Unshakable Confidence: Helping High-Achieving Women Lead with Calm, Clarity, and Confidence—at Work and in Life

69: The Hidden Reasons Investing in Yourself Feels So Hard—and It’s Not About Money

• Episode 69

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As we close out the year and step toward 2026, I want to talk about something that quietly holds so many high-achieving women back from real change: investing in themselves in a meaningful way.

Not a facial.
 Not a yoga class.
 Not another vacation.

I’m talking about investing in your emotional well-being, your nervous system, and the deeper inner work that actually changes how you live and lead.

In this episode, I share a very personal story. Back in 2017, I was deeply burned out. My body was telling me I was exhausted, but I delayed getting professional support for four years. One of the reasons? The cost. Even though I was spending thousands of dollars on my partner’s education, my pets, and luxury vacations, investing $150 a session in my own mental health felt unbearably hard.

If that resonates, you’re not alone—and there’s nothing wrong with you.

In this episode, I explain why investing in yourself feels so difficult for so many successful women, and why it has very little to do with money. We unpack the conditioning that taught us our value comes from giving, not receiving. We explore why inner work doesn’t fit the traditional success model we were raised with. And we talk about how asking for support can feel like a threat to the “strong, capable one” identity that helped you survive.

I also share how everything changed once I finally invested in therapy and coaching—and why that investment has brought me something no vacation, promotion, or external achievement ever could: calm, clarity, confidence, and peace.

Today, investing in myself is non-negotiable. Not because I’m indulgent—but because I now treat myself as an asset, not an afterthought.

If you’ve ever felt guilty spending money on yourself…
 If you’ve delayed getting support while carrying everything for everyone else…
 If a part of you knows you deserve more ease, fulfillment, and peace—

This episode is for you.

And if this conversation stirs something in you, I invite you to ask yourself:
 What would change if you truly believed you deserve support?
 What would change if you treated yourself like your most valuable asset?

If you’re ready to explore that question with support, I offer a free one-hour consultation. The link is in the show notes.

Here’s to entering 2026 with a different relationship to yourself—and making it a true turning point.

Happy New Year. 💛

  • Coco Duan helps high-achieving women executives who secretly doubt themselves to build calm confidence and create success that feels truly fulfilling.
  • I'd love to invite you to take the next step toward building your calm confidence. Book your FREE one-hour consultation call here: https://calendly.com/cocoduancoaching/1-hr-consultation
  • Or email me at Coco@CocoDuanCoaching.com with the subject line: “Consultation.”
  • Let’s discover what’s possible for you. 💫