This Might Be the Reason You Feel Stuck
You ever catch yourself rewriting that email 10 times? Or second-guessing that Instagram post so much you end up deleting it? Or maybe you’ve sat in a meeting, nodding your head when deep down, you had something real to say… but you stayed quiet instead?
Yeah. I’ve been there too.
Here’s the truth: seeking approval is sneaky, and it’s costing you more than you think.
It’s the reason so many of us feel stuck, burned out, and disconnected from who we really are. We’re so busy trying to be liked, validated, or "right" that we lose sight of our voice, our values, and our power.
But here’s the shift that changed everything for me:
👉 People pleasing puts your power on pause.
Read that again.
When we’re constantly adjusting ourselves to meet expectations, we stop trusting ourselves. We forget that we get to be the expert in our own life, our own business, our own next move.
So what do we do about it?
Here are 5 steps I practice (and teach) to break out of the approval trap:
Notice when it’s happening. Awareness is always the first step.
Reframe approval as a “nice-to-have”— not a requirement.
Build trust in your own decisions, even the small ones.
Practice self-compassion. You can be imperfect and still be powerful.
Surround yourself with support, not just validation. The right people will challenge you and cheer you on.
✨ Here’s your challenge:
Make ONE decision today without asking anyone else for permission. Big or small, your choice. Just let it come from you. That’s where real confidence begins.
You don’t need to be more polished, more perfect, or more approved of.
You just need to be more you.
Let’s keep growing together.
P.S. If this hit home, I recorded a quick 10-minute podcast episode all about this earlier this week. It’s short, it’s real, and it might be exactly what you need today. [Click here to listen now] 🎧
xo,
Barb
