Are you feeling the pressure to do more with less?

Between dealing with staffing challenges, hitting targets, and keeping up with mechanical issues leaders are overwhelmed. As you handle everything on your plate, you might find yourself spreading yourself too thin, which can lead to burn-out. It can also hurt your ability to use your energy in the best ways for yourself and your team.

Finding Your Sustainable Ambition

Burn-out and energy were the topics on a recent episode of the Mindfulness Manufacturing podcast starring guest Kathy Oneto! Kathy is a consultant, advisor, facilitator, and executive coach, who shares powerful lessons on how professionals can avoid burn-out, align their ambitions, and design sustainable paths toward success. She’s also the author of Sustainable Ambition: How to Prioritize What Matters to Thrive in Life and Work.

On Mindfulness Manufacturing, she shared some actionable insights for managing the intense pressures of manufacturing, establishing personal boundaries, maintaining energy, and finding real meaning at work.

Three Tips for Sustainable Ambition

#1: Take a Pause

Both cultural norms and technology push us to always be “on,” which leads to burnout and a cycle of overwork. Instead of perpetually driving hard, practice intentional self-reflection. You and your team members should pause regularly to assess what really matters most right now and be kind to yourselves when setting expectations.

Actionable insight: Start your day with a brief pause. Take a minute to reflect on your top priority and remind yourself that being human means pacing your energy to remain resilient.

#2: Align Your Ambitions

Sustainable success isn’t about every goal having equal importance. Instead, it’s about aligning the right ambition at the right time with the right level of effort. Connect your personal ambitions to your organization’s goals, so you can increase motivation and find a greater sense of purpose. Approach goals that focus on growth and contribution, rather than avoidance goals like fear or punishment.

Actionable insight: Have deeper, ongoing conversations with your team member. Identify what motivates them personally and help them see how their work directly contributes to broader organizational purpose.

#3. The Importance of Breaks and Restoration

Just as machines need regular preventive maintenance, people need intentional downtime to operate at their best. Small restorative practices — like taking a two-minute walk, short mindfulness techniques, or simply stepping outside for fresh air — can make a significant impact on energy and productivity. In environments where long hours and stress are the norm, these small breaks can help sustain ambition and sharpen focus.

Actionable insight: Build micro-restoration periods into your daily routine, such as short walks or breathing exercises between meetings, to recharge and prevent exhaustion before it builds up.

Other Resources

To hear more from Kathy Oneto, listen to her episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing here.

You can also check out my book report of Kathy’s book, Sustainable Ambition.

Mindfulness Manufacturing

Our show is about providing listeners with real stories that come from a place of experience, transparency, and authenticity. Most importantly it’s about what we learn from these stories and applying Mindfulness in our everyday work and personal lives.
Our intention is to create an environment where people can learn through open honest discussions on how we apply Mindfulness. Although our experiences and stories come from time in a manufacturing environment hence the title “Mindfulness Manufacturing”, we still see our discussions and topics relatable to any organization or profession.

When your workplace includes baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z employees, it can seem impossible to keep everyone happy and fulfilled. In a multigenerational workplace, can you really create an environment where everyone feels supported, valued, and motivated?

It is possible—and in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing, guest Michelle McCullough provides the insights and tools you need to drive engagement, trust, and emotional well-being across all generations. Michelle is a nationally recognized speaker, leadership expert, and workplace culture expert and has spent years researching how leaders can build more resilient, connected, and productive teams.

In this episode, Michelle shares key insights from her latest research, including how trust, support, and human connection can radically transform retention and performance on the shop floor. This episode will challenge you to think differently about what your team really needs.

2:50 – Emotional intelligence is especially important in a high-pressure industry like manufacturing 4:10 – Gen Z crave connection, purpose, and mental well-being in the workplace 6:30 – Older generations tend to prioritize stability, while younger generations want social connection 8:00 – When employees understand the impact of their work, they feel more connected and motivated 9:50 – Show an interest in your team member’s lives outside of work 11:00 – Understand that different generations have different motivations 21:00 – Team building exercises can improve cohesion and morale 23:10 – Happiness and resilience training can improve mental health and team connection 24:15 – You should also understanding gender gaps in the workplace 27:50 – When trust is broken, it can be rebuilt through intentional actions like growth, vulnerability, and transparent communication. 29:00 – Employees are more likely to stay and be engaged when they feel supported and understood by their leaders.

Connect with Michelle McCullough Visit her website Follow @SpeakMichelle on social media