You Are Not Selfish

A lot of the work I do (with clients and myself) is focused on getting clear on what success looks like in YOUR life . . . and then having the courage to strive for THAT.

Not what your company thinks, or society thinks, or you see on Instagram or what everyone else is doing. Not what might be the easiest or most convenient path.

And, it’s not simply success in your work or achievements.
What will leave you feeling happier, more fulfilled and with no regrets at the end of the day? At the end of your life? What does success look like to YOU?

But what I often hear in response (and I 100% used to think this myself) is that it “feels selfish” to go for it.

If this is you, it's time for a reframe! It is not selfish to . . .

Take an hour by yourself in the morning to read, meditate or strategically plan your day before checking emails and getting pulled into everyone else’s needs because you know you feel calmer and more focused in your day when you do.

Say 'no’ to taking on a new project at work that will leave you spread thin, working more hours than you want and taking away your attention from where you can truly contribute and move the needle in your organization.

Disconnect in the evening and not responding to emails 24/7 because you want to make your personal time a priority, be present with your family, and stop constantly thinking about work.

Go all-in on a new career or business that excites you, even though it might be a change for your family and not what people expect you to do.

Have regular suppers as a family instead of being scheduled in activities every evening because the connection is important to you and having this space set aside matters just as much as anything else.

Make your well-being a priority instead of running yourself down, letting negative emotions take over and robbing your sanity (not to mention hurting your performance).

Or, keep strong boundaries to protect your precious time and energy because you know that when you are stressed out or rundown, the people around you get the worst of you.

So again, what does success look like for YOU?

When you take the time to think about it, you likely know what you really want and how you want to show up in your life. (And if you’re not sure just ask yourself what you don’t want – what you want is the opposite of that!)

When you trust your intuition and go for what it is that you really want, you will feel more energy, fulfilled . . . and successful. People will get to experience the best of you.
This is not selfish. This is bold. This is courageous. This is necessary. Success in your life hinges on it.

And, hey, if you still feel selfish . . . perhaps the question is, So what? 😉

What Next?

You can sign up for Stacey's masterclass, The Confident "No" here.

Stacey L. Olson is a Leadership and Certified Positive Psychology Coach, has 15 years of corporate experience and has gone through her own transformational change from burning out to balanced in life while performing at a high level (both in her corporate career and own business). She works with professionals who want to work less, live more and be their best even with all the demands, high expectations and messiness of everyday life. Stacey is the founder of The Balanced Leader™ program and offers executive and leadership coaching, workshops, and speaking.