No One Is Coming to Save You And That’s Not Fair

As children, we were promised that if we worked hard, showed ingenuity, and took responsibility, we would take our lives, careers and successes far. 

Now as adults, this promise sounds hollow to me. 

My life for the longest time felt like a struggle – juggling client demands, team expectations, and never-ending pings … life at large. I’ve been making it happen for the longest time until I just couldn’t anymore. 

In hindsight, I know the values of hard work and proving myself meant I did not receive as much support as someone who struggled. Until I became I hit such a low, it couldn’t be ignored. 

As long as I “somehow make it work,” I was considered doing well enough and leadership prioritizes other problem areas. 

And the worst part? 

I knew this wasn’t sustainable, but every time I asked for help, nothing changed.

If you clicked on this article, then I imagine, you’ve not that from where I’ve been. So what can we do?

Not your team. Not your boss. Not HR.

But before that sinks in too deep, let me say this—this is not your fault. You’ve been set up to believe that if you just push through, things will get better. 

They won’t. 

Unless you change the way you play the game.

So, what does “being your own saviour” actually look like? 

It’s not about doing more or just “powering through.” It’s about reclaiming control in ways that actually work:

✔ Say no before tasks hit your to-do list. If you don’t, you’ll always be firefighting instead of leading.

✔ Stop waiting for permission to set boundaries. Senior leaders won’t enforce them for you. You have to decide where your limits are and hold them.

✔ Break the cycle of doing it all yourself. Delegating isn’t about burdening others—it’s about giving your team a chance to step up.

✔ Recognize that burnout isn’t a personal failure. It’s a systemic issue. But you do have the power to change how you engage with it.

Becoming your own saviour is about visualizing a better future. It is also about taking small, intentional actions that make that future real. And you don’t have to do it alone. Take back control at work so that you are able to reclaim your time, energy and personal life.