Two days ago, I asked women on LinkedIn:
“What’s the #1 thing holding back your next career step?”
Two answers are leading by far:
- “I’m too tired to take on more.”
- “Leaders don’t see my impact.”
1) When you’re running on empty
If there’s no space or energy, of course a promotion or pivot doesn’t feel exciting – it feels like another project to carry. That doesn’t mean you’ve lost your ambition. It means you’re overloaded.
Before we talk about a “next step,” we need to put your oxygen mask on first.
Here’s a quick reset you can try this week:
- Prioritise your sleep and exercise.
- Tell one person what you won’t do (yet).
2) When leaders don’t see your impact
This is fixable. You don’t need to “brag.” But you do need to communicate your impact clearly and confidently, and make it visible.