Work doesn’t burn people out just because it’s hard.

It burns people out when expectations are unclear, flexibility is performative, and responsibility is unevenly distributed.

In this episode of The Life Management System, Courtney Cecil sits down with Amanda Litman – co-founder of Run for Something and author of When We’re in Charge – to talk about why so many working moms and caregivers feel depleted at work, even when they’re successful and capable.

Together, they unpack what actually makes work “suck,” why outdated leadership models are still shaping modern workplaces, and how organizations can build environments that support real performance and real life. This conversation bridges leadership, culture, caregiving, and burnout, and offers both structural insight and practical rethinking for leaders and employees alike.

If you’ve ever felt like your job demands adult-level output without adult-level trust, this episode will put language to that experience.

💡 Inside this episode, we explore:

• Why “hard work” and unhealthy work are not the same
• How unclear expectations quietly fuel burnout
• The difference between flexibility in theory vs. flexibility in practice
• Why caregivers are disproportionately impacted by rigid work models
• How invisible labor shows up in professional environments
• What leaders misunderstand about accountability and autonomy
• Why return-to-office mandates are driving women out of the workforce
• How trust, guardrails, and clarity reduce burnout without reducing performance
• What matters most to inspire boundaries

🧠 Key insights worth sitting with:

• Work doesn’t fail people, values misalignment does
• Burnout often comes from ambiguity, not workload
• Treating adults like adults improves outcomes
• Flexibility without structure creates anxiety, not freedom
• Leadership choices ripple far beyond the workplace

🔗 Resources & links mentioned:

• When We’re in Charge: The Next Generation’s Guide to Leadership by Amanda Litman
• Follow Amanda Litman on Instagram
• Subscribe to Amanda Litman on Substack
• Follow Courtney Cecil on Instagram
• Boundary Self-Check Quiz
• Episode 67: Why Burnout Sneaks Up on High Performers (and What It’s Really Telling You)
• Learn more about The Life Management System

💬 Quoteworthy reflections:

• Burnout isn’t about effort, it’s about systems
• Flexibility without clarity isn’t supportive
• Leadership is a choice, not a legacy obligation
• You can be ambitious without giving yourself away for free

💥 Episode takeaway:

Burnout isn’t an individual failure. It’s often the result of environments that demand more than they support.

When leaders create clear expectations, real flexibility, and human-centered systems, everyone benefits….at work and at home.

This episode is a reminder that sustainable performance starts with intentional design, not endurance.

📈 Keywords:

working moms, workplace burnout, leadership culture, flexible work, invisible labor, caregiver burnout, values misalignment, boundary setting, modern leadership, work life integration, women and burnout, Amanda Litman, Courtney Cecil, The Life Management System, Working Moms Movement

Midlife doesn’t usually announce itself with a crisis.

Sometimes it arrives quietly…

And sometimes it throws out your back.

In this episode of The Life Management System, Courtney Cecil shares a deeply real moment that happened just one week after turning 41 when her body, her systems, and her assumptions were all stress-tested at the same time.

What followed wasn’t just an injury. It was a powerful case study in what happens when high performers build lives that work because of them instead of for them.

This episode isn’t about age or accidents.

It’s about what real sustainability actually looks like, and why most women don’t realize how fragile their ecosystem is until something forces them to stop.

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you had to step away for a few weeks…this conversation will land.

💡 INSIDE THIS EPISODE, WE EXPLORE:

• Why midlife stress tests your systems, your body, and your assumptions, whether you’re ready or not
• The difference between a life that functions because of you vs one that supports you
• Why burnout doesn’t start with exhaustion, it starts with over-reliance
• How invisible labor compounds when systems lack redundancy
• What it means to not be a single point of failure in your home or business
• Why your body eventually absorbs the margin your calendar refuses to protect
• How anxiety grows when you assume instead of asking
• Why boundaries and intentional planning aren’t lifestyle upgrades, they’re safety nets
• The real cost of waiting for a breakdown to choose sustainability

🧠 KEY REFRAMES TO SIT WITH:

