Tag: #MindsetShift

The urban ‘superwoman’ and midlife

There was a manual. No, really. Maybe not ONE printed and published manual available for sale on Amazon, and in bookshops. But a loose verbal manual of what an ‘educated, empowered, privileged, money-earning’ woman is supposed to do and be. The archetype of a good daughter, sister, wife, mother, woman, in law, friend, employee, employer, manager, citizen, mentor, founder, homemaker etc etc.

No one spoke about how life for the superwoman is a balancing game. That she would feel the guilt of not performing in one area more than the joy of superachieveing in other areas of life. That burnout is bound to happen when the candle burns at both ends. When in trying to ‘BE’ all that she must be, there will be a moment when she’d be emptionally numb, confused about what she ‘needs’.

The midlife burnout, hormone shuffles, shifting perspectives and the spectrum that goes from regret and resentment to gratitude and achievement and how the self oscillates on it like it is a damn Rollercoaster is R.E.A.L.!

This post does not have answers or solutions to the numbness that middle age brings to the overworked women in the race of perfection. This is a call out to those who’ve been through it, are experiencing it right now or are inching to it. To tell you, that you are not hallucinating, not going crazy, that your problems aren’t imagined.

The disillusionment, the disconnect, the soul searching that you are experiencing right now – you are not alone in this. There is a generation of super achiever millennial women who feel slightly exhausted with everything around them and question how far they need to run. Worry whether they will be out of breath before they reach that imaginary finish line. And as the quiet realisation happens – there isn’t a finish line! Noone to hand water or towel at the end of this marathon and so in fear of finding ourselves alone when we pause, we keep running.

Maybe it’s time to slow down girls, pause even, for a while. Practice some self care at the cost of what seems non negotiable. Nothing is in reality. If this post makes even slight sense to you, you need to prioritise yourself over literally anything on the daily for a while. Guess what? it’s time.

Noone owes you a Career Promotion. They’re earned,  here’s how..

A leader I coach recently said something that has stayed with me for days:
“Employees need to believe that their personal success is intertwined with the success of the company.”
Profound, right?


As an HR professional, I meet people across the spectrum, some with sharp clarity and grounded expectations, and others… not so much.


What’s concerning is the growing trend of entitlement without impact.


People expecting frequent promotions or big hikes simply because they:
• Have put in “enough” time
• Took on stretch assignments
• Are “committed”
• Have stayed loyal, even in struggling companies


I’ve seen this across roles, even in enabling functions like HR and Finance, where the rules applied to others don’t seem to apply to oneself for many.


Here’s the hard truth:
Promotions aren’t rewards for effort alone. They’re outcomes of demonstrated business impact.


Before asking why not me?, ask:
• How did I impact revenue, margins, culture, or innovation?
• What did I do to create tangible value for customers or shareholders?
• If I left today, what legacy or measurable change would I leave behind?


In India’s high-pressure work culture, the survival mindset often pushes people to chase titles instead of growth. But here’s the thing, you can only “job-hop” your way forward for so long. Eventually, the industry sees the pattern. Impact (or lack of it) shows.


If you’re upset over a missed promotion, pause. Ask yourself:
• Do I truly understand my organization’s goals?
• Have I mapped my career aspirations to business needs?
• Do I have a development plan for the next 12 months?


If not, that’s your starting point. Not sulking. Not quitting (at least not without clarity). Not waiting for someone else to solve it.


Growth is earned. Ownership is yours.
Build the kind of career and reputation that makes others proud to have worked with you