How Can You Make More Money Without Sacrificing Your Mental Health or Family Time?

Why Does Working Harder Leave High-Achieving Women Feeling Broke and Burned Out?

Stop trading your sanity for success. Explore Amy Kemp’s strategies to replace endless hustle with smart structure, demand your true value, and reclaim your time. Dive into the full analysis below to build your “Six Most Important Things” list and start restructuring your career for profit today.

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Do you end each day feeling utterly depleted? Are you eager to further your career but unsure how to advance without sacrificing your well-being? You’re not alone. Leadership coach Amy Kemp’s sharp insights and real-life examples illuminate why many working women feel exhausted and stuck. Kemp challenges readers to rethink how they approach their working lives and personal responsibilities. She provides strategies for shifting your mindset toward money and leadership, outsourcing unpaid labor, setting boundaries, and embracing structure in ways that fuel success.

Take-Aways

• Success results from a good strategy — not endless hard work.
• Demand compensation that matches your value.
• Take care of your needs first.
• Use a “Six Most Important Things List” to identify and tackle your top priorities.
• Reject beliefs that block your progress.
• Set boundaries that protect your well-being and help you grow.
• Be a better leader by empowering others and setting achievable goals.
• Money comes and goes. Don’t make the mistake of equating your bank balance with your self-worth.
• Outsource unpaid tasks that keep you from achieving your goals.
• Don’t fear structure; embrace it.

Summary

Success results from a good strategy — not endless hard work.

Working harder and longer doesn’t equate to success. It only leads to burnout and frustration. Amy Kemp experienced this truth firsthand when a financial adviser pointed out that despite her dedication and accomplishments in direct sales, she wasn’t earning enough to meet her family’s long-term goals. Instead of doubling down on her workload, Kemp changed her mindset, identified limiting beliefs hindering her progress, and restructured how she worked.

“You can’t outwork your thought habits. If you could, you would have done it already.”

Challenging the limiting belief that success results from endless effort allows women to take a more strategic approach to building their careers — one that generates greater fulfillment and financial sustainability. Reworking your mindset, rather than increasing your work hours or responsibilities, leads to greater income, influence, and work-life balance. Kemp transformed her financial situation by reassessing her priorities, setting boundaries, and charging appropriately for her expertise, and she has helped other women do the same.

Demand compensation that matches your value.

Society tends to discourage women from speaking out, taking up space, or owning their accomplishments. This pressure leads women to minimize their expertise in all areas of life. For example, Nicole, a CFO, played a pivotal role in expanding a small business into a multimillion-dollar company but downplayed her responsibilities when interviewed by the media. Women frequently underestimate their value, assuming that what they can do isn’t special, unique, or worthy of recognition.

“We tend to not recognize what our areas of genius are worth because they come so easily to us.”

Consider: What skills make you valuable, and how can you ask for compensation that equates to that value? Women who learned to embrace and monetize their talents prove that shifting from a mindset of constant hustle to one of strategic self-awareness leads to greater career satisfaction and financial gain. Acknowledge your worth, advocate for yourself, and ensure that others recognize and reward your expertise.

Take care of your needs first.

In 1996, Kerri Strug pushed through an injury and sacrificed her career to secure a gold medal for the US gymnastics team — a moment widely celebrated as heroic. In 2020, Simone Biles withdrew from competition to protect her mental and physical health — a decision the public criticized as Biles’s lack of “sacrifice.” The public reaction to both these women underscores the long-standing belief that women should always be willing to endure hardship for the sake of others.

“The better we get at taking care of us, the more everyone wins.”

Society teaches women early on to put others’ needs ahead of their own in their careers, relationships, families, or hobbies. This idea — that success and self-sacrifice must go hand in hand — pushes women to continue to act selflessly even when doing so is actively harmful to their well-being. Breaking this cycle means separating your value from how much you can give away. Rather than defaulting to self-sacrifice, pause to determine what you can contribute without undermining your well-being. Find ways to prioritize self-care and set boundaries that protect your mental and physical health. Ask yourself, how will the sacrifices of today affect you in 20 or 30 years? Taking care of yourself benefits everyone in your life: When you’re happy and filled with energy, you have more to give to others long-term.