• If your systems only work because of you, they aren’t systems
• When your calendar has no margin, your body becomes the margin
• Anxiety often isn’t intuition, it’s unanswered questions
• Burnout is not failure, it’s capacity exceeded without support
• A sustainable life is built before a crisis demands it

🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED:

• Follow Courtney on Instagram
• Episode 67: Why Burnout Sneaks Up on High Performers
• Work with Courtney (clarity calls & coaching)

✨ QUOTE-WORTHY THOUGHTS (PARAPHRASED REFLECTIONS):

• A system should support you even when you’re unavailable
• Your body will eventually collect the debt your calendar ignores
• Asking the question earlier can prevent months of unnecessary stress
• Sustainability isn’t about carrying more, it’s about being carried back

💥 EPISODE TAKEAWAY:

Midlife doesn’t break you.

It reveals whether what you’ve built can hold you.

You don’t need an injury, a breakdown, or a crisis to slow down.

You’re allowed to choose sustainability over survival now before your body forces the pause.

📈 KEYWORDS:

midlife burnout, high performers, working mom burnout, systems and burnout, invisible labor, mental load for women, boundaries and burnout, values misalignment, sustainable living for moms, women and burnout, life management system, Courtney Cecil, Working Moms Movement, stress and the body, burnout prevention, intentional planning, capacity exceeded

What happens when the version of success you worked so hard to achieve…no longer fits?

In this episode of The Life Management System, Courtney sits down with Molly Asplin – a former high-achieving corporate leader turned executive and life coach – to talk about burnout, identity, and what it looks like when your ambition outpaces your joy.

Molly specializes in helping driven, capable women slow down without losing momentum, and this conversation is a powerful reminder that growth doesn’t always come from pushing harder. Sometimes, it comes from redefining what success actually means.

If you’ve ever felt restless, exhausted, or quietly disconnected, even while “doing everything right”, this episode will meet you exactly where you are.

💡 Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why so many high-performing women feel burned out even when they’re successful
• How ambition and identity become entangled (and why that’s so hard to untangle)
• What it looks like to slow down without sacrificing growth or impact
• The signs that you’ve outgrown your old definition of success
• Why burnout isn’t a personal failure - it’s often a misalignment
• How to reconnect with your values when achievement stops feeling fulfilling
• The difference between momentum and meaning
• What intentional success looks like in this season of life and leadership ✨

🔗 Resources & links mentioned:

• Learn more about Molly Asplin
• Follow Courtney on Instagram
• Free guide: How to More Productively Manage Your To-Do List

💬 Quoteworthy thoughts:

“Burnout isn’t always about doing too much, it’s about doing things that no longer align.”

“Just because you’re capable of more doesn’t mean you’re meant to carry it all.”

“Success that costs you your joy isn’t sustainable.”

💥 Episode takeaway:

You don’t need to abandon your ambition to feel better.

You may just need to redefine success in a way that honors your energy, values, and season of life.

Slowing down isn’t quitting.

It’s choosing what actually matters.

📈 Keywords:

Molly Asplin, redefining success, burnout recovery, high achieving women, executive burnout, identity and work, values based living, working mom burnout, career and identity, life transitions, personal growth podcast, ambition and burnout, women leaders, success without burnout, life management system podcast, Courtney Cecil, Working Moms Movement

Burnout doesn’t usually arrive with flashing lights or a dramatic breakdown.

It sneaks up quietly…especially on high performers.

It starts with being reliable.

Then capable.

Then indispensable.

And before you realize it, you’re exhausted and wondering what’s wrong with you.

In this episode of The Life Management System, Courtney Cecil breaks down why burnout is not a sign of incompetence and what it’s actually trying to tell you instead.

Through a powerful real-life story and years of experience working in culture, leadership, and coaching high-achieving women, Courtney reframes burnout as information, not failure. If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything right but still running on empty, this episode will feel like someone finally put words to what you’ve been carrying.

