Excellence, Burnout, and Chronic Pain: Learning to Work Unto the Lord

In this episode of The Pursuit of Calling, Thomas Carney opens up about how pursuing excellence as a Christian with a chronic condition can sometimes lead to burnout. He shares how his desire to “do everything as unto the Lord” collided with the physical limits of living with muscular dystonia — and how that tension led him to redefine what true excellence looks like.

Thomas talks about ending his merch project to focus on coaching and podcasting with excellence, learning that real excellence means clarity, prioritization, and rest — not endless busyness. This is an honest conversation for young Christian men who want to honor God with their work while navigating the challenges of chronic pain, fatigue, and calling.

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00:00 — Intro: Welcome to The Pursuit of Calling

00:32 — New direction: narrowing the podcast focus

00:50 — My story: discovering muscular dystonia & searching for purpose

01:45 — Who I’m serving + share this episode (call to action)

02:43 — Free discovery coaching: how to sign up (name, phone, email)

03:09 — Burnout & overextension — juggling job, coaching, merch, podcast

05:01 — Merch hiatus: why the store is pausing and prioritizing the call

06:09 — Health update: jaw, speaking limits, and living strategically with limitations

11:44 — Scripture & reframing excellence (Colossians 3:23)

15:38 — Rest, community, final applications, prayer & outro