The Achievement Shift…Why High Performers Struggle After Kids

You're a high flyer at work.

You get sh*t done.

You’re known for doing whatever it takes to get projects over the line.

Let’s face it... you’re good at achieving.

Then along comes this little human.

No concept of time. No care for deadlines. Just a pure, present existence.

An existence that completely consumes your energy and your time... and in return offers you something wild and overwhelming: pure love.

You catch glimpses of enjoying this love. But for the most part, a voice in your head whispers:

"I need to do stuff. Important stuff isn’t getting done."

Because somehow, in the midst of feeding, nappy changes, laundry, and the never-ending dinner-bed-bath loop, your old markers of success have vanished.

You finally collapse onto the couch, completely spent, and ask yourself...

“What did I even achieve today?”

This is the achievement shift that no one warns high-performing parents about.

So many executive parents feel lost in the early stages of parenthood. The skills that made you so successful — structure, efficiency, output — feel like they’re suddenly irrelevant.

Pre-kids, achievement looked like this:

• Projects delivered on time

• Clear, measurable progress

• Regular feedback and recognition

But post-kids, it’s the opposite:

• Life feels out of control

• Nothing goes to plan

• The to-do list grows faster than you can tick it off

And no one says, "Well done, that was an excellent nappy change"

Here’s the thing: it’s not that you’re not achieving. It’s that your definition of achievement needs to evolve.

Because if you keep measuring success by your pre-parenthood standards, you’ll constantly feel behind. And that leads to resentment, frustration... even anxiety and low self-worth.

You’ll start to feel like you’re never doing enough, or never doing it well enough.

Redefining achievement is not about lowering the bar. It’s about realignment.

It means anchoring into what matters now.

It’s about shifting from...

• Productivity to presence

• Control to connection

• Output to alignment

You might not have a finished report at the end of the day. But you do have a baby who feels safe in your arms, a child who feels seen, a home where love is being cultivated (even if it’s loud and messy). That’s no small thing.

Achievement post-children isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters — and knowing what that is.

And this shift is essential if you want to align your family life with your career without burning out.

Because if you keep trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, you'll stay drained, disoriented, and disconnected from the very life you're working so hard to build.

Reflection question:

Where are you still using your old metrics for success — and how might they be holding you back?

If you’re ready to stop measuring your parenting by your productivity and start leading your family with clarity and alignment, explore From Stressed to Best parent method. It will help you redefine what success looks like in this new season of life — and create more ease, presence and connection at home.