Your Job Search: Effort Doesn’t Guarantee Results | Fix Your Mentality First

When ambitious professionals hit a plateau, the instinct is simple: work harder. Add more hours. Push through.

But according to my next guest, Diana Pagano, that reflex often backfires.

She argues that “work harder” is often a learned pattern that keeps people busy, burned out, and stuck. In today’s careers, knowing when to stop or pull back is a competitive advantage—not a weakness.

Diana is the author of The More Mindset. A first-generation Mexican American and former single mother, she spent years working seven days a week to survive—before realizing those same patterns were limiting her growth. After rewiring them, she became an international speaker and executive leader driving 500% revenue growth.

Today, she coaches executives and founders on the cognitive habits that shape career growth—and why effort alone eventually stops working.

Setting the Stage

People want more—especially listeners of this show (myself included). But when does that drive start working against you?

Chris shares how it’s often harder to stop than to start, especially for Career Warriors—constantly adding more, rarely pulling back.

Diana, you’ve lived this—working nonstop before realizing it was holding you back. What were those patterns, and how did you rewire them?

What We’ll Cover

Why knowing when to stop is a competitive advantage—not a weakness
How to recognize when it’s time to stop pushing and recalibrate
Advice for job seekers: when to persist vs. when to pivot
The difference between unhealthy career spiraling and productive reflection
ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts): what they are and how they fuel career spiraling—and the antidote
How to hit goals (even in sales-driven roles) without simply working harder
What AI can never replicate in your career

Resources & Links

Order Diana’s book, The More Mindset: https://www.amazon.com/More-Mindset-Mental-Extraordinary-Results/dp/1394388683/
Connect with Diana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-pagano/
Connect with Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-villanueva-cprw/
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