For three decades, I was the woman who wanted it all, career, family, love, and success, and for the most part, I had all of it. 

The senior leadership roles, the high-performing teams and the thrill of doing work I loved. The partner and the kids and the dogs. The juggle was real and I was the star trapeze artist making it all work. 

But behind the polished corporate success was a woman quietly breaking down. I pushed through endometriosis, osteopenia, anaemia, fertility struggles and finally, burnout that ended in breast cancer. 

My ambition was never the problem, but my lack of boundaries, self-respect, and self-care was.

Looking back, there are 12 lifelines I wish someone had given me when I was in my 20’s starting to climb the corporate ladder:

1. You can be driven and still rest because pushing isn’t always power. I used to believe that if I wasn’t crazy busy then I wasn’t winning. I now know that my best ideas come after rest, not exhaustion.
2. Burnout doesn’t always look like breakdown: it can wear a smile. I was delivering results, mentoring teams, and ticking every box while, behind the scenes, my body quietly fell apart. I honestly had no idea I was burning out.
3. Achievement without wellbeing is a dangerous trade-off. That promotion, that big project, that next win, none of it is worth ruining your health. Ever.
4. Being positively obsessed with your health is a superpower. I learned the hard way that unless you actively protect your energy, no one else will. Today, my non-negotiables include early morning movement, meditation, and fuelling my body with non-processed foods and health drinks.
5. Don’t wait for crisis to change for the better. Don’t let a diagnosis, burnout, or breakdown be the catalyst for change, start now.
6. Define your own measure of a ‘good day’, beyond KPIs. For me, now, I pose these questions to myself: Did I move my body? Did I nourish myself? Did I meaningfully connect? That’s success for me.
7. Know the people who matter: who will cry when you die? The people who show up for you in life’s darkest hours are the only ones who truly matter, prioritise them always.
8. Prioritise habits that serve only your health. I swapped late-night emails for early morning runs, ice baths and saunas. I swapped skipping meals for mindful eating. Those changes saved my life.
9. Protect yourself from toxic workplaces because your values matter. In one role, I stayed too long because the prestige was blinding and the money was good, but it took a toll on my health, and in hindsight, no title was worth that.
10. Don’t let your ego drive your bus: it will crash you. I craved being needed, celebrated and seen, but true self-worth comes from within not from titles, praise, or being the busiest person in the room.
11. Sending 100 emails at midnight doesn’t impress anyone, be a better role model. I thought working late showed commitment. In truth, it modelled burnout to my team. Today, I set different boundaries and expectations.
12. You only get one body: no trade-ins. The sooner you realise your body is your greatest asset, the sooner you’ll start treating it like the treasure it is.

Today, I use these lessons to help others through the business I founded – The Wellbeing Edge. I deliver keynotes, wellbeing workshops, and executive coaching to help individuals and organisations perform at their best, without ever sacrificing their health.

If you’re ready to create a workplace where wellbeing fuels success, or you’re a high achiever who wants to thrive sustainably, I’d love to support you. Through my lived experiences, I bring real-world insights, practical strategies and heartfelt coaching to help others avoid the mistakes I made, so they can succeed, lead, and live well, without ever losing themselves in the process.

Connect with me at www.thewellbeing-edge.com , email roni@thewellbeing-edge.com or follow me on @roni.thewellbeingedge