What does living with Areté mean to you?
Excellence or exhaustion?
What if being your best self simply means doing the best you can with what you have in each moment—and allowing yourself the grace to let go of the rest?
Our latest Career Catalyst Collective session was all about exploring what Areté—living up to your full potential—means to each of us. And let me tell you, the takeaways were as diverse as the group! Some were fired up, ready to push harder toward their goals, while others found themselves needing to step back and rethink what balance looks like.
For some, Areté meant:
Gaining the motivation to push further, especially in work and personal growth
Setting new habits in motion—like exercise or mental clarity—to keep building momentum
But for others, it was a little more complicated. Areté became a lesson in learning to slow down, stop striving for everything all the time, and give themselves permission to rest. Balancing the "Big Three"—energy, work, and love—was a big topic, especially for those who felt constantly drained by one area and under-invested in others.
A few insights that came up:
Work came easy for most of us, but it often led to burnout. Balancing personal energy or prioritizing relationships? That’s where the real struggle showed up.
For some, Areté is about pushing themselves to do more. For others, it’s learning to be okay with doing less—but doing it more mindfully.
We all recognized that perfection isn’t the goal; it’s about striving to be our best in the moment and recognizing small wins along the way.
It was a rich, thoughtful discussion, full of laughs and aha moments as we explored how differently we each approach living our potential.
Next Month: "The Habit of Grateful" – Let’s Talk Gratitude
Next up, we’re diving into The Habit of Grateful by Kristine Newell. Join us as we explore how gratitude can transform our outlook and maybe even shift the way we approach those "Big Three" areas we’re working on.
🗓️ Date: Friday, November 1st
⏰ Time: 1-2 PM ET
Share this Substack with friends and invite them to join! We’re excited to see you there!
In Partnership,
Carrie
Also does anyone else find it surprising that he doesn’t say anything about taking an occasional day off? Not from burpees, not from Work - no days off.
Also am I remembering correctly that when polled about which area we struggled the most to find time for, not a single one of us cited Work? LOL, we proposal nerds are sure a type.