The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast

chevron_right

CNLP 755 | 29 Stress Points in 14 Months and My Health Wake-Up Call: Inside My Hardest Year in Leadership in 20 Years

whatshot 11 snips

Sep 18, 2025

Guest

Sean Morgan

In this insightful discussion, Sean Morgan, a former military pilot and executive pastor, interviews Carey Nieuwhof about a tumultuous year in leadership marked by 29 stressors and a significant health crisis. Carey shares his personal journey through illness and how it forced him to rethink his approach to leadership and self-care. He emphasizes the importance of building margins in life, tracking stressors, and redefining contributions to avoid burnout. Listeners will walk away with practical tips on resilience and recovery.

01:23:06

forum

Ask episode

web_stories

AI Snips

view_agenda

Chapters

menu_book

Books

auto_awesome

Transcript

info_circle

Episode notes

question_answer

ANECDOTE

29 External Stressors Discovered

Carey discovered he had experienced 29 external stressors in ~14 months and it surprised him.
These piled-up events culminated in his most difficult leadership year in 20 years.

insights

INSIGHT

External Stressors Can Exceed Resilience

Carey realized external stressors (events outside his control) can cumulatively erode leadership capacity.
He learned tracking external stressors revealed a threshold where resilience weakens.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Track Stressors And Adjust Schedule

Keep a running list of active external stressors and reassess when the count grows.
Make schedule adjustments (more rest, margin, reduced work) once stressors hit a personal threshold.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Sudden Illness: Diagnosis and Treatment

09:10 • 14min

chevron_right

Counting 29 Stressors: Grief, Sanctuary, and Limits

Margin, Prehab, and Redefining Contribution

• Mentioned in 4 episodes

Redeeming Your Time

Managing Your Most Valuable Resource

Jordan Rayner

In "Redeeming Your Time," Jordan Rayner presents a compelling case for a grace-based approach to productivity. He challenges the common notion that relentless self-improvement is the key to success, arguing instead that true fulfillment comes from aligning our lives with God's purposes. Rayner offers practical strategies for managing time effectively, but always within the context of a faith-filled life. He emphasizes the importance of prioritizing spiritual disciplines and using our time as a gift from God, not as a commodity to be exploited. The book encourages readers to find joy and purpose in their work, viewing it as an act of worship.

#4054

• Mentioned in 8 episodes

A Minute to Think

Juliet Funt

#17

• Mentioned in 268 episodes

Essentialism

The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Greg McKeown

In 'Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less,' Greg McKeown argues that by applying a more selective criteria for what is essential, individuals can regain control of their time and energy. The book is divided into sections such as Explore, Eliminate, and Execute, providing practical advice on distinguishing the vital few from the trivial many and eliminating non-essential activities. McKeown emphasizes the importance of clarity of focus, the ability to say 'no,' and living 'by design, not by default. ' This approach helps readers achieve more by doing less and making the highest possible contribution in their personal and professional lives.

#2004

• Mentioned in 14 episodes

Margin

Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives

Richard Swenson

In this book, Dr. Richard A. Swenson addresses the issue of chronic overloading in modern life and introduces the concept of 'margin' as a solution. Margin is defined as the space between our load and our limits, acting as a buffer to help us heal, relate, reflect, and recharge. The book provides seventy-five practical prescriptions for restoring margin in areas such as emotional energy, physical energy, time, and finances. It emphasizes the importance of simplicity, rest, and balance in achieving a healthier and more fulfilling life, particularly from a Christian perspective.

#11

• Mentioned in 323 episodes

The 4 Hour Workweek

Tim Ferriss

In 'The 4-Hour Workweek', Timothy Ferriss presents a step-by-step guide to 'lifestyle design', encouraging readers to question the traditional notion of retirement and instead create a lifestyle that prioritizes freedom, adventure, and personal growth. The book teaches how to outsource life tasks, automate income, and eliminate unnecessary work using principles like the 80/20 rule and Parkinson’s Law. Ferriss shares his personal journey from a corporate workaholic to a location-independent entrepreneur and provides practical tips and case studies to help readers achieve similar results. The book emphasizes the importance of focusing on high-value activities, taking 'mini-retirements', and living life to the fullest in the present rather than deferring enjoyment until retirement.

#6696

• Mentioned in 5 episodes

Winning the War in Your Mind

Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life

Craig Groeschel

In this book, Craig Groeschel provides practical strategies to change your mind and life by drawing upon Scripture and the latest findings of brain science. The book helps readers learn how their brain works and how to rewire it, identify lies that can lead to destructive thinking, recognize and short-circuit mental triggers, and develop practices that allow God's thoughts to shape their thoughts. It includes exercises at the end of each chapter to help readers reflect and apply the strategies immediately.

#2476

• Mentioned in 12 episodes

At Your Best

Carey Nieuwhof

• Mentioned in 396 episodes

Deep Work

Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

Cal Newport

In 'Deep Work', Cal Newport argues that the ability to perform deep work—professional activities in a state of distraction-free concentration—is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. The book is divided into two parts: the first part explains why deep work is valuable, rare, and meaningful, while the second part presents four rules to transform your mind and habits to support this skill. These rules include 'Work Deeply', 'Embrace Boredom', 'Quit Social Media', and 'Drain the Shallows'. Newport provides actionable advice and examples from various successful individuals to help readers master the skill of deep work and achieve groundbreaking results.

Twenty-nine stressful events in 14 months. One major health crisis. Zero sugar-coating.

In this flip-the-mic episode, Sean Morgan interviews Carey to dissect the hardest year Carey's faced in two decades: how external turmoil, internal drive, and an unexpected diagnosis collided—and what he had to modify to ensure he didn't burn out again.

🔗 Show Notes

📩 On The Rise Newsletter

🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet

🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy

🎥 Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.

Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes

CONVOY OF HOPE

Convoy of Hope’s Hope Summit has an amazing lineup of speakers like Chris Hodges and Jennie Allen. Carey will be speaking as well, and Natalie Grant will be leading worship.

You can register at hopesummit.com/carey to take advantage of a special discounted rate.

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Home Top podcasts Popular guests Top books