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July 8, 2025 16 mins

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Are you stuck in task mode, checking off endless boxes but still feeling unfulfilled? In this episode of Joyfully Unstoppable, we explore what it really means to lead with vision—not just efficiency.

Too often, high-achieving women are praised for getting things done, but rarely for dreaming boldly or leading with long-term purpose. But here's the truth: great leaders don’t just manage tasks—they anchor their leadership in clarity, values, and intention. Leaders with vision move from reactive to purposeful, from overwhelmed to aligned.

✨ In this episode, you'll learn:

  • Why your to-do list isn’t enough
  • How to spot the signs of vision drift
  • A simple 3-step process to reconnect with your leadership vision
  • How to align your daily actions with long-term impact

If you’re ready to lead with more clarity, confidence, and meaning—this episode is for you.

Download these amazing FREE resources!

Weekly Reset Routine

Simplified Daily To-Do List

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Joyfully Unstoppable—helping women reconnect with what matters most.

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:12):
Okay.
Welcome to Joyfully Unstoppable,the podcast for women who are
ready to lead boldly, livelightly, and reclaim their joy.
Whether you're leading a team, aclassroom, or your own big,
beautiful life, I'm so glad youfound us.
I'm your host, Becky Hamleadership coach, speaker and

(00:36):
founder of Women Lead Well,after years of high level
leadership, I discovered thatsuccess.
Doesn't have to come at the costof your peace, your values, or
your wellbeing.
Each week, we'll explore what itmeans to lead with clarity,
confidence, and authenticity.
Even in a world that tells youto hustle harder and prove your

(00:57):
worth, you carry a lot.
Let's help it feel lighter.
Now, last week we talked aboutthe beauty of a simplified to-do
list, the kind that helps youstop spending, start focusing,
and finally breathe.
When your days are packed andyour mind is racing.
A clean prioritized list canfeel like a lifeline.

(01:20):
It creates clarity, it cutsthrough overwhelm, and for many
women, it offers a rare sense ofcontrol in a chaotic world, but.
A to-do list can only organizetoday.
It can't decide where you'regoing.
That's where many brilliant,driven, awesome women get stuck.

(01:42):
We know how to get things done.
We are natural achievers.
We check boxes, we meetdeadlines, lead meetings show up
for everyone around us.
But even after an incrediblyproductive day, we can still end
up staring at the ceiling atnight asking ourselves.
Did I?
Did I, did I actually move theneedle on what matters most

(02:08):
to-do lists are helpful, but ifyou're not careful, they can
keep you reactive instead ofreflective, efficient, instead
of intentional and man, busyinstead of bold.
The truth is you were made formore than just managing your
day.
You were made to lead it withvision, not just a list.

(02:28):
Now, let's be honest, to-dolists are incredibly satisfying.
They give you a sense ofaccomplishment.
They offer structure in themiddle of swirling demands.
They help you focus, delegate,and feel productive.
And I'll be the first to saythey are a powerful tool, and I
still use one every single day.
I mean, come on.
I did a whole episode on themlast week and developed a

(02:50):
principle to-do list for you.
So it's pretty clear that I am afan.
But here's where they fall shorta to-do list can't tell you what
actually matters.
It can't distinguish betweenwhat's urgent and what's
meaningful, and it certainlycan't determine what success
looks like for you in thisseason of your life.

(03:12):
So when the list becomes yourleader.
You start reacting instead ofchoosing.
You measure your worth by howmuch you can get done rather
than by the depth of yourimpact.
You hustle your way throughdays, weeks, even entire
seasons, and still feeldisconnected from your purpose.

(03:35):
Productivity without purposebecomes a cycle of burnout.
That's not failure.
It's a signal, and that's whyvision matters.
So let's talk about what itreally means to lead with
vision.
Leading with vision means you'reguided by purpose rather than

(03:56):
pressure.
It's not about having a fiveyear strategic plan or a
Pinterest worthy vision board,although those are absolutely
delightful if they light you up.
It's about cultivating a clearsense of direction, one that's
rooted in your values.
That's aligned with yourpriorities and that reflects the
kind of leader you intend to bewhen you lead with vision.

(04:20):
Your work has meaning beyond thetasks.
Your energy isn't just scatteredacross what's urgent.
It's focused on what'simportant.
Vision brings intention into thechoices you make, the
opportunities you pursue, andthe way you show up for yourself
and others.

