my story stands for many stories of women in Western Europe. It is about a decisive moment of change. As women, we are all – to varying degrees – subject to the same constraints and we have to find our way through them. Each in her own way. I am aware of the privileges that have paved the way for me as a white middle-class woman with access to education who grew up in a stable environment .

Facing the truth

… One day I woke up in the morning and I knew for sure that I was going to radically change my life. For a long time, I had been struggling with whether my job as a partner in a professional services firm was the last stop for me. All the thoughts about how I loved my tasks, the exciting projects and my team, while at the same time I struggled with questions of meaning and asked myself whether this was my life’s goal at the age of 40? Time and again, I was confronted with wanting to grow as a manager and for a while I was able to integrate this well. But then I got to the point where the concessions to a high-performance life became too great. I felt like a machine that was running at its highest level and spare parts had to be brought in again and again to keep the machine running without incident. But at what cost? I missed the vitality, the connection with nature and its processes and the ability to empathise with my environment. Because that requires energy, inner resources and time. Time for reflection and the conscious perception of other people. The ability to be attentive to the needs of others and not to subject my actions entirely to the laws of efficiency and effectiveness.

What else is there?

The realisation was simple, I wanted to become a better person, a version of myself with more vitality and connectedness. And I couldn’t buy that with the money I was earning. How would I look back on my life as a 70-year-old? The thought terrified me. According to the rules of our meritocracy, I was a successful businesswoman; I didn’t have enough time for anything else. Being a role model in our male-dominated business world, which promotes talent and women in their careers, was no longer enough. I wanted more and I wanted something different. I gave myself the chance to expose myself to the unknown and no idea where it would take me. It naturally became a long journey with changing destinations. To be honest, it’s not always easy, but I wouldn’t want to miss any of it.

With a loving but critical eye

Sometimes it’s the small changes in our lives that lead to a major transformation. For others, there is a big bang and everything is different the next day. Often we can’t choose this because we are also subject to our external circumstances and events, which are not solely in our hands. Regardless of this, we can always pause in our lives and give ourselves the chance to look at them with a loving but critical eye. This is not always possible, because there must at least be room for possibility, the idea that something can be questioned must be allowed. And there are times when we can’t do this because we are exposed to external pressures or internal insecurities and fears that we can’t cope with at that moment.This is completely normal and simply right without any thoughts of guilt or shame.

Inner Compass

After all, in a male-dominated, capitalised world, we are constantly confronted with inequalities and overwhelming tasks as women and men. The structural disadvantage of women results in a constant overload of family, professional and private obligations, which leaves little room for creativity and openness to new ideas. Social standards and norms expose us to judgement and the constant feeling of being inadequate. Very often, it is therefore not only our fears but also our own perfectionism that prevents us from realigning the inner compass in our lives and making a change. The good news is that we can do something about it!

But when is the right time – the time to pause and allow something to change? These can often be small things in everyday life, such as a change of job role, different eating habits, rest periods, a change of job or arrangements within the family. Sometimes, however, I need the peace and space to set out and find out what the right path or the next step is for me. And sometimes I need support at certain points so that I can overcome my fears and make my decisions wholeheartedly.

Woman in Transition – Discovery Call

In a discovery call, you can discuss your topic of change and find out which paths are open to you and how I can support you. The call is online and free of charge. I look forward to hearing from you!