Know the Rules to Own the Game: Two Paths for High Achievers

In this episode of the Gutsy Chick podcast, I’m diving into the Stickler archetype—one I know many of you high-achieving, detail-loving women will resonate with. We’ll explore how sticking to the rules can sometimes keep you safe and successful… but also stuck. I’ll share stories from my clients (and from my own journey) that show how learning to flex the rules, trust your body, and lead with intuition can unlock your next level of power. 

So if you’ve ever felt like doing things perfectly still isn’t working, this episode is your permission slip to rewrite the rules—and lead with guts, not guilt. 

In this Episode:   
00:00 Introduction to the Stickler Archetype 

00:54 Decoding the Stickler Archetype 

02:11 The Role of Rules in High Achievement 

03:56 Client Stories: Sarah vs. Tara 

06:48 Embracing Flexibility as a Stickler 

09:54 Challenge: Breaking the Rules for Growth 

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Website: Body Whisper Healing
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LinkedIn: Amanda (Ritchie) Smith

Take the Gutsy Chick Quiz to find out how your athletic mindset might be holding you back from healing your chronic health issue: https://gutsychickquiz.com

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to the Stickler Archetype
• 0:54 Decoding the Stickler Archetype
• 2:11 The Role of Rules in High Achievement
• 3:56 Client Stories: Sarah vs. Tara
• 6:48 Embracing Flexibility as a Stickler
• 9:54 Challenge: Breaking the Rules for Growth

Transcript

0:02

Today we're talking about something I know hits home for a lot of you, especially my sticklers. Welcome back to the Gutsy Chick podcast, the show for powerhouse women who are strong-willed, smart as hell, and ready to lead with intuition and fire. I'm your host Amanda Smith. Thanks for joining me. Knowing the rules is one thing, using them to your advantage strategically is something completely different. As high achievers, we learn rules fast. And these are the two paths that we tend to take. Follow the rules perfectly or use them strategically. Both can work, but they lead to very different outcomes. Today I'm breaking down the pros and cons for both paths. Stories from my clients and myself who have walked this line and learned these lessons and how you can turn your stickler archetype into a true powerhouse. If you don't know what I'm talking about, when I say stickler, go take the gutsy chick quiz to find out if you're a bruiser, a brainster, a stickler, or a chillster. In the series we are currently working through, there are eight episodes. This one is episode five. We've done the bruiser and the brain stir, and this one's all about the stickler. Here's the thing, rules aren't bad. In fact, when we just are starting out, whether we're training, doing business or life, rules are helpful. They give us structure, certainty and safety. And our brains really, really want safety and certainty. We believe if we do this the right way, we'll get the right results. And often that works at least for a while. But the challenge for high achieving women is this, we get so good at following the rules, we forget to question them, at least some of us. We forget to lead ourselves. We put the rule book on this pedestal and ignore our body, our gut, our own experience. And that's when things start to crack. Let me tell you a story about one of my clients. We'll call her Sarah. Sarah was all in type a discipline committed. She followed every protocol I gave her to a T. She was the ideal client. She had some huge wins right away. And I was thrilled because I was thinking she is an ideal client that can be a great case study. And then life happened and stress hit and her energy dropped and she didn't know she needed to reach out. she was suffering until it was too late. She kept doing what had worked before, even though it was no longer working. And when the results stopped coming, she blamed herself. She thought she wasn't trying hard enough, when in reality, the rigidity was the problem. So her work wasn't about discipline. She already had that in spades. It was about giving her permission to listen to her body, be in the moment. and listen to her own instinct. Use the rules as a guide, not a gospel. When it comes to the body, there are no hard and fast rules. Not one client is ever exactly the same. And reaching out to the pros when things start to fall apart is exactly why we're here. Client number two, my strategic rule wielder. We'll call her Tara, another high achiever, also disciplined, also a go getter. But Tara had a different relationship with rules. She learned them, she didn't worship them. She understood the recommendations I was giving her were a guideline. They needed to work in her day to day life. Yes, she shared her day-to-day life with me, but that doesn't mean I am lockstep with her every single day. Instead of clinging to the protocol, she asked, how can I make this work for me? She was direct with me, letting me know what worked and what didn't. And we tailored the protocol to what was working and not working for her. She wasn't afraid to reach out when things started to go sideways and I was there for to help shift it so that she didn't end up in a bungle She was making progress on the program in ways that felt authentic, even if they weren't exactly what I was recommending. And guess what? Her results were awesome. Back to being that ideal client, just in a completely different light. She had less anxiety, less self doubt and way more ownership. She was still a stickler at heart, but she wasn't afraid to adapt. She used the rules to guide her on her path. If you've taken the gutsy chick quiz and landed as a stickler, this is probably hitting close to home. Here's the beauty of being a stickler. You love structure. You value quality and integrity and you do what you say you'll do. I love that as a client. You're the woman who gets shit done and people trust you. But your growth edge is in knowing when to let go, when to break your own rules, because what worked yesterday might not serve you today. Sticklers can become leaders, not just great soldiers, but only when they learn to trust themselves more than the checklist. I've been, I've been a stickler kind of. Here's the thing about me. I become really good friends with the sticklers. I love to know the rules. The rules create the structure to create the experiments. I love experiments. I go and test the rules and test the boundaries of those rules and then find the loopholes. That's my jam. I do this because I'm a rebel at heart and because everything is just data. It's a whole, this we're all just live in this big playground. That's how I see it. When I'm in a powerlifting build, getting ready for a meet, I let my coach set the rules. I follow them until I feel something needs to shift. I trust that my body is going to leave me, especially in powerlifting. We're moving really heavy weights and we're progressively getting stronger going from. 50, 75, 80, 90, 100 % of our max. And when things don't feel quite right in my body, I'm vocal. I let my coach know, hey, we need to sit down and rethink this or change things on the fly. I loved having my powerlifting coach on the floor with me while I was working out because I could just go over to him and go, hey, this isn't feeling right. I'm feeling this, this, and this. Can we change it up? And he'll be straight up with me. Yes, let's change it or let's not. And that always felt really good in my body and my mind. And both of those things have to be very well aligned to be lifting big weights. I definitely learned that if I follow the program to a T, I'm not honoring my cycles or my life. get moody, irritated, and my lifts start to drop. And then I also start to drop my lifts. So the weights don't go up and I'm throwing weight off of me because I can't move it. The rules or plan are helpful, but they don't outrank your body, your intuition or your wisdom. I still love structure, but I coach myself and my clients with flexibility and leadership. That's what true stickler power looks like. All right, gutsy chick. It's your turn. Here's the challenge for the week. Step one, name one rule you've been following without question. Is it in your training, your nutrition, your business, your life? Step two, ask yourself, does this rule still serve me? Or am I clinging to it out of fear or habit? Step three, rewrite the rule. Break it on purpose, just once. See how it feels. Maybe your new rule becomes, follow my plan, but I adjust when my body gives me clear feedback. I take advice from experts, but I trust my intuition above all. DM me or tag me on socials. I want to hear what rule you broke and what happened next. You, my friend are not here to be a perfect follower. You're here to be a powerful leader. Knowing the rules is strength, but knowing when to flex them. That's what sets you apart. If this episode hit home, take the gutsy chick quiz. If you haven't yet find out if you're a stickler, like some of my clients and some of my really good friends, then come tell me how you're using that gift with more grace. power and guts. Thanks for hanging with me today. Stay gutsy.