I admit. I have said similar sentiment to my clients. I believe in pursuing our dreams. I believe in going for what we want. I believe we need to take action to create the results we yearn for.

As a coach I encourage women to make the big, bold move in their careers.

Yet, when I explored the message that my clenched stomach was trying to convey, I found the truth.

That statement felt more like pressure than support.

When you are asked, “Are you ready to take your next big, bold career move?” you might think, “I’d love to… if I wasn’t already drowning in back-to-back meetings, holding it all together at home, covering for my coworker who’s out, getting dinner on the table, and trying to find five minutes of peace in the middle of a storm.”

The fact is that you are making moves. You are doing all the things required to stand up your career and life. And … you have been pressured to follow a traditionally ambitious career path, and you are feeling the fallout from that. The physical, mental and emotional drain that cannot be avoided when you are on the traditionally ambitious career path.

What is a traditionally ambitious career path?

It often means chasing someone else’s idea of success. Following what culture, your parents, your boss, or your fearful brain says you ought to be doing with your career.

It can look like:

• Climbing the ladder because that is what you are “supposed” to be doing, even if you have little interest in the view from up there
• Presenting to the world that you got it all together even though your internal world feels like it is in complete chaos
• Being on vacation … but not really present because you justify why work needs to be part of vacation
• Letting boundaries go soft in the name of being a “team player”
• Breaking your own self-trust in favor of people-pleasing
• Staying in a career longer than you would like because it “makes sense” to wait for the kids to get out of college or for your retirement or for when you have enough in the bank to make any changes in your career

And, over time, that form of ambition doesn’t just leave you tired … it leaves you feeling like you’ve lost touch with yourself, your inner wisdom and your joy.

Enter: A Different Kind of Ambition

Differently Ambitious women aren’t less driven.

You just want something deeper. More grounded. More fun. More energizing.

This kind of ambition looks like:

• Choosing what’s truly satisfying, not just what’s impressive
• Prioritizing real connection over constant performance
• Setting boundaries — and keeping them
• Standing up for what you want rather than laying down to keep the peace
• Pleasing yourself first, knowing that your fulfillment benefits your family, your team, and your mission

It’s not about opting out of ambition.

It’s about opting into your own definition of success … one rooted in alignment with your authentic self, aliveness in your everyday, and connection to your highest form of service.

Because the real big, bold move?

It’s not saying yes to every opportunity.

It’s giving yourself permission to pursue what actually matters to you in a way that feels grounded and spacious.

A Call to Action for the Differently Ambitious Career Woman

So, if the next “Go Big” headline makes you feel like you’re already behind … pause. Ask yourself:

• What kind of ambition feels aligned with where I am right now?
• What does a satisfying and spacious day look like?
• What’s one boundary I can honor this week?
• What would it look like to pursue success from a place of enoughness … not over-hustle and exhaustion?

You don’t have to keep doing what you are doing to prove anything to anyone.

You have permission to do your career differently! Now that’s bold!