s driving more of your decision-making than you realize.

What Would Happen If You Let Go of the Act?

Ask yourself:

What would break if I stopped performative work ethic?

Not stopped working. Just stopped needing to look tireless, bulletproof, productive 24/7.

Would the business collapse?

Or would you finally feel like a human being again?

Best,
Peter Delle

P.S. What’s the fear hiding under your leadership right now? Hit reply & name it. I’ll write about it soon.