(04:41):
And I wanna be real clear aboutthis.
Visionary leadership is notreserved for CEOs or business
owners.
It's available to anyone in anyrole who chooses to lead their
time, their team, or eventhemselves with clarity and
purpose.
You can be a visionary as adepartment head, a team lead, a

(05:01):
teacher, a project manager, anonprofit director, a stay at
home parent.
Vision isn't about position.
It's about direction.
So how can you tell if you'reoperating without a clear
vision?
Often the signs are subtle, butthey are persistent.
Number one, you may feelyourself ending most days

(05:23):
feeling drained, but unsureabout what you actually
accomplished.
Your calendar might be full, butyou feel disconnected from your
work.
The things on your calendar, thetasks on your to-do lists aren't
particularly meaningful to you.
Number two, you may find itdifficult to say no even if you

(05:44):
know you're stretched too thin.
Why?
Because you haven't prioritized,so you have no real way to
decide what not to do.
Nothing gets voted off theisland.
Number three.
Now, maybe you haven't had timeto think about the big picture
in weeks or months.
You're doing a lot, but you'renot feeling fulfilled.

(06:07):
I wanna be clear, these are notsigns of failure, but they are
signs of misalignment.
When your days are filled withtasks but disconnected from a
larger purpose, your leadershipstarts to feel like a grind
instead of a calling.
And now that doesn't mean you'redoing it wrong, it just means
it's time to recalibrate.

(06:29):
Let's talk about how toreconnect with your vision,
because the good news is youdon't need a full on retreat or
six months sabbatical torediscover your vision.
Often all it takes is a moment.
You just need space to askyourself some deeper questions
and listen for honest answers.
Start by asking yourself, whatkind of leader do I wanna be in

(06:53):
this season?
Maybe this season calls for youto be a highly engaged hands-on
leader, or maybe you and yourteam are best served by your
stepping back, so team memberscan step up and stretch in ways
that support their professionalgrowth.
Maybe life at home isoverflowing.
You've got kids, aging parents.
There's no shortage ofpriorities outside of work that

(07:15):
can influence how we show up asleaders.
And so maybe the kind of leaderyou wanna be in this season is
agile, flexible.
Again, what kind of leader doyou want to be in this season?
Because once you're clear onthat, you will naturally see
certain goals and objectives asaligned and others as not.

(07:38):
Question two.
What kind of impact do I want tohave?
How do I want my team toremember me when I'm gone as the
hard charger?
Who drove them to work harderand meet stretch goal after
stretch goal as the boss whoinvested in their growth,
protected them from a largertoxic culture who cared about
their lives and prioritiesoutside of work?

(08:01):
None of these are mutuallyexclusive, but take some time to
get clear on what kind of impactyou wanna have.
Because once you're clear onthat, it gets a whole lot easier
to say no to tasks andpriorities that don't align.
Three, what's calling to mebeneath the noise of my
responsibilities?

(08:24):
Why did I start a podcast?
At the same time, I'm launchinga business and creating an
online program because I've hadthis voice in the back of my
head telling me to do it forover a year, and I finally got
sick of ignoring it.
My core values includeconnection.
After spending decades tied inknots, leading from a place of

(08:44):
over-functioning and approvalseeking completely disconnected
from who I am as a person and aleader, I am now compelled to
share what I know about joyful,sustainable, and authentic
leadership with women so theycan get there faster, that they
don't have to lose decades oftheir life struggling.
Plus I like talking and apodcast lets me talk to more,

(09:06):
than my one-to-one clients.
Right?
Also in coaching, I don't bringanswers.
I ask questions, but my clientsfind their own answers.
So the podcast lets me sharewhat I think in a way that
coaching just doesn't.
So for you, what's calling you?

(09:27):
What's the ping you've beenignoring?
That insight is orienting you ina particular direction.
Maybe you're not ready to movethat way today, but that
direction is a clue to whereyour vision is pointed.
So again, ask yourself, whatkind of leader do I want to be

(09:47):
in this season?
What kind of impact do I wannahave?
What's calling to me beneath thenoise of my responsibilities?
These aren't easy questions.
But they're the right ones.
Vision begins in reflection, nothustle.
Now, once you've paused toreflect, take a step back and

(10:10):
zoom out.
Think beyond your daily tasks.
What do you want to move forwardthis year to get there?
What do you need to move forwardthis quarter, this month, this
week?
What goals or outcomes wouldfeel deeply meaningful?
Not just impressive on paper,but soul satisfying in real

(10:31):
life.
Finally, take some time todefine what I like to call your
vision anchors.
Three to five core values orfocus areas that help guide your
decisions, actions and energy.
These might include things likecreativity, growth, integrity,
connection, freedom, or peace.

