From Survival Mode to CEO of My Own Well-Being (Yep, That’s My Job Now)

Manta, Ecuador...and loving husband

Let’s be honest. You don’t spend years writing about reclaiming your spark, unleashing your inner rebel, and keeping your badassery alive after 50 without occasionally losing the plot. Lately? I realized that “survival mode” was a promotion I didn’t ask for. And honestly, it pays like shit.​

If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you “thrive” on responsibility—professional wins, family care, always plenty to juggle. Maybe, right now, you’re also the secret glue for people who are falling apart. My recent vacation was the world’s most unsubtle wake-up call: rest is a requirement, not a reward. Turns out, I had let the power of my own hope fade into martyrdom.

So as of right now, I’m firing myself as Chief Sufferer and kicking myself upstairs to CEO of My Own Well-Being. Radical? Sure. Messy? Absolutely. Better than rolling around in burnout and resentment? Hell yes.

Here’s How I’m Running My Life Like a (Compassionate, Occasionally Profane) Boardroom:

• I schedule self-compassion meetings. Actual time blocks! If you’d cancel on a client but not on yourself, you’ve got it backward.

• My new mantra: “Fuck the martyr narrative.” (Say it with me.)

• Nutrition and movement are no longer ‘shoulds’—they are power moves. Your body is home base, and mine was starting to evict me for neglect.

• Boundaries with relentless optimism. That means not every crisis gets a piece of you. Not every problem is yours to solve.

• Intentional decompress time. No guilt. Sometimes it’s a walk with nineties big hair rock, sometimes it’s a “nope, I’m not available” email.

• I check in with my tribe—and let them really know what’s up. Even coaches and leaders need people rooting for them.

Here’s the truth: The world needs more women living as examples of what’s possible, not what’s depleted. Our adult kids? They notice when we shift from survival to hope. Our teams? They model what we embody more than what we say.

🙏🏼 What’s your next power move in this season? Where have you flirted with burnout and found your way back? Share your best tips (and messiest lessons) in the comments, and let’s raise a collective middle finger to “bare minimum living.”

Ready for a judgment-free, truth-telling conversation on reclaiming your spark? Book a no-pressure connection with me at beckisalzman.com/booking. Let’s get you from surviving to shining—one bold, imperfect step at a time.