I made the same mistake again….

During the past month, I took it easy. It wasn’t exactly planned that way, but I kept receiving signs that I needed to go to Egypt. Now, you might be wondering, why Egypt? For a while, I had my eyes on a retreat and had even penciled it into my schedule, but I hadn’t booked it yet. I thought I had to finish this… and that… and that…

One sign after another appeared on my path (I call them synchronicities). After a session with someone who started talking about Egypt, Egyptian New Year, the Lion’s Gate on August 8th, and much more within the first 5 minutes, I decided to book the retreat.

You might be thinking, “What in the world are you talking about, Esther?” My rational self from a few years ago would have thought the same. But since I’ve become more open to what exists beyond the tangible and especially that we don’t need to rationally explain everything, magical things started to happen.

So, I’ve long stopped trying to explain everything with my logical beta-mind. If I feel it’s right, I just go for it.

And magical it was: the energy I felt there, wow. Butterflies in my stomach, even in my whole body, as if I were deeply in love

As I said, I no longer try to explain it, I just experience it. For me, it was the best decision I could have made: it gave me so much energy, inspiration, and peace. Well, maybe not peace… the retreat involved a lot of inner work, and during the subsequent Nile Cruise that I had also booked (since I was already in Egypt anyway…), we had to wake up between 3:30 and 5:00 AM every morning. Lol, during my vacation, I ended up joining the 5 AM club (or even earlier). And it was more than worth it…

Back in the Netherlands, I noticed that I mostly wanted to sleep (no surprise) and I allowed myself the that rest. Instead of diving back into work right away, I had a ‘soft start’. I continued working for my current clients and preparing for the UEFA season, but I left the rest aside for a while. I did a juice detox (yes, today it’s finished and I can eat again), and I hired a professional organiser to help me declutter and organise my attic.

“Can’t you do that yourself, Esther?” Yes, I can, but for me, it’s one of those tasks that always ends up at the bottom of my to-do list. This time, I had someone keeping me accountable and suggesting ideas I hadn’t thought of myself.

It’s something I do as a mentor for my clients as well. Just like I make them aware of certain behaviours, words they use, stories they tell themselves. Stories that aren’t true at all, but ones you’ve been hearing for 30 or 40 years, probably even telling yourself, and you’ve come to believe them. Stories that led to certain behaviours.

This blog is getting quite long, so hopefully you’re still with me. I started this blog with “I made the same mistake again,” and since I’m only human… I want to take you into my persistent habits for a moment. Maybe (and I even think likely) you’ll recognise something and find value in it.

One of the most important takeaways from this period for me was that I want to do my work with much more ease. I want to put less pressure on myself and, as a result, have less stress. After all, as an entrepreneur, work is never truly finished, but I noticed that I was running a marathon at a sprint pace, as if I wanted to organise a FIFA World Cup within a month.

Rushing, maybe even ’life rushing’; everything “has” to happen now. Rationally, I know that things take time, but my inner system didn’t agree. So, I was working way too much. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy working, but there needs to be a healthy balance.

Yesterday, I announced a free online masterclass about setting goals: “How to make the rest of 2023 amazing”.
How do you achieve what you want to achieve? How do you let go of what no longer serves you? I spent quite some time on the social media post and what happened? Absolutely nothing, hardly any reactions, not even likes.

I felt restlessness in my body after posting. Instead of distracting myself, like mindlessly scrolling or treating myself to something nice (thankfully I was on a juice cleanse), I decided to fully embrace this restlessness. Maybe even dissect it. Why was I feeling so restless?

Was it because of the few reactions? Hmm, well, it’s not particularly enjoyable when you’ve invested your valuable time in a post and hardly get reactions, but nowadays, my ego can handle it much better. My self-worth is not linked to external validation like pats on the back or likes (although I still enjoy getting nice reactions).

Was it because I haven’t received any registrations yet? That wasn’t the case either, because I know that many people need multiple reminders to take action. And I actually just posted it.

But what was it then?

As I continued tidying up and organising my attic, suddenly, the insight hit me. I had scheduled this Masterclass as a “have to.” Like: it has to fit in quickly, at a time that wasn’t really ideal for me. Starting tomorrow, I have a 5-day training with my own coaches, where we’ll do a deep dive again. After that, I’ll need time to integrate. And I had scheduled a Masterclass in the evening right after those 5 days…

Because setting goals, that’s supposed to happen right after the summer months, as early as possible in September. Otherwise, another week will have passed, and the momentum will be gone. So: we’ll just squeeze it in.

My rational mind didn’t consider that it was far from ideal for me and that it didn’t align with my new intention. My body did give me that message (thankfully), and so did the algorithms. So, I decided to cancel it. That was an instant relief!

“But Esther, are you saying that I should only do things that feel good?” No, that’s not what I’m saying. There might be tasks that aren’t particularly enjoyable but still need to get done. I’m not the biggest fan of various household chores myself, but I do appreciate a clean house

What I am saying is: explore for yourself what still serves you and what doesn’t. During the summer, while relaxing on a beach bed, taking a beautiful mountain hike, or wandering along unique locations like pyramids (just like me), you probably decided what you’re truly going to do differently now.

However, we humans are creatures of habit, and if we’re not consciously aware, we quickly slip back into old behaviors. Because a large part of our behavior is unconscious, you often don’t even realise you’re doing things the same way. And step one towards change is awareness.

Do you now feel that it’s finally time for that change? Do you sense that there’s so much more within you than the world has seen so far? Maybe there are parts of you that are yet to be discovered? Is it time to truly embody that Fierce & Feminine Leader in every aspect of your life and truly feel it yourself?

Then my Fierce & Fabulous Feminine Leadership Programme is the programme to join.
At the end of the programme you:

dare to make bold career moves with self-assurance, focusing on what you truly want, rather than being driven by external demands or ego-boosting opportunities
confidently hold your ground as a powerful woman in a male-dominated world without compromising an ounce of your femininity
present yourself with unwavering confidence, whether it’s in front of clients, within your team, or in the boardroom, showcasing your powerful and authentic feminine leadership
assertively secure the appropriate compensation; that salary that truly reflects your value but which you have hesitated to claim until now; simply because you’re 100% deserving of it.
I have a limited number of 1-on-1 spots available in the upcoming period.
Interested or want to receive more information? Please fill out this form.

An online group programme is also coming up later this year.
It will be transformative ; we will have deep-dive online Masterclasses, Q&A’s and much more. I actually want to start tomorrow already, that’s how excited I am. Well, there is that that life rush again.
Do you want to stay informed about this group programme? Send me a message, and I’ll make sure you’re the first to receive updates and the best offer.

Lastly: thank you and actually congratulations if you’ve made it this far. It means you’re open to grow, to change, that you take the time to invest in yourself