| Ahhh, the fresh, clean slate of a new year. I’ve gotta admit — I love me some new-year planners and intentions. There’s something about crisp pages and possibility that still gets me every time. But lately, I’ve been thinking about this not-so-subtle message that shows up every January: Do more. And honestly? I want to call BS on that whole concept. Please accept my non-apology. Because “do more” quietly implies that what you’ve been doing isn’t enough. That you aren’t enough. And I’m not buying that. Now don’t get me wrong – I’m all about continuous improvement and lifelong learning. I love setting intentions and planning for success. But somewhere along the way, we started equating growth with piling more and more onto already full plates… and then acting surprised when burnout shows up. More goals. More habits.More hustle. And listen — I’ve bought that lie before. Hard. Early on in my speaking career, I had the opportunity to connect with a very well-known speaker. I suggested dinner the night before our speaking event. She politely declined. Not because she didn’t want to connect – but because she was driving in from another state that night. In fact, as we talked, I learned she would be away from home for nearly two weeks straight, bouncing from one event to the next. Here’s the part that really stuck with me: she was in her 70s. Still booked. Still in demand. Still grinding. And in that moment, something quietly clicked for me. I realized that her definition of success – and mine – were very different. I didn’t judge it (and I still don’t). But I knew, deep in my bones, that I didn’t want a life where “success” meant constant motion, endless travel, and always chasing the next gig – no matter how impressive it looked on paper… or on social media. That was the moment I stopped striving for more… and started getting curious about better. What if leadership isn’t about more? What if success isn’t about output alone? What if the real goal is to create a rich life? And by rich, I don’t necessarily mean income (although let’s be honest — it’s really nice to be able to pay the bills). What I mean is a life that feels fulfilling, authentic, and meaningful. Here’s the important part: you get to define what “rich” means for you. And this isn’t just a personal decision – it’s a leadership one. When leaders default to “do more,” teams feel it. More priorities. More urgency. More meetings. More pressure – often without more clarity or support (I feel dizzy and just a little bit nauseous just thinking about it). But when leaders choose better – better focus, better communication, better use of people’s strengths – something shifts. People feel seen. Energy improves. Burnout decreases. Performance actually gets better, not worse. A rich leadership culture isn’t built on overload. It’s built on intention. A rich life doesn’t just happen by accident either. It’s built by choosing better – on purpose. For some people, that looks like work that has meaning, not just momentum.For others, it’s tending to friendships instead of squeezing them in “when things slow down.” Spoiler alert: things don’t slow down on their own. We have to choose what matters. Hobbies that enrich your life instead of impressing anyone on the ’Gram. My new obsession with watercolor painting is expanding my creativity and observation skills. It’s also depleting my bank account, but that’s a story for ‘nuther day. Faith that grounds you. Healthy habits – real ones – like moving your body, sleeping, eating well, and tending to your emotional wellbeing. And yes, comfort can be costly. But so is constantly chasing someone else’s version of success. So as we step into this new year, maybe the question isn’t What should I add? Maybe it’s What would make my life – and my leadership – feel richer? |
| Better over more. Defined by you. |
| That’s a goal worth setting. If this idea of choosing better over more is tugging at you, I’d love to hear what “rich” means to you this year. And if you want support being intentional about the choices you’re making – personally or professionally – that’s work I’d be happy to explore with you. |
Watch the video on YouTube here.