💡 Inside this episode, we explore:

• Why burnout disproportionately affects capable, responsible, high-performing women
• The dangerous myth that exhaustion means you’re “not good enough”
• How over-responsibility quietly turns into identity
• Why burnout is about capacity being exceeded, not lack of ability
• The hidden role of invisible labor, scope creep, and constant context switching
• How internal standards – not external expectations – often drive burnout
• Why high performers receive more work, not less
• How strengths can “go wild” and become friction points
• The connection between burnout, boundaries, and values misalignment
• Why redesigning your life – not hustling harder – is the real solution 🌱

🧠 Key insights you’ll want to sit with:

• Burnout is a signal, not a character flaw
• You can be excellent at your job and still be in an unsustainable environment
• Imposter syndrome thrives when capacity is exceeded for too long
• When everything feels hard, high performers tend to blame themselves first
• Boundaries aren’t just about access, they’re about intentional yeses and noes
• Living intentionally makes decisions easier and burnout less likely

🔗 Resources & links mentioned:

• Follow Courtney on Instagram
• Episode 4: Part 1 of the Boundaries series (recommended next listen)
• Episode 50: Courtney’s full burnout story
• Book a FREE clarity call with Courtney (first time offered on the podcast)

✨ Quoteworthy reflections:

• Burnout is not a lack of competence, it’s capacity exceeded without support
• High performers don’t burn out because they don’t care…they burn out because they care deeply
• When your role asks more than your season of life can give, something has to change
• Strengths without boundaries become liabilities

💥 Episode takeaway:

Burnout isn’t telling you that you’re broken, it’s telling you that something in your ecosystem needs to change.

When you stop treating burnout like a personal failure and start treating it like information, you can finally redesign your life and work to be sustainable, aligned, and human again.

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

📈 Keywords:

burnout in high performers, working mom burnout, burnout vs incompetence, capacity burnout, invisible labor, mental load for women, values based living, boundary setting, burnout prevention, imposter syndrome, emotional labor, women and burnout, high achieving women, career burnout, leadership burnout, life management system, Courtney Cecil, working moms movement, boundaries and burnout, redesigning life after burnout

What if the reason you’re overwhelmed isn’t a lack of discipline…but a calendar that’s quietly working against you?

In this re-aired (and still incredibly relevant) episode of The Life Management System, Courtney revisits Episode 20 to talk about calendar hygiene and why it’s one of the most powerful (and overlooked) tools for helping working moms reclaim their time, energy, and priorities.

Despite shared calendars, flexible work schedules, and endless productivity tools, most working moms Courtney coaches are still stuck in reaction mode. And nine times out of ten, the fastest way to spot the problem is a calendar audit because your calendar tells the truth about what you value, protect, and sacrifice.

This episode isn’t about squeezing more into your days.

It’s about building boundaries, aligning your time with what you value, and finally putting yourself back on the calendar…without guilt!

💡 Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why “calendar hygiene” is foundational to prioritizing yourself
• How an unintentional calendar fuels overwhelm, resentment, and burnout
• Why Courtney uses calendar audits with her clients to quickly identify misalignment
• How to approach a simple planning “retreat” with your partner before touching the calendar
• The five big-picture questions every family should answer before planning their year
• Tactical steps to organize your calendar so it supports - not drains - you
• How to block time for self-care, rest, relationships, and what actually matters
• Why prioritizing yourself feels selfish (and why that belief isn’t true)
• What to remove, protect, and reintroduce on your calendar, starting now

🧠 Key Takeaway

Calendar hygiene isn’t about productivity.

It’s about intention.

When your calendar reflects your values – not just your obligations – you stop reacting all day and start living with more clarity, boundaries, and breathing room.

Your time is a resource.

And your calendar is where we start protecting it.

🔗 Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Follow Courtney on Instagram
• Free guide: How to More Productively Manage Your To-Do List
• REtreat (yo’ self): A luxury women’s weekend in West Palm Beach
• Apollo Neuro wearable (stress & sleep support) → Use code COURTNEY4 for $60 off

📈 Keywords

calendar hygiene, time management for working moms, calendar audit, working mom burnout, mental load, invisible labor, values based living, prioritizing yourself, work life balance for moms, boundaries for moms, overwhelmed working mom, productivity without burnout, family scheduling systems, self care for moms, calendar organization, stress management for moms, life management system, Courtney Cecil Anderson, Working Moms Movement

What if losing the job you gave everything to… was actually the thing that finally gave you back to yourself? 🤯

In this replay from The Middle podcast, host Megan and I dig into the “messy middle” between a corporate layoff and the life you actually want...the part no one posts about on LinkedIn.

