Because growth isn’t meant to feel like survival
Recently in one of my calls, we were talking about the difference between stretch and strain.
Stretch is growth.
Strain is depletion.
Stretch feels like stepping into a new level – holding more of what you want in a way that feels expansive.
Strain feels overwhelming. It’s those moments where your nervous system goes into overdrive, when your output is out of whack with what your capacity and your under-resourced.
Sometimes, especially when you care deeply about what you’re building, it’s hard to tell the difference.
A client of mine shared that she was in one of those seasons where everything was happening at once — client projects, family things, a sick child, unexpected travel — and her instinct was to just keep going.
Because when you’re the one who holds everything, stopping feels risky.
But what we talked about was this:
Stretching is only sustainable when you’re supported and when doing so is sustainable.
Straining is when you’re holding more than your system can sustain — and calling it “commitment.”
Oftentimes, there’s grief in that. Because committing to not default into strain sometimes means rejigging timelines to safeguard the sustainability piece.
So my invitation today for you is to reflect on when a sprint turns into a strain for you, so you can discern the difference and make aligned choices.
Because sustainable growth doesn’t come from living in a perpetual state of springing or pushing through — it’s in building a business that doesn’t require you to.
It’s safe to prioritize, drop non-essential balls and regroup.
It’s safe to let something be incomplete.
It’s safe to grow at a pace your nervous system can actually hold.
Because a life-first business isn’t just one that funds your lifestyle.
It’s one that doesn’t keep your nervous system in survival mode.
So if you’ve been feeling stretched lately, ask yourself — is this growth, or is this strain?
