Being a balanced leader is all about focusing on what really matters and taking care of yourself IN ORDER to be the best leader you can be.

Which has nothing to do with your title or position and everything to do with being a leader in your life.

But what happens when you feel like you’re not leading effectively or you're overloaded and pulled in too many directions between work and home?

You likely feel the urge to do more and or feel guilty for taking time for yourself.

When it's EXACTLY the time to re-center, recharge, and reset!

Because when you’re well nourished, happy and relaxed it makes it so much easier to focus, lead and be there for others.

Especially this time of year, as you transition into your Fall routine and might feel a bit out of sorts.

Even though you might feel more pressure juggling work projects ramping up or as your kids head back to school.

So, as you head into the long weekend, give yourself permission to take it easy!

Do whatever your heart...

It has been quite a summer for me – one with a mix of joy, grief, lake fun, and a little of everything in between.

But before I share more on that, let’s start with an important question . . .

How are YOU really doing?

Are you feeling overwhelmed with everything to do as you ramp up work projects, back to school and trying to squeeze in a few more fun experiences in the last days of summer?

Was your summer everything you had hoped it would be and now you find yourself longing for that simple, slower pace and DREADING the hectic schedule again?

Or perhaps you did not slow down at all over the last couple of months, with work busier than ever . . .

First off, it's completely normal to feel a bit out of sorts as you step back into the real world from your summer.

The problem is that many people resist or ignore how they are REALLY doing!

Is this you?

You keep pushing through, feeling overwhelmed, say you are "fine", and take a “cross your fingers” approach that...

The day my son Carter started kindergarten, we dropped him off at 7:30am at the daycare (in the school) like usual, and my husband and I went off to work.

That morning, we asked if he wanted us to come and walk him up to class on his first day - he responded very sassily "I don't need my mom and dad to walk me up the stairs!"

When we picked the kids up later in the day, the daycare worker told us that we were the ONLY parents (out of about 30 kids) who did not show up to take our kids to kindergarten.

I didn't even know it was a big thing to go with your kids for their first day, plus I had likely been so absorbed in my work that the thought of taking time off wasn’t a priority. The guilt washed over me.

BUT then we were told that Carter stepped up. Many kids were nervous on the playground just before heading up for the first class and didn’t want to go.

He threw his backpack over his shoulder and said, "we don't need our parents, we can do this, it will be great, let's...

The power and value of my work -- and why I do it -- is to empower others to be the confident, balanced leaders they want to be without sacrificing performance.

To feel happier and prioritize well-being, have the time and energy for ALL the important areas of their life, and feel present and centered even when things are chaotic around them.

They lead even stronger and perform even better when they discover how to do this.

You see, the secret is that work/life balance and high performance go hand in hand. They are not opposing. When you do less, you can actually achieve more.

It’s not work and then you have a life. Work IS a part of your life! So let’s figure out how to succeed at both.

The problem with most leaders and high performers who aren’t reaching their full potential is they are seriously out of balance with themselves and the rest of their life.

They keep waiting for external circumstances to change instead of driving it internally. Instead of being a...

How many times have you tried to leave work on time but it never works out?

There always seems to be “one more thing” to do and what you think will take you 10 minutes ends up taking an hour and you still have . . . one more thing to do!

But you know you need to get out the door because you have kids at daycare waiting or supper to make or you're simply ready for some downtime.

You end up working later than you want, arriving late to the next thing, the guilt piles up and you feel even more exhausted the next day.

It feels like it should be the simplest thing to end work on time, but you just can’t seem to stick to it.

We assume that it is really hard to stick to our boundaries, but the truth is it is in fact the simplest action to take.

You are perfectly capable of closing your laptop and leaving work!

So what can you do to make this easier for you?

First, is to have a set end time. This may be obvious, but make the decision up front and leave at that time no...

Want to know what it takes to have confidence in yourself, even when the fear of failure is high?

The kind of confidence where you won’t give up on what you really want just because you didn’t hit your goal or get the promotion.

Yes, rejection and disappointment hurt, but you also know that it’s not a reflection of your worth and what’s possible for you.

You pick yourself up and figure out your next move.

Or the kind of confidence where you speak up in a meeting or stand up for what you believe to be right, even though someone might not like it . . . or judge you.

Yes, you worry about what people think, but it doesn’t hold you back from saying what’s in your heart and mind.

You communicate it in the best way you can, have the courage to go for it, and let go of the worry regardless of what might happen.

Or the kind of confidence like my client Ashley discovered when she owned how she wanted to lead and put people first, even though it was a...

Oh. NO.

You know that feeling - the one where you suddenly realize that you said yes to something that you really did NOT want to do?

When you get that pit of nervousness in your stomach as you wonder how in the world you will have time for the new project you just said yes to… with everything else on your plate.

Or when you resent the fact that you have to miss supper with your family or work on the weekend to get done that last minute request that came in from your boss (again).

You wonder WHY you keep saying yes to these things when you know it just leads to more…

Stress…

Frustration…

And overwhelm.

We were taught growing up that it is polite to say yes, working harder leads to success, and somehow it is wrong if you say no and not do what people expect of you.

But here’s the thing. Every single time you say yes to something that you deep down don’t want to do, you ARE saying no.

Here’s what I mean . . .

When you say yes to that last...

Dear Stacey,

You’re drowning in everything to do.
Slow down for a moment.
Take a deep breath.
Know that you’re worthy and good enough.
It’s amazing how you have been showing up.
But something has to give.
You have too much on your plate.
The answer isn’t working harder.
You must say no to what matters less.
You must no longer sacrifice what matters more.
There is a better way.
You will feel like yourself again.
You will lead even stronger.
You will enjoy your days far more.
See, this is urgent and necessary.
It’s your life we are talking about.
No one is coming to save you.
It starts with you.
And right now, something has to give.
Do not settle for the way things are.
You’ve got this.

Love, Stacey

This is what I would have told myself a few years ago.

If you’re feeling this way, know that you’re not alone and there is a path to being happy, balanced and successful.

If you knew how to fix it and change your perspective, you’d have done it already.

...

Want to know the real reason you keep working long hours and not making your personal time more of a priority?

Why you put high expectations on yourself to be there for your team and deliver, yet always feel like you are not doing enough?

Or why you believe that you need to work harder and put in all those extra hours to be successful?

You might think the reason you work so much is that you have no choice, it’s just what the job demands, or that it is necessary for you to be successful.

What’s the real reason?

It’s because you care. You want to be a strong leader. You want to be a team player. You want to do a really good job.

So you put everyone else’s needs before your own, and set aside what’s important to you.

Many people assume that they have to do this to be a strong leader or move up in their career, but the truth is without finding time to nourish yourself and put your needs first . . .

All it does is hurt your performance, your ability to lead,...

Do you secretly wish that you could be more confident in yourself?

You want to speak up in meetings without your heart racing, feeling anxious or end up not saying anything at all.

You want to feel sure in your decisions instead of always overthinking and second-guessing yourself.

You want to come across as a leader who knows what they are doing instead of feeling like you’re putting on an act.

“Was this good enough? Did I say the right thing? What if I can’t do this?” constantly runs through your mind until you receive feedback that you are hitting the mark.

And this constant battle in your mind is the big secret that you don’t want to tell anyone because you think you need to look like you have it together.

The truth is NO ONE feels 100% confident all of the time - so you are not alone!

In fact, most people often wonder if they know what the heck they are doing (me included). The doubts and fears simply pop up for everyone. It’s just human...