The High Achiever's Permission Slip: Why It's Okay to Want Less (Sometimes)

Let me guess – you've always been the one with the plan, the drive, the relentless ambition that others admire. You're the high achiever, the go-getter, the person who makes things happen.

But lately? That familiar spark of ambition feels... dimmer. Maybe even absent.

And now you're wondering: Is something wrong with me?

Here's what I want you to know right off the bat: Absolutely nothing is wrong with you.

What you're experiencing isn't failure – it's evolution. And it's more common than you think.

The High Achiever's Dilemma

For years, maybe decades, your identity has been wrapped up in achievement. You've been the person who says yes to opportunities, who pushes through exhaustion, who always has the next goal lined up before the current one is even complete.

But here's what nobody tells high achievers: It's not sustainable forever. And more importantly, it's not supposed to be.

Your desire to "tone it down" isn't a character flaw or a sign of laziness. It's your inner wisdom recognizing that maybe, just maybe, there's more to life than the next promotion, the next milestone, the next achievement to unlock.

The conflict you're feeling? That's normal too. When your entire sense of self has been built around being "the achiever," questioning that identity can feel scary. But I'm here to tell you it's also incredibly brave.

Three Ways to Make Peace with Wanting Less

1. Adopt a Flexible Mindset (And Recognize When It's Time to Pivot)

Here's the truth that took me years to learn: Strategies that served you in one season of life don't have to serve you forever.

Think about it – the approach that got you through your twenties and thirties might not be what you need in your forties and beyond. The grinding, hustling, always-on mentality that built your career might now be the very thing preventing you from enjoying the life you've worked so hard to create.

This could mean acknowledging that after years or decades of grinding hard at work, it's time to reallocate that energy. Maybe it's toward:

• Your physical and mental health

• Your family and relationships

• Hobbies and passions that have been collecting dust

• Simply being present instead of always becoming

The key insight: Flexibility isn't giving up – it's strategic adaptation.

2. Remember: There's No Standardized Timeline

Can we talk about the pressure of timelines for a minute?

Society loves to tell us when we should hit certain milestones. By 30, you should have this. By 40, you should have achieved that. By 50, you better be here.

But here's what I've learned working with successful business owners: Your career is a marathon, not a sprint.

And in marathons, even the best runners pace themselves. They slow down sometimes. They take water breaks. They adjust their strategy based on the terrain and how they're feeling. Give yourself that same grace.

It's okay to:

• Take mental breaks when you need them

• Slow down your pace without stopping entirely

• Reassess your goals and adjust them based on where you are now, not where you thought you'd be

• Recognize that rest isn't laziness – it's strategic recovery

Remember: The most successful people aren't the ones who never slow down – they're the ones who know when and how to pace themselves for the long game.

3. Redefine What Growth Looks Like

Here's where things get interesting. We've been conditioned to think that moving forward always looks like:

• Getting a raise

• Making new professional connections

• Building an impressive resume

• Climbing the next rung on the ladder

But what if I told you that sometimes, the most profound growth happens when you step away from all of that?

Real growth might look like:

• Taking that month-long trip you've been putting off for "someday"

• Stepping back from the grind mentality for a year to focus on your well-being

• Learning something completely unrelated to your career

• Investing in relationships that have nothing to do with networking

• Exploring parts of yourself that have been buried under your professional identity

These aren't detours from your path – they're different inputs that can lead to entirely new and unexpected outputs.

Sometimes the breakthrough you need professionally comes from the break you take personally.

Your Permission Slip

Consider this your official permission slip to want something different.

You don't have to maintain the same level of ambition forever. You don't have to apologize for wanting to slow down. You don't have to justify prioritizing your well-being over your next achievement.

You're not broken. You're not lazy. You're not giving up.

You're simply recognizing that there are seasons in life, and maybe you're ready for a different season.

What's Next?

If you're feeling this shift, start small:

1. Get honest about what you actually want right now (not what you think you should want)

2. Identify one area where you can reallocate your energy from achievement to enjoyment

3. Give yourself a timeline – maybe it's six months, maybe it's a year – to explore what this different pace feels like

   
   

Remember, this isn't about giving up on growth – it's about expanding your definition of what growth can look like.

Your worth isn't determined by your productivity. Your value isn't measured by your achievements. And your identity is so much richer than your resume.

Sometimes the most ambitious thing you can do is choose a different kind of ambition altogether.

What would it look like if you gave yourself permission to want less? Or maybe more accurately – to want differently?

Until next time,