3 hidden blocks to entrepreneurial freedom: why boundaries alone won’t set you free.

So often, the desire to work for ourselves is framed as a craving for time, location, or financial freedom, and that’s valid. But what rarely gets talked about is the emotional and psychological terrain underneath it all.

Over the past decade, I’ve spoken to hundreds of people craving more flexibility, autonomy, and purpose in their careers. And what I’ve learned—over and over again—is that the real barriers to freedom aren’t logistical; they’re emotional, internal, and often invisible.

Yesterday, I led a roundtable discussion during which a group of professionals shared their own “burnout stories.” What emerged were three powerful themes that explain exactly why so many brilliant, capable people stay stuck (in the preliminary stages, or on perimeter, of entrepreneurship) and what has to shift before lasting freedom is even possible.

If you’re dreaming of a business or lifestyle that’s truly aligned, read this carefully. It may challenge the way you view freedom, and validate so many of your own experiences to help you move towards a more balanced life that feels legitimate and just.

1. Burnout as a Patterned Experience

As each roundtable participant told their own personal story, it became increasingly clear that burnout wasn’t a one-off event for them—it was a recurring theme. For some, it had become so normalized that they expected it to return (“Burnout is going to come back—I know it will”). For others, it marked the transition point between major life or career phases, acting as a justification for what came next. The phrase “habitual wall” was another powerful phrase that brilliantly captured how entrenched these burnout patterns had become.

The concept of burnout as a justification for change was of particular interest to me. Many entrepreneurs—myself included—have an in-built need for change that’s closely tied to our values and personality. However, we often wait for our situation to get so bad that we have obvious suffering, setbacks, and even breakdowns before we allow ourselves to make a change.

But here’s the thing: as entrepreneurs, we can redefine success at any moment. We call all the shots. This means we can redefine success in a way that decouples it from our self-worth. We can choose to prioritize our own needs without having to justify anything. We can learn to leave a situation simply because it no longer fits.

Sustainable businesses need to have models, structures, processes, etc. that are proactive, not reactive. If we allow the same burnout patterns to reoccur, we will continue to create the exact same working environments that we so desperately wanted to leave when we were working for other people. We will set the same trap for ourselves that we just escaped from.

And so I ask you:

• What if your identity wasn’t tied up in your burnout cycles?
• What if it was enough to simply want a change, and there didn’t have to be any suffering attached to it?
• What if you didn’t have to wait for collapse to initiate change?

2. Invisible Standards & Internal Conflict

Much of the group expressed that they were operating under intense internal pressure to maintain excellence, often at the expense of their own wellbeing. One participant shared that even when aspects of their full-time job were enjoyable, everything was unenjoyable because they had so much on their plate as a whole. And still, they didn’t want to lower their standards or let anyone down, so their dream of starting their own business remained unrealized—they were trapped in an endless burnout loop.

Another attendee literally used the words “I have no control over what’s coming in.” They felt like they couldn’t say no or ask for help because “the responsibility chain” would not allow them to. In other words, everyone at the company wanted to “do it right, get things in on time, people people” to the point where they no longer had a voice and their needs were irrelevant. Even when boundaries were communicated, they were not respected and often even ignored entirely. Colleagues simply assume the work will get done anyway.

Of course, when you become self-employed, you can walk away from such toxic environments. But what about the deeply ingrained beliefs you still carry around responsibility, value, and worthiness? What if you still believe you can only truly claim your success if you’re “doing it all?”

True freedom includes freedom from internal patterns of guilt, obligation, and overachievement. It’s not just getting away from external structures. Honing the ability to ask for, and receive, support is a critical step in any entrepreneur’s journey. In fact, I consider it to be a non-negotiable for sustainable business growth and personal fulfillment. Therefore, the question is not “How do I avoid getting into situations where I’m overwhelmed or have to ask for help?” The question is “How can I retain my high standards and continue to provide value while honouring my own needs?”

Some helpful journalling prompts:

• What if doing less didn’t have to reflect your level of capability at all?
• What if your fear of not letting people down or being a burden is preventing you from properly sharing your gifts with the world?
• What would it mean to give yourself permission to do only want you want, not what you think others want?

3. Fear Disguised as Rationality

As our conversation deepened, one participant used the phrase, “Burnout is going to come back—I know it will.” They went on to describe how they were learning to slow down and “appreciate where [they’re] at,” which resonated with myself and others in the group. After all, being cautionary is a survival strategy. There’s wisdom in knowing your limits, especially after years of overextending.

However, the next thought I had was more contrarian in nature. What if what seems like a very reasonable rationale is actually fear-based avoidance posing as a legitimate excuse? As a freedom-focused entrepreneur myself, who has a history of perpetual burnout but made enormous strides in leaving that well in the past, I had been here before. I remembered how many times I’d turned down opportunities out of fear that I’d burn out again. How easy it was to support the narrative that “doing less solves the burnout problem.” And how little resistance I got from others when I explained my reason for holding back, since my argument was bullet-proof.

The more we tell ourselves and others these “self-protection” stories, the more convincing they become. We know just how to phrase things in such a way that makes it almost impossible for others to argue with us. And each time we tell it, it feels like we’re setting strong and healthy boundaries for ourselves. So much so that the more push back we receive, the more we feel the need to stand up, speak out, and reinforce our boundaries.

And yet… underneath it all, we could be longing for more. Sometimes, a story we’ve constructed to protect ourselves is actually holding us back by protecting a pattern. No matter how thoughtful, self-aware, and reflective we are, we can’t actually see that this is happening (because it’s subconscious). So, it’s not a matter of being in denial—it’s a matter of having blind spots.

Freedom-focused entrepreneurship requires us a degree of honesty that can be so incredibly triggering for us, as individuals, that we choose to hide parts of the truth to keep the peace within ourselves. If we haven’t yet built self-trust (which takes time, dedication, and customized support), we will not trust ourselves with all of the information necessary for the story to be interpreted with the utmost accuracy. Because we believe we will take that information and put ourselves in an unsafe, undesirable situation. So it’s best to stay quiet.

• What if what you’ve been calling peace is actually stagnation because you’ve never experienced expansion that felt safe?
• What if you could create a new truth and strengthen it over time? One that equates work with joy, safety, and support, rather than control, fear, or collapse?
• What if the question wasn’t “is this reasonable?” but, instead, “is this aligned?”

If self-trust hasn’t been built yet, the impulse to pause will always feel more justifiable than the desire to expand.

True freedom isn’t simply leaving a job, starting a business, or setting your own schedule. It’s about learning to recognize the patterns, stories, and survival strategies that once kept you safe but now keep you stuck. It’s about meeting those parts of yourself with compassion, while also refusing to let them dictate your future.

Building a business that feels exciting and freeing requires enormous self-awareness, self-honesty, and above all, self-trust. Given all the complexities, biases, and blind spots I just mentioned, it’s important to have someone who can walk alongside you and spot self-sabotage in disguise, before it takes hold!

If you’re ready to step into the next version of yourself, I’d love to help you build a business that reflects your values, honours your energy, and expands what you believe is possible—both for your work and your life. Apply to join The ‘Thriving & Free’ Medical Writer Program™ waitlist to build a freedom-focused lifestyle with my support.

Sophie Ash, BSc (Hons), DipION is an intuitive business coach and communications expert with 7 years of experience helping purpose-driven entrepreneurs build freedom-focused lifestyles on their own terms. Sophie’s coaching helps entrepreneurs find authentic ways to express themselves in business, so their work reflects who they are—not just what they do.