Use a “Six Most Important Things List” to identify and tackle your top priorities.

When leaders try to handle every issue that arises personally, they can inadvertently end up stunting their teams’ independence and hindering business growth. Kemp learned this lesson the hard way when she started her own company. She thought being constantly available to clients and employees was necessary, but she quickly found herself burning out, trying to do everything for everyone. One day, after seeing Kemp jumping in to do someone else’s job, a mentor called her on the impossibility of the task to which she’d set herself: Did Kemp really believe she could do the jobs of a hundred people? The question made Kemp realize that her work habits were unsustainable. Kemp began delegating more and relying on her team. She established boundaries that allowed her business to expand without increasing her workload. One tool Kemp employed for this purpose was the “Six Most Important Things List,” which helped her maximize productivity and prevent wasted effort.

“The truth is that people who accomplish the most are deeply committed to their leisure time.”

To create your own priority list, write down six essential tasks at the end of each day and tackle them in order of priority the next morning. Even if the tasks are small, moving through the list creates a sense of accomplishment, keeps you working at a relaxed pace, and helps you recognize which tasks are worth your time and which ones merely make you feel busy. The limited number of items on the list helps prevent burnout, makes you more efficient, and gives you a better work-life balance.

Reject beliefs that block your progress.

For a long time, Amy Kemp dealt with persistent physical pain. She discovered that the root cause wasn’t the place on her body where she felt discomfort but in how she carried herself. A physical therapist explained that real healing happens when you position your body correctly, similar to how the world changes when you free yourself from a limiting mindset. Often, people stagnate at work not because they’re incapable of doing better but because unhelpful thought patterns block their progress. When, deep down, you don’t believe you can do the things you dream of achieving, you will find yourself manifesting those limits in your working life.

“When I am open and allow this limitless energy to flow through me, something magnificently magical happens.”

Consider: What underlying beliefs, emotions, or thoughts are keeping you stagnant? Now, ask yourself what might happen if you believed you really could do what you love — even if it seems kind of crazy. One young couple Kemp worked with quit their traditional jobs in the city and moved to the country to become homesteaders after realizing that the 9-5 culture wasn’t serving them well. Both found fulfillment in their new lifestyle while acknowledging they often felt “on the edge of completely bananas.” By letting go of the beliefs and thoughts that don’t drive you toward your goals and choosing to live in alignment with your true purpose, you can tap into a kind of magic — and share your unique gifts with the world.

Set boundaries that protect your well-being and help you grow.

Kemp’s husband Ryan is passionate about reorganizing school bus lanes. His obsession with creating the perfect drop-off and bus lanes drove everyone around him up the wall, including himself. People often tie their self-worth to their ideas, erasing the boundary between work and self, making critique or failure almost unbearable. When healthy boundaries are in place, individuals can separate their identity from their work, allowing them to receive feedback without emotional distress.

“The presence of resentment almost always signifies the absence of a needed boundary.”

Women, in particular, struggle with setting boundaries due to societal conditioning that tells them they should prioritize their availability to and accommodation of others over their own well-being. Often, this lack of boundaries leads to resentment and anger. On the other hand, some have too many boundaries, which creates emotional walls and can breed paranoia and isolation. Think about your boundaries. Did you create them for self-care and self-respect or to avoid what you fear? Listen to your intuition. A worthy boundary helps you grow but protects your well-being. A bad one keeps you stuck. Consider areas in your life where you feel drained and set boundaries there — even something as simple as not answering emails past 5 p.m.

Be a better leader by empowering others and setting achievable goals.

Setting boundaries goes beyond having a healthy work-life balance. It extends to what kind of leader you are and the sort of goals you can achieve. For example, it took Kemp a long time to learn that she is not responsible for the successes or failures of those she leads. Instead of absorbing their burdens, she now focuses on listening, providing guidance, and allowing them to take ownership of their growth. When you attach yourself to someone else’s growth, and they fail, you feel like you failed. If you create mental separation between their emotions and yours, you can lead well without becoming consumed by others’ challenges.

