How to Stay Anchored When Everything Pulls at You

Here’s the thing no one warns you about in leadership: You don’t wake up one day and realize you’ve lost your vision.

It happens slowly.

Quietly.

Decision by decision.

Until one day, the business you built to reflect your dream feels more like a machine you’re just trying to keep running.

We call that vision drift. It happens to even the most intentional leaders.

But the good news? You can catch it. You can recalibrate. And you can lead forward with clarity again.

3 Signs Your Vision Is Slipping

1. You’re constantly reacting instead of leading. 

You spend most days putting out fires. You’re making decisions from urgency, not intention. You might even dread team meetings because everything feels like a request or a problem.

2. You don’t recognize your own culture anymore. 

The energy in your space feels off. You’ve noticed gossip or apathy creeping in. You wonder when your values stopped showing up in the day-to-day interactions but you’re too busy to pinpoint the moment it changed.

3. You’re doing things you swore you wouldn’t. 

Discounting. Overworking. Bending your boundaries. Maybe you’re even keeping someone on the team who doesn’t align just to avoid the discomfort of change. These little compromises chip away at the very thing that made your business special.

If any of those hit a little too close, pause here for a breath. You’re not failing. You’re just due for a reset.

How to Recalibrate

1. Revisit your original “why.” 

Pull out that old notebook, that messy vision board, or that note in your phone where it all started. What did you hope this would feel like? Who did you want to become in the process?

2. Audit what’s working and what’s not. 

Look at your calendar, your team, your services, your revenue streams. Ask yourself:

• Is this aligned with where I’m going?

• Does this support my energy or drain it?

• If I could rebuild this piece from scratch, would I do it this way again?

3. Declare a reset. Out loud. 

Whether it’s with your leadership team, your staff, or just yourself—say the words:

“This isn’t how we’re going to keep operating. It’s time to recalibrate.” 

That moment of clarity can shift everything.

Making Decisions Through a Values Lens

When your values are clear, your decisions become easier.

When they’re unclear, everything feels heavy.

Here’s a simple filter:

1. What matters most to me as a leader? 

2. What do I want this business to feel like for me and for my team? 

3. Does this next decision align with that or is it taking me further away?

This is where integrity meets leadership.

You don’t have to do it all perfectly. But you do have to protect your vision like your business depends on it... because it does.

The Bottom Line

If your vision feels foggy right now, you’re not alone.

Vision drift is normal.

But you weren’t made to run on autopilot.

You were made to lead.

It’s time to REFINE your focus. Reset your values. And rebuild a business that fuels the life you actually want to live.