The final copies of the book arrived yesterday.
It was surreal holding one of the physical copies of the book in my hand. It took me to the hospital room I was in some time ago: the long wait in the ER, the doctor explaining what “pre-stroke symptoms” meant for someone in their early 40s. My body had been screaming for months, but I did not listen. I kept saying yes until it forced me to stop.
That day could have been the end of everything. Instead, it became the beginning of something I never planned: this book.
The obstacle became the way.
“The Cost of Yes: Stop People-Pleasing, Set Boundaries, and Recover from Burnout Without Guilt” launches tomorrow, January 6th. It’s not a book I thought I would write. I’m a manufacturing guy with 20+ years optimizing operations, leading NPI projects, and implementing Lean systems. But writing about emotions and boundaries? That wasn’t the plan.
But burnout has a way of clarifying things for you.
When I started recovering, I couldn’t find resources that told me where I actually was. Everything assumed I could meditate for 30 minutes, overhaul my entire life, or simply “choose myself first.” None of that works when you’re still answering emails at 11 PM because saying no feels impossible.
So I wrote what I needed back then: a roadmap from someone just a few steps ahead, not from some distant expert who had forgotten what the trenches feel like.
What you’ll find inside:
This isn’t a theory book. It is built on lived experience, backed by research, and designed for people who can’t afford to disrupt their lives to get better.
You’ll learn:
- Why your body keeps saying yes even when your mind knows better (and how to interrupt that pattern)
- How to set boundaries without the guilt spiral that usually follows
- Practical frameworks you can use Monday morning, not “someday when things calm down”
The obstacle that almost stopped me became the credential that matters most. I’m not writing from a place of having it all figured out. I’m writing from the ER visit, the breakdown, the slow climb back to something sustainable.
If you’re exhausted from carrying everyone else’s needs while yours pile up in the corner, then this is for you.
Launch details:
- Live: January 6th on Amazon
- Format: Available in both Print and e-book format
- e-Book Price: 99 cents for the first week (through January 13th)
I’ll drop the link tomorrow when we go live. For now, I’m sitting with these final copies and remembering that sometimes the worst thing that happens to you becomes the most important thing you do.
The obstacle was the way. It always has been.
See you at launch.
—Vivek
