Episode 148: When “Good Enough” Isn’t Serving You Anymore: Getting Out of Survival Mode
I can’t even tell you how excited I am about this episode. Every once in a while, there’s a message that hits my heart so strongly that I can’t wait to grab the microphone and share it with you and that’s exactly what happened today. Normally, I alternate between solo and guest episodes, but this one couldn’t wait. So here we are, two solo episodes in a row, and I promise, this one’s going to change the way you look at your life and your business.
Living in Survival Mode
Over the past few months, I’ve been deep in personal growth, emotional healing, physical health, and a lot of reflection. Through that work, I’ve realized something huge: I’ve spent much of my life living in survival mode. You know that feeling of just getting by? Saying “I’m fine” when you’re really not? That’s survival mode. It’s doing the bare minimum to keep the canoe from sinking while never actually fixing the leaks. For me, this realization came through the silliest of metaphors, my backwards shoe rack. Yes, the thing had been installed wrong for two years, and I’d just accepted the chaos. But once I fixed it, it was like a lightbulb moment. What else in my life had I labeled “good enough” when it really wasn’t?
Good Enough Isn’t Good Enough
The shoe rack became a mirror for so many other areas of my life, things I’d tolerated because I was “too busy” or “too tired.” A printer that wasn’t set up right. Skipping workouts. Eating fast food in the car. Each of these little things became part of my normal, my survival mode. But the truth is, “good enough” quietly lowers the bar on what we expect from our lives. And when we live there too long, it starts to steal our joy, our creativity, and even our sense of peace. The good news? Most of these fixes are easier than we think. Often, they take less time than the energy we spend complaining about them.
How to Shift Out of Survival Mode
If you feel like you’ve been running on fumes, I want to encourage you to start small. First, see it put on fresh eyes and notice the things you’ve accepted as “just the way it is.” Then, fix it take one small step to make that area easier, smoother, or more joyful. And finally, feel it celebrate that feeling of relief and freedom. That emotion becomes the motivation for the next change. Before long, those tiny shifts start to add up, and you’ll find yourself breathing easier, living lighter, and realizing that thriving is possible again.
So this week, I want to leave you with three reflection questions:
Where in your life have you been saying, “It’s good enough,” when it’s really not serving you?
What’s one small fix you could make this week that would bring more ease into your day?
Can you imagine what your life might feel like when it’s not ruled by survival mode?
Friend, I’m right there with you, making small shifts one at a time. Let’s raise the bar together. If this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who needs to hear it and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next one.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
We often live in survival mode without realizing it, just getting by, telling ourselves “it’s fine” when it’s not.
The things we tolerate become our normal, even when they drain our energy.
Sometimes the fix that changes everything takes only 15 minutes, it’s not about effort, it’s about perspective.
Awareness creates power. You can’t fix what you don’t see.
When you start fixing the “small broken things,” you build trust with yourself again.
You deserve systems, spaces, and habits that support your growth, not ones you constantly have to fight against.
Ask yourself: Where am I saying it’s “good enough”? What’s one small fix that would make life smoother today?
Remember: thriving doesn’t begin with a total overhaul, it starts with one small shift toward ease, alignment, and self-respect.
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