Attaching my self worth to my startups’ success destroyed me

I joined my current startup from a much larger company. Initially the fast pace and high risk/reward excited me. Looking back after 4 years, I’m now realizing how depressed and burnt out I became as a result.

The primary driver of this downward spiral was how strongly I attached my self worth to the success of the company. When I joined, it felt like hopping aboard a rocket ship. However, that didn’t pan out. Success was much slower and harder to come by, both at the company level and in terms of career growth.

Never again will I care too much about the success of my company. If I have a great roadmap for personal career growth, that’s all that matters to me.