We talk about what happens when your identity is wrapped up in your job, what it feels like to be unexpectedly cut loose from a company you loved for 16 years, and how that shock forced me to rethink burnout, boundaries, and what I was willing to sacrifice as a working mom.

If you’ve ever felt blindsided by a layoff, quietly burned out, or torn between your paycheck and your purpose… this conversation will feel very close to home. 💛

💡 Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

• What really happens emotionally when a layoff comes from the company you thought would “always take care of you”
• How tying your worth and identity to your job sets you up for a painful wake-up call
• Why giving yourself away “for free” at work feels noble in the moment… and what it quietly costs you over time
• How to manage your to-do list differently so it stops fueling your mental load
• Why working moms are especially vulnerable to burnout
• What organizations miss when it comes to supporting working parents
• How to start seeing your “messy middle” not as failure… but as a turning point

🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS:

Connect with Courtney:

• Free guide: How to More Productively Manage Your To-do List → https://workingmomsmovement.com/todo

• Connect on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/workingmomsmovement/

• Connect on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyca/

Connect with Megan:

• The Last Word → https://www.thelastwordconsulting.com/about

• On LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-ranville/

💬 FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Burnout wasn’t just about working too many hours, it was the moment I realized my life no longer matched what I said I valued.” – Courtney

“When you wear burnout like a badge of honor, you’re usually trading your health and your family for someone else’s goals.” – Courtney

💥 EPISODE TAKEAWAY:

Your layoff, burnout, or “what now?” moment isn’t the end of your story, it’s a loud invitation to realign.

When you stop giving yourself away for free and start building your life around what you value, the messy middle becomes the bridge to your next chapter… not the end of the last one.

📈 KEYWORDS:

career layoff story, job loss recovery, messy middle podcast, corporate burnout, working moms podcast, work life balance for working moms, career pivot after layoff, identity and career, mental load and to-do list, wish list vs to do list, burnout symptoms for working moms, women in corporate, culture and engagement leader, supporting working parents at work, corporate culture gaps, boundaries at work, people pleasing at work, high achieving working moms, Working Moms Movement, life management system, Courtney Cecil

This week on The Life Management System, I’m welcoming the wise, grounded, and deeply empathetic Diane Sorensen.

Diane’s background spans early education, behavior science, motherhood, step-parenting, grandmotherhood, and now a powerful late-career transition into life coaching and hypnotherapy.

But what makes this conversation so impactful is why she stepped into this work.

Her story begins with a personal crisis – her daughter’s mental-health struggle – that cracked her open, exposed the unsustainable pressures she was placing on herself, and led her to redefine motherhood, connection, and self-worth.

This episode is for any mom who has ever feared messing up, felt the weight of perfectionism, or wondered how to shift from reactive parenting to relational, grounded presence.

💡 INSIDE THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

• Diane’s unexpected transition from educator to life coach + hypnotherapy practitioner
• How her daughter’s mental-health crisis revealed just how much pressure she was carrying
• The link between being the “good mom” and unintentionally placing expectations on our kids
• Why parenthood is not meant to define us, but to grow us
• What it looks like to move from reactivity to true connection in relationships
• How unresolved internal pain can shape the way we parent
• Why self-worth and self-compassion are essential tools for modern motherhood
• What women can do to regulate themselves before trying to regulate their children
• Why mistakes in motherhood are inevitable, and how to approach them with resilience instead of shame ❤️

🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED:

• Connect with Diane on Instagram
• Listen to Diane’s podcast → Chaos to Connection
• Courtney on Instagram
• Free guide: How to more productively manage your to-do list
• Join REtreat (yo’ self): A luxury girl’s weekend

💬 FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Parenthood isn’t here to define us, it’s here to grow us.” – Diane

“Our children become our greatest teachers when we stop trying to be perfect.” – Diane

“We can’t connect with our kids if we’re constantly abandoning ourselves.” – Courtney

💥 EPISODE TAKEAWAY:

You can’t build connection from a place of reactivity.