“People are not problems that need solving.”

Women often set ambitious goals without considering their limits, leading to burnout when they attempt to juggle everything at once. When setting a goal, be realistic about your time, energy, and mental capacity. By acknowledging your limits, you have a greater chance of achieving success. Some boundaries will spark pushback from the people who have been used to enjoying unrestricted access to your time. This doesn’t mean the boundary is wrong. Stay strong and allow time for everyone to adjust.

Money comes and goes. Don’t make the mistake of equating your bank balance with your self-worth.

When people are emotionally attached to their finances, they often feel like they are floating in the ocean: If income is high, they ride the wave confidently; if it dips, they crash into fear and self-doubt. Step out of the water onto the beach, detaching your sense of self-worth from the ebb and flow of your income. True financial freedom derives not from a specific bank balance but from a mindset that recognizes your worth and security as separate from money itself.

To claim a permanent spot on the beach, follow these five steps:

1. “Increase awareness” — Pay attention to your thoughts about money and how you react when faced with a money-related challenge. Don’t judge your feelings. Instead, ask yourself, “What’s really going on here?”
2. “Watch your pace” — By adopting a slower, more sustainable approach to work and life, you will be able to recognize and address negative financial habits and avoid burnout.
3. “Limit exposure to triggers” — To prevent unnecessary stress, be intentional about when and how often you check your financial data.
4. “Track income-generating behaviors” — Focus on daily actions that lead to long-term financial growth rather than obsessing over short-term results — like whether you landed one particular client or closed one specific deal.
5. “Seek professional guidance” — Work with a coach or mentor to uncover limiting beliefs and reshape thought patterns around money.

Outsource unpaid tasks that keep you from achieving your goals.

Despite working full-time, women continue to bear the brunt of caregiving and household management — an imbalance that results in exhaustion, limited career advancement, and financial setbacks. Many feel guilt, shame, or fear when considering outsourcing household tasks, believing it is selfish or unnecessary. Professional advancement and financial security often require letting go of tasks that drain energy and provide no monetary return.

Delegate your unpaid labor and gain some energy back in six steps:

1. “Hire help” — Delegate one unpaid responsibility to a paid professional, thus supporting yourself and another working person.
2. “Be mindful of self-sabotage” — Recognize and challenge internal resistance to delegating household tasks.
3. “Ignore naysayers” — Expect criticism from others, particularly women who have internalized the burden of unpaid labor and choose not to engage.
4. “Don’t rely solely on partners or children” — Many partners resist change, and children require clear incentives and accountability for contributing effectively.
5. “Acknowledge the value of unpaid labor” — Understand that caregiving and household management are critical contributions, whether you do them yourself or delegate them.
6. “View delegation as a stewardship issue” — Freeing time and energy allows for greater use of personal talents and strengths, leading to growth and fulfillment.

Don’t fear structure; embrace it.

Many people think of structure as a rigid cage that stifles creativity or forces them into routines they can’t maintain. In practice, however, structure enables your aspirations by keeping you from drowning in distractions and reacting instead of taking control. For example, Stephen King notes that his vast creative output would not be possible without his commitment to writing around 10 pages of fiction every single day.

“If you dig deeply in the areas where you are resisting structure, you will find unhealed pain.”

If you feel negatively about the idea of structure, ask yourself why. Resistance to structure is often a defense mechanism rooted in prior experiences, fear of failure, or a subconscious attempt to avoid stepping into your full potential. Rather than rejecting structure, stop aiming for perfection. Start small. Pick one of the five main aspects of life where structure can help the most to focus on first: health, finances, time, career, or relationships. Once you settle on a routine, prioritize consistency over time. Remember that a good structure includes regular fun and relaxation time. If some aspect of the structure you’re pursuing sparks strong emotions, work to identify the source of the unease so you can face your fears and let go of them.

About the Author

Amy Kemp is the owner and CEO of Amy Kemp, Inc., a coaching firm for women leaders.