What I thought was success came with a high cost…..

I moved up the corporate ladder quickly, and by the age of 34, assumed an executive leadership role, managed a multimillion dollar business segment with over two hundred employees, had a newborn baby and a two year old son, served as a Director on a few non-profit boards and continued taking on more responsibility, convinced I couldn’t say no if I wanted to stay visible for promotions and keep up with my peers. I constantly compared myself to the accomplished women I looked up to who proclaimed women can have it all.   “You can be strong, career oriented and happily manage family life while never missing a beat” is the message I heard so many times. But I couldn’t help feeling like this wasn’t true for me - my attempts to keep it all going took a toll on me. I felt ashamed, defeated and disappointed.

Why couldn’t I live up to these expectations? 

For several years, I ignored the warning signs, trying to be the “perfect” parent and wife while I struggled to manage the stress that came with my job and life responsibilities.   I felt a huge dedication to my team and bosses, never wanting to let anyone down and stay on the career track I worked so hard to attain. 

I let my own needs take a back seat for several years and was totally burnt-out.

Gradually, I began to experience anxiety which prompted me to seek medical assistance. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression which I knew had been building up for years due to constant stress and lack of self-care. Admittedly, I was ashamed to tell anyone except my immediate family. I concealed my struggles from colleagues fearing the stigma associated with mental health issues would impact my career.

I struggled to admit I was unfulfilled, my health was suffering, and felt stuck. 

After careful consideration, I stepped away from my position after years with the same company. I felt I had hit a plateau advancing my career there, and decided to realign my career goals and personal priorities.  It was time to take responsibility for my life and health.

 I chose to prioritize health and wellness.

It was time to choose what was important to me and let go of external expectations and do what was aligned with my health needs and personal values. I also learned to establish boundaries and make time for self-care. Within a year I was hired back at the same company I left and took on a different leadership position with an exciting new challenge and a supportive work environment which was important to me at the time.

Fast forward five years, I landed an amazing job with a Fortune 5 company that offered tremendous growth, expanded my leadership skills, compensation I deserved, along with the flexibility that allowed me to focus on self-care and family.

Now, I’m an example of someone who can say with confidence, it’s completely ok to take a pause or choose a different career path.  Career advancement is not always linear…in fact, for the most successful people, it rarely is! Learning how to work through all aspects of our life is essential to finding balanced growth, personally and professionally.

There’s a way to get the career you crave without sacrificing other important aspects of your life.  It starts with your own unique circumstances, being self-aware, meeting your needs first, then identifying what keeps you stuck so you can clear the path to move forward with intention.

If you’re feeling exhausted, confused or complacent in your career and you’d like to go on a journey to rediscover your joy and motivation with me as your guide, let’s get started with a discovery call.