There is one characteristic that determines how far you will go, and who you will become in this life.
Your ability to keep going.
As driven women, we are always considering our next moves, the next steps we will take and seeking strategies for growth.
With this in mind our focus goes to the steps we need to continue forward.
Where our focus goes is where our energy flows, so focusing on where we are going serves us well.
But we can’t ignore the obvious - there will be obstacles and barriers to breakthrough as we move.
Some of the biggest obstacles for high-achievers are: burn out, overwhelm, stress, and anxiety.
All things that regardless of how your plan is laid out - will stop you in your tracks.
You can’t show up to execute when getting out of bed feels like the hardest part of your day.
Continuing to put on a mask to pretend you’re okay is exhausting.
If you want to keep going, you can’t grit your teeth and push through forever.
Most successful women are stuck or blocked from their next level of success because they are too exhausted to get clarity on how they will actually get there or too tired to show up as the powerful bosses they really are.
Reaching the next level won’t feel like the next level if you feel like a corpse.
I know what you are thinking, that when you follow the plan - you’ll get to the goal… And then you can relax.
Except you won’t, because you’ll be so uncomfortable being still from only knowing how to push.
I’ve seen it time and time again, laying out a beautiful plan to execute that will create more success for the business - it feels empowering and motivating to have the steps laid out right in front of you.
Instead of laying out a strategic plan of action for the business alone, you need one for your obstacles and care as the CEO as well.
Putting yourself first is uncomfortable, it feels wrong and goes against our conditioning as women to serve everyone around us first.
Know that, and proceed anyway. (So that we can change this!)
Overcoming the fear of what will happen if you put yourself first will take time, commit to it.
Let me ease your mind and tell you how protecting your time and energy as the CEO is DIRECTLY connected to the growth of your company.
You can pour into everyone around you from a place of overflow.
Resentment is real, and feeling like all of your responsibilities are pressure instead of power is a sign that you are giving from an empty cup and perpetuating your people-pleasing conditioning. When you are consistently putting yourself first, the service you give and how you show up for your team and your family moves to a place of WANT to instead of HAVE to.
You become a permission slip.
The more women rise, the more others believe it’s possible for them too. We’ve shattered glass ceilings, but we’ve done it at the expense of our mental and physical health. You only know what you know and if what you believe about success is that it requires less time for you, you will continue that cycle. Or you can rewrite the narrative and prove to yourself and everyone around you that your success is dependent on how much you care for yourself - this is a CHOICE.
You are more innovative and creative.
Think about when your best ideas come to you - in the shower, driving in the car, or being outside… A growing company requires innovation and evolution, if you are too busy putting out fires and figuring out how to manage the growth you’ve had alongside your personal responsibilities - your creative ideas won’t drop in. As the leader of your company your brain and ideas can make or break you, imagine if you treated the alone time that you need for these ideas as your greatest asset.
You FEEL better and BE happier.
Your inner child will scream with joy for you paying attention to them, you will actually start to feel proud of your accomplishments and celebrate what you’ve built and who you are. And when you feel better, you LEAD better. When you lead better your team feels seen, heard and understood - they WANT to work and create alongside you. When you are happy, you communicate more clearly, treat others with kindness and are less reactive to situations inside and outside the business.
Be aware that your people-pleasing tendencies will cringe as you put boundaries and standards in place to protect your time and energy, this isn’t because it’s wrong. It’s because your brain is responding to the discomfort of change - keep going.
Learn more about working with Kelsea and her story here.