One of the hard truths about personal development is that growth can be really lonely.
Especially when you’re doing the deep work, but the people closest to you aren’t in that same season or headspace.
That’s exactly why I keep holding these community socials for my 1-on-1 clients.
Every single time we gather, I’m reminded of the magic that happens when growth-minded people realize they aren’t weird, they aren’t behind, and above all, they are not alone.
This quarter’s theme: CEO & The Board of Directors 🏢✨
Yesterday, we tackled our past six months—and mapped out the next six—using a mix of Dr. Richard Schwartz’s Internal Family Systems (IFS) and a corporate twist:
Who is sitting on your internal Board of Directors, and who is actually running the company?
Think of your internal world as a boardroom. You’ve got different “directors” sitting at the table – parts of you that manage fear, protection, and strategy.
Some examples here:
- The Perfectionist: “It’s not ready yet.” (Raises the bar so you don’t get criticized)
- The People-Pleaser: “What does everyone else need?” (Keeps the peace so you don’t face conflict)
- The Inner Critic: “You should’ve seen that coming.” (Harshly judges you first so outside judgment hurts less)
- The Controller / Planner: “Let’s map this out first.” (Locks down plans so chaos doesn’t surprise you)
And when stress gets pushed past the Board’s limit, a “Crisis Team” might grab the wheel fast to shut down discomfort—think doom-scrolling, going quiet and checking out, or snapping.
Here are some of my personal takeaways from our conversation, along with a few questions to help you pause and reflect on your own H1:
1. Spotting Who Takes the Wheel Under Stress
When pressure spikes, one of our reactive directors usually jumps up and tries to take over the boardroom.
We talked about how to catch that moment happening, gently quiet the noise, and let our grounded CEO step back into leadership instead.
When a Director got overwhelmed, what was the first thing you actually did to check out or find instant relief?
💭 Pause & Reflect: Which Director had the loudest seat for you over the last six months? What was that part of you actually trying to protect you from?
2. Loving the “Boring” Consistency
We tend to chase big, shiny breakthroughs, but our group kept coming back to consistency.
The unglamorous, repetitive tasks are often the exact foundation that keeps our internal board stable. Boring isn’t bad; it’s essential.
Can you name one moment this year where your CEO was clearly driving instead of a reactive Director? What did that feel like?
💭 Pause & Reflect: If your grounded, clear-headed CEO had to present the last six months to the Board, what would it say?
3. Stopping the “Internal Outsourcing”
When we haven’t built safety, boundaries, or self-worth inside ourselves, we naturally try to outsource that job to our partners, friends, or mentors.
But doing that puts immense pressure on our relationships and leads to enmeshment. The CEO’s real job is stepping up to build that internal capacity.
💭 Pause & Reflect: Take the Director that’s been running the show for you lately. If your CEO stepped in and took over their line, what would your CEO say to you instead? (e.g., Instead of the Perfectionist saying “It’s not ready yet,” the CEO says “Done is better than perfect, and we are safe to ship this.”
4. The Magic of Shared Lenses
We all see the world through our own history and context.
Hearing how someone else in the group reframed a struggle they were facing gave everyone else a completely new lens to view their own boardroom. Growth happens faster in community.
Looking Ahead to H2 🌿
Every Director on your internal board had a job to do this year—they were all just trying to keep you safe. The only question as we head into the next six months is: Who is actually chairing the meeting?
If you have been doing the quiet, heavy lifting of self-growth right now, give yourself some grace.
You don’t need to have your entire internal board figured out today.
🎯 Your Action Step for the Week: If your CEO set the agenda for the next six months, completely undistracted by any Director’s noise, what is the one top priority at the list?
What is the first concrete, specific move you can make this week to put it in motion?
Here’s to leading our lives with a little more clarity and a lot more kindness over these next six months. ❤️
If something in this post made you pause, that’s usually worth looking at. Learn more about working with Natalie here.
