Stop Blaming Yourself: Your Plans Might Be Mathematically Impossible

We're excellent at blaming ourselves.

"I need to be more disciplined." "I should have managed my time better." "If only I were more focused."

These self-critical statements probably sound familiar. As high-achieving women entrepreneurs, we've mastered the art of holding ourselves to impossibly high standards—and then beating ourselves up when we inevitably fall short.

What If You're Not The Problem?

But what if the problem isn't YOU?

What if your plans were mathematically impossible from the start?

I see it constantly with the brilliant women entrepreneurs I coach. They create plans that would require:
• 27-hour days
• Zero breaks
• No unexpected interruptions
• Superhuman focus
• An immunity to basic human needs
It's like having a car with a 100% capacity and consistently loading it to 150%.

The inevitable result? The engine breaks down. And then we blame the car.

The Reality of Human Capacity

This isn't a skill gap. It's trying to pour two litres into a one-litre container.

When you repeatedly fail to meet impossible standards, your brain doesn't conclude "my standards are unrealistic." Instead, it decides "I am inadequate."

This creates a vicious cycle of:
1. Setting impossible expectations
2. Failing to meet them (because how could you?)
3. Feeling like a failure
4. Pushing yourself even harder next time
5. Repeat until burnout

A Different Approach

The most successful business owners I work with aren't the ones who do more. They're the ones who plan within the bounds of human capacity.

They respect the limits of their humanity rather than fighting against them.

They understand that sustainable success comes from working within your capacity, not constantly exceeding it.

Are Your Plans Actually Possible?
Here's a quick check-in: is your current workload actually possible? Or are you setting yourself up for inevitable failure?

Ask yourself:
• If I mapped out the actual time each task takes (not the optimistic best-case scenario), would it fit in my available hours?
• Have I accounted for breaks, transitions, and inevitable interruptions?
• Am I planning based on what's theoretically possible or what's realistically achievable?

Let's stop normalising the impossible and start embracing what's humanly achievable.

This isn't lowering your standards—it's setting yourself up for sustainable success rather than inevitable burnout.

The most productive people aren't those who attempt the impossible; they're those who understand their true capacity and work within it.