(10:53):
I might be sharing my visionanchors.
When you define your visionanchors, you give yourself a
compass.
It's something to return to whenthe demands of the day try to
pull you in every direction.
This is something that helpsguide your decision making.
So those values, those visionanchors are critical.

(11:15):
Now, how do you align your to-dolist with your vision?
Let's bring this full circle.
You don't need to throw out yourto-do list.
In fact, it can be one of yourbest tools when it's being led
by your vision.
One powerful practice to startthis week is by setting a vision
aligned intention.
I actually have this for you inthe weekly reset routine, which

(11:36):
obviously I'll link in the shownotes below.
But before you jump intoplanning meetings or replying to
emails, ask yourself.
What would it look like to makemeaningful progress?
This week?
You choose one or two focusareas that support your broader
goals.
Then as you build out your to-dolist, take a moment and connect

(11:58):
each task to something larger.
For example, instead of listingwrite report, you might reframe
it as communicate progress tobuild transparency and trust
with the team and stakeholders.
That's a lot to put on yourto-do list.
So you might still write, writereport, but take the time in
your mind to connect the mundanetask to the purpose that task

(12:22):
provides.
If your list is overflowing,when you do that, mind up of all
the things, hold them againstyour vision anchors what
actually deserves your energy,what can be ditched, delegated,
or delayed.
Let your vision be the filter,not just your inbox.
You'll see this built into thesimplified to-do list that I

(12:42):
offered you guys last week.
All you have to do is sort yourtasks and then only do the ones
on the do list and only putthings on the do list that are
tied to your vision and yourvalues.
You might even try adding acolumn to your list labeled why
it matters.
This column isn't for anyoneelse, it's for you.

(13:05):
It's a small reminder thatyou're not just working, you are
leading and your leadership hasdirection.
Okay.
All of this sounds great intheory, but how do you stay
anchored in vision?
When life gets busy?
Of course, some days will feellike survival mode.

(13:28):
You'll be pulled in a dozendirections and tempted to fall
back into your reactivepatterns.
That's normal.
The goal isn't to live perfectlyaligned in every moment.
That's not feasible.
The goal is to return toalignment more quickly, more
intentionally, and with moregrace.
And there are a few habits thatcan help a one minute kind of

(13:50):
vision.
Pause each morning, a quietmoment to ask yourself what
matters most today.
This can shift your mindset fromreactive to intentional.
A weekly reflection practicewhere you jot down one way you
lived your vision, and one areawhere you drifted.
That can build your awarenessover time.

(14:12):
And don't underestimate thepower of white space, vision
needs room to breathe.
Protecting even a few minuteseach week for thinking,
dreaming, or planning can createthe kind of clarity that no
meeting ever will.
When you lead from vision, youstop reacting and start

(14:33):
creating.
You trade burnout for alignmentand your days feel less like a
race and more like a rhythm.
And now I want you to rememberthis.
You were made to lead withvision.
You carry so much, you give somuch.

(14:53):
And I want you to know this,your leadership.
Deserves more than just achecklist.
You were made to lead withclarity, with confidence, and
with purpose.
And when you reconnect with yourvision, your to-do list becomes
a powerful tool, not just a taskmaster.
You begin to make decisions withease, protect your energy with

(15:16):
confidence, and lead in a waythat feels joyful, sustainable,
and deeply authentic.
So here's your invitation.
I.
Revisit your to-do list andbefore you add another task, ask
yourself, what vision is thissupporting?
Because you weren't just made toget things done.

(15:38):
You were made to make adifference.
If this episode sparkedsomething in you, I'd love to
invite you to download my freeweekly reset routine.
It's a powerful first steptoward leading in a way that
sustains you.
You'll find the link in the shownotes because a clear vision
isn't a fantasy, it's apractice, and you can begin
today.

(15:59):
Okay.
Thanks so much for joining me onJoyfully Unstoppable.
If you liked this episode,please subscribe, share it with
friends.
We are a small but mighty brandNew baby podcast and we've
already got over a hundreddownloads.
I can't tell you how excited Iam about that.
so thank you.
Thank you for all of you who arelistening through these early

(16:20):
days.
I appreciate you more than youcan know.
I hope you have a great day, agreat week, and I'll see you
next time.
Bye.
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