Life offers us little lessons every single day. Are you paying attention?

February 28th, 2022 was my 43rd birthday. When I turned 40, one goal I had was to share forty lessons I've learned so far.

What would I go back and tell my younger self? What are the little lessons I've learned that have fundamentally changed how I lead, parent, and show up in my life?

What could I share that I used to mess up that might offer someone else a new perspective or value?

Well, life happened, and I never got around to it at 40. When I turned 41, I said it would be the year – still didn't do it.

Now I'm just going to go for it, and I am on the hook by declaring it here!

Over the next few months, I'll share 40 life lessons + three bonus ones (in random order) and I will update this blog post as we go. All lessons are listed below and you can click "read more" to read the full story and lesson where I shared.

Let's get started . . .

Life Lesson #1: It's never too late to get started.

I...

When I find myself unfocused, anxious or not as productive as I *think* I should be in a week, it sometimes seems like a fine line to figure out if I am procrastinating or what I really need is to take a step back and reset.

That’s what happened last week. I was trying to will myself to take action on a couple of projects and get things done (catching up from three weeks of not feeling well from Covid). But I felt like I was making little progress.

Someone asked me a simple question about how I was doing, and, out of the blue, overwhelmed emotions all bubbled up.

I've learned to pay attention to moments like that instead of just plowing through.

Because our emotions are a cue to pay attention and offer us valuable feedback when personal needs are -- or are not -- being met.

What I needed was some space. I ended up canceling a couple of meetings, went for a walk and listened to a podcast that filled me up instead. I made a new list of what was draining my energy and let go of some...

There is a lot going on in the world – and likely your life right now. It can often feel like too much or that you don’t have a choice or that you just need to get through the day (day after day).

But this is your life we are talking about.

Do you really want to just get through the day? And are you willing to continue to sacrifice what really matters to you? Do you find yourself wanting more for your life?

It can be "one day" or "day one" -- YOU get to choose.

Small, specific changes in your beliefs, thoughts and actions add up to big change. But to truly transform and change your life, you need an internal BIG SHIFT.

A bold decision that enough is enough and you are no longer willing to settle for the way things are.

To decide that you are not going to sacrifice what matters to you or feel overwhelmed every day. To get clear on how you want to show up in your life and let that guide your choices.

And to figure out how to have time and energy for what really...

Are you feeling overwhelmed with your life and that you just didn’t accomplish what you set out to do this year?

You are not alone. The end of the year can leave us feeling inspired for all that is to come or, like many, feeling like we didn’t accomplish many of our goals!

Perhaps, this past year, you wanted to eat better, keep better boundaries, hit a sales goal, stop rushing around, get a promotion or finish a project that has been on your list forever.

Perhaps you had something unexpected and hard happen in your life, such as being a working parent juggling work and online school, or the loss of a loved one, or just life in general feeling heavy.

For me, this has been a harder year with weeks of juggling online school and work, and the sudden death of my mom this Fall. But it has also been a wonderful year of growth and joy.

While it can be tempting to end the year with the narrative that you didn't succeed or it was just too hard, it is far more...

When people think about work-life balance, they often think about time. 

But what about the ripple effect that happens when you're out of balance, such as your impatience with others?

I am not talking about everyday minor frustrations where you can still keep your cool (for the most part).

You will get annoyed, frustrated, and impatient at times – you are human, after all.

I am talking about the level at which you are annoyed or frustrated and how you react to it.

• Are people "driving you crazy"?
• Do you stop being kind to those who are frustrating you or often yell at your kids?
• Are you reacting to those minor everyday frustrations in a way that isn't aligned with your values and the person you want to be, or is making things worse?

When I am more impatient with my husband and kids -- not being kind, losing my cool or yelling -- it's actually a cue for me that there is too much on my plate.

This is a rare occurrence now. But, a few years ago, it was an everyday...

Our most significant growth can come from our most challenging times.

For me, I would not be the calm, present, and balanced leader I am today if not for the period in my life of feeling so overwhelmed, distracted, and working far too much.

In these next three blogs, I will share what life was like back then, along with my MOST embarrassing moment and most regretful moment.

It was the perfect storm that led to a profound shift in how I showed up in my life.

Want to make your own shift? This is what I’m covering in my upcoming workshop to focus your time and balance your life (without sacrificing performance). Click here to register.

To start, here’s a story about what life was like for me a few years ago that perhaps you can relate . . .

Valerie, a young woman working at my kids’ daycare would often say how she thought my husband and I were the perfect "power couple".

We'd be in our suits, smiling, strolling in together after work and, to her, we were the perfect...

How full is your gas tank right now? 

Listen to this clip from a September 2021 coaching session in 'The Balanced Leader' membership I run for busy leaders who want to become more balanced, stress less, and still perform at a high level.

Want to be notified the next time we are accepting new members? CLICK HERE for the details and join the waitlist.

All my best,

Stacey