(And It’s Time You Got a New Playbook)

Alright. Huddle up.

Because I’m not going to whisper this, and I’m definitely not going to sugarcoat it.

You are not overwhelmed because you’re bad at time management.
You’re overwhelmed because you’ve been playing every position on the field — and no one ever benched you.

You’re the captain.
The coach.
The equipment manager.
The water runner.
The emotional support staff.

And somehow, you’re also expected to smile like this is sustainable.

It’s not.

Overwhelm Hits the MVPs First

Let me be very clear about something.

Overwhelm doesn’t come for women who don’t care.
It comes for the women who always show up.

The ones who:

• See the loose ball before it becomes a problem
  
  
• Read the room before anyone else notices the tension
  
  
• Fill the gap before someone even admits there is a gap
  
  
• Keep the whole operation moving because “someone has to”
  
  

You’re not tired because you’re failing.
You’re tired because you’re carrying the whole damn team.

And the problem isn’t your stamina.
It’s that you’ve never been allowed to stop playing.

More Hustle Won’t Save You

You can wake up earlier.
You can push harder.
You can squeeze more out of yourself like you’re in the fourth quarter every day of your life.

But here’s the truth no one tells responsible women:

You don’t need better endurance.
You need better leadership — starting with your own.

Because if everyone else’s needs always outrank yours, no system will ever be enough.
You’ll just burn brighter… and then burn out.

The Real Issue: You’re Over-Coaching Everyone Else

Most moms don’t say, “I don’t have boundaries.”

They say things like:

• “I’ll just handle it.”
  
  
• “It’s faster if I do it.”
  
  
• “I don’t want to deal with the fallout.”
  
  
• “I’ll rest later.”
  
  

That’s not teamwork.
That’s you running drills while everyone else watches.

And listen — I get it.

You didn’t do this because you wanted control.
You did it because things fell apart when you didn’t.

But here’s the hard coaching truth:

When you over-function, everyone else under-functions.
And the team gets weaker — not stronger.

Why Saying ‘No’ Feels Like Breaking the Rules

For a lot of women, especially mothers, boundaries don’t feel uncomfortable.

They feel dangerous.

Because at some point, love got tied to usefulness.
Approval got tied to performance.
Safety got tied to keeping everyone else happy.

So instead of saying, “I can’t,”
you say, “I’m fine.”

And your body takes the hit.

This Is Where the Game Changes

This isn’t about becoming cold, selfish, or checked out.

This is about changing the rules of the game.

Real leadership looks like:

• Pausing before automatically jumping in
  
  
• Letting someone else struggle without rescuing them
  
  
• Refusing to carry what isn’t actually yours
  
  
• Speaking clearly without over-explaining
  
  

Boundaries aren’t walls.
They’re standards.

They say: This is how I stay in the game for the long haul.

Strong Mothers Don’t Carry Everything Alone

I don’t coach women to be tougher martyrs.
I coach them to be strong leaders in their own lives.

Because motherhood didn’t erase who you were.
And burnout didn’t mean you failed.

It means you’ve been carrying a team that never learned how to support its strongest player.

And that stops now.

What’s Coming

In January, I’m opening something new.

It’s called Unleash Your Inner Badass

This isn’t about grinding harder.
It’s about learning when to pass the ball, call the play, and sit your ass down when you need to.

If this hit you — good.
That means you’re ready for a new way of leading.

More soon.

— Nancy Depina 🔥
Queen of The Badass Momifesto