11. What’s Your Big, Juicy Life?
What’s new: Michelle breaks down why high-achievers often chase the wrong goals—and how to reconnect with a vision that actually feels alive.
Why it matters: Without a clear, personally meaningful vision, even “success” can feel hollow. This episode offers a roadmap to design your rich, resonant life—before the world defines it for you.
In this episode:
🎯 Why optimizing without vision leaves you stuck
📌 The #1 mindset shift to stop chasing goals that aren’t yours
📝 7 reflection prompts to reconnect with what truly matters
🎁 Free “Big Juicy Vision Starter Kit” to start mapping your next chapter (see form 👉)
Bonus: Michelle shares practical journal prompts + a permission slip to want what you want—without apology.
The bottom line: You don’t need a 10-year plan. You need a direction that feels like you. This episode helps you name it.
💬 Love it? Share with a friend or tag @MichelleKayAnderson on LinkedIn.
Next week: Tackling confusion + overwhelm on your growth journey.
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Transcript
Podcast Theme with music:
What if success wasn’t about working harder—but about expanding your capacity? Welcome to Upleveling Work, where we explore the real strategies that help leaders and professionals step into their full potential. This season, we’re decoding personal growth: how to overcome fear, navigate uncertainty, and build the habits that lead to lasting success.
I’m Michelle Kay Anderson—executive coach, systems thinker, and your guide to making work more human. Whether you’re leveling up in leadership, shifting careers, or just trying to stay sane in a high-pressure world, this podcast is here to help.
Let’s break old patterns, build new possibilities, and make work work better.
Opening
Today, we’re talking about something that sounds simple but is often neglected by high-achievers and purpose-driven professionals: crafting a clear, compelling vision for your rich life. Or as I like to call it... your big, juicy life.
Now listen, I know you’re not new to goal-setting. You’ve probably written resolutions, defined OKRs, maybe even crafted a mission statement for your team. But when was the last time you paused long enough to ask: What kind of life do I actually want?
Not just career-wise, but in your relationships, your creativity, your rest, your sense of purpose?
This episode is about coming back to your vision—before someone else defines it for you.
Because without that clarity, it’s easy to get stuck on the productivity hamster wheel, chasing goals that look great on paper... but leave you feeling drained, resentful, or just not quite yourself.
Let’s talk about how to tap into what really matters—so you can build a life that actually fits.
The Mistake: Optimizing a Life You Didn't Choose
Here’s one of the biggest mistakes I see: trying to optimize your calendar, your workflow, your life... before you’ve decided what you actually want.
We have this vague sense that we are falling behind, never able to accomplish “all of the things.”
We pour our energy into systems and strategies, but if the destination isn’t one you truly chose, no amount of productivity is going to make you feel fulfilled.
Without a clear, personally meaningful vision, even your wins might feel hollow. You might get the promotion, buy the house, hit the revenue goal—and still wonder, "Why don’t I feel better?"
Because those weren’t your dreams to begin with.
The Truth: You Have to Define It For Yourself
This is your permission slip to want what you want. Even if it doesn't make sense to anyone else. Even if you're not sure how to get there.
And no, you don’t have to create a ten-year plan. This vision work is about direction, not certainty. As David Sparks writes in his Productivity Field Guild, it’s your North Star. And maybe you’ve heard Ramit Sethi help people manage their finances - he teaches that first it's about designing a life that feels rich in every way that matters.
I like to call it your big, juicy life. Because it should feel alive. Personal. Yours.
And here’s the thing: if you don’t define that vision, the world will do it for you. That’s how you end up checking boxes and still feeling disconnected from your own life.
Where do you Start? I’ve prepared A Few Powerful Questions
Grab your journal, your notes app, or just take a deep breath and ask:
What do I see as the best iteration of me in different areas of my life?
What would it take to make each area a 10/10 for me?
What do I want to accomplish in the time I have left in my life? Why?
If I weren’t worried about failing or what people think, what would I want?
Observe over the next week:
What makes me feel most alive?
What leaves me feeling drained?
Where do I notice envy or longing?
These questions aren’t just for reflection. They’re tools to reclaim your agency. To reconnect with your sovereignty.
Because your big, juicy life won’t come from external validation or checking boxes. It comes from tapping into your own clarity, your own courage, and your own rhythm.
Wrap-Up
If this stirred something in you, I made you a gift to keep going: the Big Juicy Vision Starter Kit. It includes more prompts, a personal visioning exercise, and a framework to help you sketch out what your next chapter could look like—on your terms. You can find it here 👉
And if this episode helped you name something important, share it with someone you trust. Or tag me on LinkedIn and let me know what you’re dreaming into.
We’ll be back next week to talk about confusion and overwhelm—and how they show up on your path to growth.
Until then, keep dreaming. And keep upleveling your work... and your life.
[OUTRO MUSIC FADES OUT]
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