🤔 What if your next breakthrough starts with a pause?

If you caught my pics on Instagram, you know I went to Tulum, Mexico about a month ago. I was there for a business retreat for exec leadership coaches that included 4 days of absorbing and learning from incredible leaders, leading an outdoor inspiration-fused breathwork session, and then spent 2 days post-retreat for tooling around Tulum and Playa del Carmen (see all pics here + here).

Before heading out to my excursions of the ancient Mayan city ruins tour, I sat down with founder of Purple Circle for an episode of his Career Coaching Secrets podcast for a conversation about confidence, self-trust, career transitions, and what happens when working harder is no longer the answer.

As I reflected afterward, I realized we kept coming back to a question that sits beneath so many leadership challenges >> Why is it so hard to trust ourselves when the stakes feel high?

Whether it's a promotion, a career change, a difficult conversation, or simply admitting that something isn't working anymore, many high-achieving leaders get stuck in the space between knowing something needs to change and feeling confident enough to act. 👇

Here are four lessons that summarize our 27 ]minute conversation. You can watch it here, or just have a read below.

1. Smart people often get stuck because they keep trying to think their way through everything.

The leaders I work with aren’t lacking IQ, they're typically the smartest people in the room.

👉 The challenge is that when every decision gets analyzed from every angle, clarity becomes harder to access. Overthinking can feel productive while quietly keeping us stuck.

@9 minute mark I share about how many high achievers stay trapped in analysis paralysis because they're so used to solving everything themselves.

2. The cost of indecision is usually not obvious.

When we’re uncertain about a promotion, career change, leadership challenge, or what’s next, it’s easy to tell ourselves we’ll figure it out eventually...and then weeks become months, months become years, and then we don't do much about it.

The greatest cost isn’t usually financial, rather it’s the energy, confidence, and opportunities we lose while waiting.

@5 minute mark I share my own story of hitting a wall at Google. On paper, I had it all together. Inside, I was frazzled and disconnected from myself. It eventually led me to take a 3 unpaid leave, something that was never on my radar. I also talk about a client who didn't even have this on the radar, and she took a pause as a result of knowing what would serve her best!

3. You don’t need to be clear before you get support.

One of the biggest misconceptions I see is, “Once I know what I want, then I’ll ask for help.”

In reality, many people seek coaching because they aren’t clear.

@11:22, I share about a managing consultant client who wanted clarity around her next career move. While she got there around the six months together, she also discovered instead was that she needed permission to take a pause, before she did begin her new endeavor (she got clear, and needed a break before). Not because she was weak or failing, but because she was human. Sometimes what we're searching for isn't another strategy. It's enough space to hear ourselves again.

4. Confidence isn’t something you find. It’s something you build.

The leaders who create meaningful change aren’t necessarily the most fearless, they’re the ones willing to take a step before they have all the answers.

My own life changed when I stopped waiting for certainty and started investing in myself.

@18:30, I share one of my biggest lessons: commitment is a skill. For years, I had one foot in and one foot out, not really fully committing because I didn't want to invest too much in case I changed my mind, wanted to do something else, or I failed. Learning to fully commit to myself changed everything.

If you're short on time, you can also go right to these moments:

• ⏱️ ~5:00 — The Google wake-up call that changed my life

• ⏱️ ~9:00 — Why smart leaders get stuck in overthinking

• ⏱️ ~12:00 — The client who discovered she needed a pause she didn't know she deserved

• ⏱️ ~18:30 — Why commitment is a skill

• ⏱️ ~24:00 — You don't need clarity before asking for help

The bottom line? Sometimes the most powerful next step isn't pushing harder, it's creating enough space to hear yourself again.

If you're navigating a career transition, struggling with confidence, feeling overwhelmed, or questioning what's next, I'm here to help.

Book a complimentary conversation with me here.

We'll explore what's keeping you stuck, what you really want, and what it might look like to move forward with greater clarity and self-trust.

Yours in pausing,

❤️ Rachael