Hey friends! Do any of these apply to you??
You feel unfulfilled in your personal and/or professional life. There should or must be something else out there for me.
You just can’t seem to get to the next stage in your career or role. Obstacles keep popping up.
Your work-life balance is totally out of whack. All work and no life, or all personal demands and no work progress.
Your well-being is suffering and you know you need to make some changes.
You’re dealing with some significant life changes….career shifts, relationship changes, retirement or downsizing, etc.
You’re not alone! I’ve been in your shoes and know what each and every one of these bullets feels like.
I’m Sarah Nielsen, a psychologist and a leadership and life coach, and I’m passionate about helping you move through these challenges so that you can live life intentionally.
My Life Took a Turn for the Worse, and Then the Better
When I was 38 my life took a scary turn. I was a happily married mother of 3 young kiddos just doing my thing as a tenured university professor when a cancer diagnosis rocked my world. Thankfully my treatment was successful and my health has been excellent since. I will never forget that feeling though….I was lost, untethered, unmoored. It was like someone had tossed the puzzle into the air and I had to figure out how the pieces fit together again.
My pre-cancer self was ambitious, focused on exceling at work with a clear goal and path ahead. Like most professional moms, I felt guilty about leaving my kids while at work, and simultaneously felt like I never measured up at work because my heart and brain were walking around outside my body in the form of 3 little humans.
My post-cancer self was just not interested in that path anymore. I found myself asking “isn’t there more?” Life was now a second opportunity to do things differently. I started to make some major changes in my life…embraced the spirit of adventure, spent more time outside in nature, and set stricter work boundaries. The phrase “no, thank you” did wonders for my work-life balance.
And it Worked, Until it Didn’t
Like most of the world, the pandemic really highlighted my pain points. All of my weaknesses, like my anxiety, imposter syndrome, and lack of professional fulfillment bubbled to the surface. Unfortunately, my well-being suffered and my body took the biggest hit. I was eating and drinking my feelings, and generally felt pretty horrible.
Thankfully, a health coach friend of mine helped me take back my life. With her assistance, I set goals, devised a plan, and stayed accountable. I started eating healthier, drinking less, and feeling better. For the second time in my life, I was a new person!
Knowing you can effect change in your life for the better is a really powerful experience. And I was completely hooked. Life is too short and unpredictable to be spent going through the motions and feeling lost. I knew I was meant to help others find greater meaning, get unstuck, and live life by design, not default.
So, Here I Am
And here YOU are. If you’ve read this far you are either already a friend of mine OR some part of my story speaks to you. In both of those cases I hope you keep tuned in to this blog, my social channels, and newsletter, where I'll share my ideas, strategies, and programs. I’m also an advocate of making science accessible, so you’ll often see behavioral science that you can put into action.
I've been fortunate to receive great mentorship and advice from women in business and am excited to support other women-owned businesses. Look for a monthly highlight and showcase of female leaders in my monthly newsletter.
Mostly I just want to help you work through your challenges and I’m ready to go. Are you? You can do it, I know you can.
Until next time!
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