Stop Trying to Be Superwoman—Be the CEO of Your Life Instead

If you’re anything like me, you grew up believing that being a superwoman was the goal. Hustling at work, taking care of family, cooking meals, cleaning the house, running errands, managing a never-ending to-do list—all while pretending you’re totally fine.

But let’s be real…we superwomen are exhausted.

What It Means to Be a “Superwoman” (and Why I Stopped Striving for It)

A superwoman is the woman who does it all. She works full-time, takes care of her kids, cooks, cleans, grocery shops, manages the household, signs the school forms, and still volunteers for that hospital committee. She keeps piling more and more things on her plate—without ever taking anything off.

And what happens? Eventually, she burns out or has a health crisis.

If you’ve ever felt this way, don’t blame yourself. Society actually pressures us to be superwomen in overt and subtle ways. I recently heard someone put it like this:

Society tells us we should work as if we don’t have kids—and mother as if we don’t work.

Oof. Let that sink in.

We’re expected to perform like full-time employees while also carrying the bulk of household and childcare responsibilities. In fact, research shows that in dual-income households, women still do 20 extra hours of housework per week compared to men (Pew Research Center).

So yes, we can do it all. But should we? And at what cost?

The Cost of Being a Superwoman

Let’s talk about the real price of trying to do it all:

🚨 Physical toll – Chronic stress, exhaustion, and higher rates of burnout among women physicians.
💔 Emotional toll – Feeling drained, resentful, anxious, worried and overwhelmed.
💰 Financial toll – Wasting time on things that could be outsourced instead of focusing on high-value activities that could allow us to earn more.

I know firsthand that trying to be a superwoman doesn’t end well. I grew up with a supermom and then spent years trying to be one myself—until I found myself burnt out having run myself into the ground.

That’s when I stopped trying to be a superwoman and instead started thinking like a CEO.

What It Means to Be the CEO of Your Life

CEOs don’t do everything themselves—they delegate and focus on what truly matters. They build a team to support them. So instead of running myself ragged, I started shifting my mindset.

As Rachel Rodgers says in We Should All Be Millionaires, women need to stop making "broke-ass decisions" and start making million-dollar decisions.

🚫 Broke-ass decision: Doing everything myself and burning out.
💰 Million-dollar decision: Delegating, outsourcing, and focusing on what actually matters.

How to Step Into Your CEO Role

If you’re ready to stop feeling overwhelmed and start running your life like a boss, here’s where to start:

✅ Delegate more at home. Ask your spouse or partner to take on grocery shopping, school drop-offs, or cooking a few meals.

✅ Teach your kids responsibilities. They can fold laundry, pack their own lunches, or feed the dog.

✅ Say NO to unpaid extra work. If you don’t want to do the committee assignment or Grand Rounds talk, skip it!

✅ Outsource where possible. Whether it’s a cleaner, a meal delivery service, or a virtual assistant—free up your time.

✅ Stop feeling guilty for resting. You don’t have to “earn” self-care. A CEO prioritizes her energy.

You’re Already a Millionaire (Start Acting Like One!)

Mama Doc, you trained for a decade or more to become a physician. You are already a millionaire—or a millionaire in the making. The average physician earns $250K a year, which means in just four years, you’ve made a million dollars.

It’s time to start making decisions like the CEO of your life.

What’s one thing you can delegate or say NO to this week? Drop a comment and let me know—I’d love to hear!