Why You Don’t See Your Progress
Dear Women Leaders,
Someone once said,
“Maybe you don’t notice your progress because you’re always raising your bar.”
If you’re anything like the women I work with—driven, determined, always reaching—you probably don’t pause often to recognize how far you’ve come. You’re so focused on the next goal, the next project, the next version of yourself, that you rarely take a breath to look behind you.
But if you constantly measure yourself against the future, you’ll always fall short.
Instead, try this:
✔️ Reflect on how your skills have improved from one year ago.
✔️ Think about the new relationships you formed, both personally and professionally.
✔️ Consider what knowledge you’ve gained in just 12 months.
That’s progress. Real, hard-won progress. But you can’t celebrate it if you never pause to notice it.
You keep raising the bar (and that’s part of your brilliance), but don’t let it become a weapon you use against yourself. Let it be a marker of your ambition, not a source of your self-doubt.
So today, I invite you to:
Look back.
Reflect deeply.
Celebrate boldly.
Then keep going—with grace and confidence.
Your growth deserves recognition. Especially from you.
Sincerely,
Your Leadership Coach
P.S. Want more intentional leadership strategies like this?
👉 Explore the blog or book a discovery call to learn how coaching can support your growth at every stage.
Rebecca Malotke-Meslin is the founder of Pleasantly Aggressive Coaching & Consulting, where she helps women working in independent schools and non-profit organizations to lead more confidently, authentically, and unapologetically. Rebecca combines a background in social research with 20 years of sales, marketing, communications, and school leadership to create an in-depth and engaging experience for her clients. Rebecca is also the co-host of the Confidently You: Women in Leadership Podcast.
