Isn’t It Ironic? The One Thing High Achievers Keep Postponing

I was watching a documentary about Alanis Morissette the other night, and I was instantly transported back to her iconic song “Ironic.”

You know the line:

“An old man turned ninety-eight, he won the lottery and died the next day…”

It made me pause.

Not because of the lyric itself, but because of what it represents:

How often we wait for the “perfect moment” to enjoy our own lives… and how easily that moment slips by.

And suddenly, I found myself thinking of my clients.

Brilliant, driven, ultra-capable professional women who have spent decades climbing the corporate ladder — checking the boxes, earning the promotions, securing the titles.

Women who tell themselves:

“Next month I’ll slow down.”

“After this project, I’ll take care of myself.”

“Once things calm down… then I’ll make space for joy.”

But next month arrives... and a new initiative appears.

A bigger responsibility.

A new stretch goal.

And before they know it, “next month” has turned into five years, a fog of overworking, relationships strained, and joy pushed so far down the priority list that they barely recognize themselves anymore.

Isn’t it ironic that the very qualities that made them successful — >the grit, the drive, the high standards, the relentless output — are not the qualities that bring them inward success?

Because here’s the real twist:

The path to fulfillment is almost always the opposite of what got them the accolades.

It’s not the late nights, the tenacity, the next big achievement.

It’s not doing more.

It’s:

• slowing down

• coming home to themselves

• noticing what they feel

• meditating

• journaling

• watching the birds outside their window

• walking without a podcast

• giving themselves permission to simply be

The very practices high achievers dismiss as “not productive enough” are the ones that finally give them the peace, clarity, and emotional strength they’ve been craving.

Isn’t that the most ironic thing of all?

Outer success is built on effort.

Inner success is built on stillness.

And that’s where my work comes in.

I help high-performing women bridge the gap — to create a life that feels as good as it looks on paper. To stop postponing their joy. To reclaim the fulfillment they’ve unintentionally delayed for years.

You don’t have to chase another accomplishment to feel whole.

You just have to learn how to access what’s already inside you.