I asked busy leaders and professionals: "With everything going on in the world right now, when it comes to being your best at work and at home, what is your single biggest challenge or struggle?"

Here’s some of the common themes I heard . . .

"How do I separate work time from home time and have enough energy for both and not feel exhausted trying to do it all?"

"How do I manage expectations and continue to perform business as usual in a reality that is highly unusual?"

"How do I best support the people around me who are feeling anxious?

"How do I find time for myself, ease my own anxiety, and not burn myself out when i am taking care of everyone else's needs?"

"How do I remain optimistic when there is so much uncertainty?"

If these sound familiar to you, you are definately not alone.

Demands and expectations are likely still high. You and your team are working at home with more distractions, fewer breaks, and for some, trying to care for kids at the exact same time (and not...

Life is throwing a curveball, there’s no doubt about it. It’s hard to know exactly what to say or do right now.

You might be scared and more anxious than usual, trying to figure out schedule changes, unexpectedly working from home, schools closing and figuring out how to get your work done and care for your kids (and not lose your mind trying to do both), and worry about your health or business or future. Or all of the above.

For me, had this happened five years ago, I would have been feeling far more stressed, be in my head worrying about every worst-case scenario, making frantic and reactive decisions, and snapping at my husband and kids because I was feeling overwhelmed and distracted with everything going on.

I probably would have seemed calm on the outside with work, but felt like a mess on the inside from all the worries and fear.

And, I certainly wouldn't have been looking for the positive . . . yet anyways.

If this feels like what you’re going...

Here’s a common question when it comes to slowing down, feeling less stressed and/or creating the change you want in your life . . .

How is this possible when your company expects you to work more and more, even at the expense of your personal and family time?

Or when you feel like you have 'no choice' because of what you've been taught or told by someone else?

Or perhaps you are not buying into the idea that you can be successful in your career without the long hours or that you can influence the outcomes you want, and so you don't even attempt to give it a go.

I'll share how it IS possible but, first, why it is so important . . .

Too much stress, overwhelm or frustration is like a rock being dropped in the water – it creates a ripple effect in every single direction. 

And, you might not realize it (I know I didn't used to).

It can affect your relationship with your spouse and your kids when you're short on patience and not really present....

A few years ago, I started doing something with my son Emmett when a disagreement would unintentionally snowball.

Usually, it was when we were rushing out the door in the morning to get to daycare and work on time.

I would get frustrated with him for not listening. He would get upset because I was getting mad. I would yell. He would cry. I would feel guilty . . . and so on.

Things would totally get off track and it took longer even to get out that door.

One day I made up the idea to "hit the reset button". We both agreed to press an imaginary air button and start over.

That symbolized we were letting go. Letting go of who was right and who was wrong. Letting go of hurt feelings. Letting go of anger and frustration.

It was giving us permission to start over (and for a determined five-year-old to save face).

That simple mental trick made a big difference.

It can instantly put you in a frame of mind to let go of the unnecessary drama. To let go of unproductive thinking and...

This week I am feeling VERY behind. And it’s only Wednesday!

Projects are taking longer than planned, I have a couple of big workshops that I need to put together, and random issues keep coming up that are distracting my time and attention.

At the end of the day yesterday, I looked at the three important tasks I had planned to do for the day . . . and not a single one was done. Or even started. Whaattt?

I felt like I was doing stuff all day long, but didn’t make any progress on what would move the needle. We all have our days where we get off track without intending it to go that way.

It's what you think and do in those moments that make all the difference.

One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is thinking that “being busy” and doing more and more makes them productive and equals success.

Whether it’s at work or at home.

I get it.

Everyone seems to tell you this and you see it all around you. Just ask someone how they are doing and you’ll hear “I’m really busy and have so much to do!”

You might even find yourself saying this and buying into the belief that doing more means you are being productive, and that will lead to you accomplishing more and, therefore, being more successful.

It’s almost like you feel lazy and unproductive if you aren’t doing something.

And pretty easy to fall into that trap.

But let me ask you: Does everyone who is really busy attain the success they desire? Are they reaching their goals quicker? Are they completing projects on time and having the results they want?

And even if they look successful, are they really? What’s it costing them? Their...

You likely have a lot on your plate. Things are busy at work. And at home.

You’re ambitious, driven and striving toward the next "thing" .

You push yourself, have high standards and likely feel like you have something to prove.

Somehow, you’re juggling all the balls (but silently worrying you’ll drop one).

You might feel like success equals how many hours you’re putting in, or how many activities you have your kids in, or just how busy you are.

It’s almost like a badge of honor.

I get it. I used to wear that badge proudly.

But what if that isn’t the badge to be striving for?

When my kids were a few years younger, there was this 18 year-old girl working at the daycare most days when we picked the kids up.

She would tell me often how she thought my husband and I were the perfect "powercouple".

We’d be in our suits, smiling, strolling in together to daycare and she thought we were the perfect example of what it was like to have a successful career and...

Maybe once or twice a year, I’ll get the urge to go back to a corporate career.

As a business owner now, one thing I’ll commonly hear in the entrepreneur community is that we “broke free from the chains of the 9-5 world” . . . not always that dramatic, but you get the point.

I’ve never felt that way.

Absolutely, there are benefits now that I could not have had in my corporate career, and I love the path I am on now, yet there are things I miss about it and, if I went back, I’d appreciate a whole lot more.

We can sometimes get caught up in the “grass is greener” on the other side. Yet we don’t always take the time to really appreciate what we enjoy about things right now. From experience, the grass isn’t necessarily greener . . . it’s just different .

Here are 10 things I miss about my corporate career. By sharing them, my hope is that those of you in the corporate world might appreciate them even more.

1....

If you are like many busy professionals, you might be doing alright or ‘fine’, but feel a bit stuck in the grind, and like you’re ‘going, going, going’ . . .

Yet feeling like you're accomplishing little and not moving forward on your goals (or not as much as you'd like to be).

And, when you are always on the go or overloaded, this can be a serious roadblock to your inner happiness and focus.

You are definitely not alone. One of the most common stressors professionals face is a busy workload. 

When you are continually expected to do more with less and you feel spread thin. The pace is moving fast and things keep shifting or unclear, and it’s hard to keep up. 

You might be ruled by "urgent" requests that fill your inbox, and you’re unable to put those aside to focus on what’s truly important, even when you know you should.

And if you’re like I used to be, you are driven and don’t want to let people down, so you...

You might have the best intentions with your day to get something accomplished, be upbeat and calm, and leave work on time, but other people can derail your efforts, leaving you frustrated, impatient and behind.

When someone is not delivering on their end and you are left to pick up the pieces so you can meet a deadline, adding more to your plate and longer hours.

Or when a manager or employee is hard to work with and aren't meeting your expectations. They don’t ‘get’ what’s really going on and you don’t feel heard.

You seem to have the same conversations over and over (and over) again.

When you are always putting other people’s needs before your own because you don’t know how to say no or ask for what you need (without them getting upset).

You might feel like others are not being accountable and doing what they say they will, and it reduces your confidence in them or even your company.

It can often feel like you have done everything you can...