When you stop performing for approval and start living from your inner truth, everything shifts – your relationships, your parenting, your peace, and the emotional climate of your home.

📈 KEYWORDS:

reactive parenting, connection-based parenting, motherhood pressure, mom perfectionism, emotional regulation for moms, parent-child connection, Diane Sorensen Chaos to Connection, self-worth for moms, anxiety in teens, parenting mental health, behavior science parenting, mother wound, generational patterns, hypnotherapy for motherhood, working moms podcast, emotional resilience, modern motherhood support, boundaries and parenting, Life Management System podcast, Courtney Cecil Anderson

If the holiday season leaves you feeling equal parts festive and frazzled… this episode is your pocket coach to a warmer, grounded season. 🎄✨

This week on The Life Management System for Working Moms podcast, I’m joined by Michelle Tangeman – licensed therapist, board-certified behavior analyst, co-host of the Parenting Understood podcast, and an expert in helping families navigate anxiety, behavior change, and emotional regulation.

Between the pressure to “make memories,” the Pinterest-perfect expectations, and the invisible labor of managing everyone’s feelings, parenting through the holidays can feel like a full-body sport.

So I brought Michelle on to help us make this season a little lighter, more intentional, and infinitely more sustainable.

If you’ve ever needed someone to officially grant you permission to do less, enjoy more, and stop performing holiday magic at your own expense, this one’s for you.

💡 INSIDE THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

• Practical tools for helping kids regulate their emotions when routines shift and overstimulation spikes
• What to do when you’re depleted before the holidays even begin
• Why so many moms feel pressure to create “perfect” holiday memories, and how to break the cycle
• How your childhood experiences shape your expectations as a parent during the holidays
• What to do when traditions stop feeling joyful (and start feeling like work)
• How to take annual inventory of your holiday obligations and release what no longer serves you
• Why reassessing your capacity is essential for protecting your mental health
• How to set realistic expectations without feeling guilty, behind, or “not festive enough”
• The mindset shift every overwhelmed parent needs this season ❤️

🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED:

• Connect with Michelle Tangeman
• Connect with Courtney
• Join REtreat (yo’ self): A luxury girls’ weekend for overwhelmed working moms
• Episode 17 on practical ways to manage holiday stress
• Apollo Neuro and COURTNEY4 for $60 off
• Avocado short

💬 FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Take what feels good to you and be consistent with it.” – Michelle

“It’s OK to break up with traditions that don’t serve you, even if it’s just for this year.” – Michelle

“When moms are depleted, the holidays stop being holidays for us.” – Courtney

💥 EPISODE TAKEAWAY:

Holiday magic doesn’t come from doing more.

It comes from doing what matters, and letting go of everything that doesn’t.

📈 KEYWORDS:

holiday stress for moms, parenting through the holidays, holiday perfectionism, overwhelmed working moms, family behavior expert, emotional regulation for kids, holiday anxiety, parenting boundaries, mental health for mothers, breaking holiday traditions, Pinterest pressure, sustainable holiday planning, managing holiday expectations, working moms podcast, Michelle Tangeman interview, Parenting Understood podcast, behavior analyst tips, mom burnout, values-based parenting, holiday overwhelm solutions, Life Management System podcast

This week on The Life Management System, we’re doing something a little different…we’re bringing a man into the conversation. 😮‍💨

But not just any man…

A full-on champion of working moms who has built his entire business around supporting healthier, more equitable partnerships.

Meet Brian Page, founder of Modern Husbands and dad of three who has lived the real push-and-pull of dual careers, domestic workload, and time scarcity.

In this episode, we unpack how couples can work as a team – not just emotionally, but operationally – across home labor, financial management, and the systems required to “run the home like a business.”

If you’re exhausted from managing everything (or wishing your partner would step up without you having to micromanage!), you’re going to want to take notes. 📝

💡 Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

• What inspired Brian to create Modern Husbands and how becoming the “domestic safety net” redefined his identity
• Why so many couples are time-scarce, not money-scarce, and what that means for your partnership
• How Brian learned about the mental load, invisible labor, and emotional labor (and how it changed his marriage)
• Why frameworks like Fair Play and Equal Partners are essential tools for building equitable home systems
• The intersection of money management + home labor, and why couples fight most about these two things
• Why “just asking for help” often doesn’t work and what to do instead
• Advice for moms who want their partners to step up without triggering defensiveness or frustration
• What it really takes to run your household like a business (in the best way) with shared systems, clarity, and communication
• How Brian’s journey is proof that partners can change and that teamwork at home is a learnable skill ❤️

🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED:

• Explore Brian’s Official Website

• Connect with Courtney on instagram

• Free guide: How to more productively manage your to-do list • Join REtreat (yo’ self): A luxury weekend for working moms

💬 FAVORITE QUOTES:

“I didn’t want to slip into my new role, I wanted to be exceptional at it.” – Brian

“You can’t run the business of the home when only one person has the operating manual.” – Brian

“The domestic safety net matters as much as the financial one.” – Brian

“If it only works when you do it, it’s not a system, it’s a dependency.” – Courtney

💥 EPISODE TAKEAWAY:

Healthy, equitable partnerships aren’t built on guesswork.

They’re built on systems, shared responsibility, and intentional conversations about home labor and money – the two areas that quietly shape most of your stress.

📈 KEYWORDS:

home labor inequality, invisible labor, mental load for moms, Fair Play method, Brian Page Modern Husbands, equitable partnerships, couples financial management, running the home like a business, domestic workload balance, working moms podcast, marriage communication, partnership roles, family money management, dual-career couples, emotional labor, home systems, household management, mom burnout prevention, values-based living, working moms support, Courtney Cecil Anderson, Life Management System podcast

This week’s episode of The Life Management System is more raw, vulnerable, and personal than anything I’ve ever shared.

I’m giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the life experiences - specifically from my tiny hometown in Tazewell, VA - that shaped one of my deepest core values today: relationships.

If you’ve ever wondered why you care so deeply, love so hard, or guard your inner circle, this episode will meet you right where you are.

💡 In this episode, I share:

• Why your values are the foundation of your entire Life Management System
• The childhood and high-school experiences that shaped the way I love, connect, and show up for people today
• The 8 "Regina Georges” of my childhood and what they taught me about loyalty, trust, and relational safety
• How betrayal in friendships created scar tissue and why that scar tissue now fuels the way I mother, partner, coach, and lead
• Why I lean so hard into relationships with my boys, clients, friends, and my husband
• The real reason I’m so committed to building future-proof connection with my kids
• How painful experiences can become the values you protect most fiercely in adulthood
• A Thanksgiving reflection: how to honor the things (and people) that matter most

If you’ve ever been...

✖️ excluded

🗡️ betrayed

🗣️ talked about

💀 misunderstood

🖤 or blindsided by people you trusted…

...this episode will help you understand why those experiences still echo into your adult life and how they can become the very reason you value relationships so deeply today.

🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS:

• Free guide: How to more productively manage your to-do list • Follow Courtney on Instagram

• Join Courtney's REtreat (yo' self), a luxury weekend for working moms

💬 FAVORITE EPISODE QUOTES:

“I lean in as far as someone else is willing to lean, because connection is a choice, not an accident.”

“Scar tissue doesn’t define you… but it does guide what you protect.”

“My goal is to build a relationship with my boys that outlasts my roof.”

💥 EPISODE TAKEAWAY:

Your past doesn’t just shape who you are, but it shapes what you value.

And when you build your life around those values, everything becomes clearer: your boundaries, your priorities, your relationships, and the life you’re meant to build.

📈 KEYWORDS:

relationships and values, childhood scar tissue, working moms podcast, emotional resilience, work life balance for moms, values based living, toxic friendships, high school bullying stories, personal growth journey, why values matter, motherhood mindset, family relationships, connection with kids, life management system, vulnerability podcast, healing past wounds, building healthy relationships, gratitude and reflection, Thanksgiving episode, Courtney Cecil Anderson, Working Moms Movement