15 Finding Clarity in Your Next Step

Have you ever felt overwhelmed trying to change your life, grow your business, or make a big decision? In this episode of Cupcakes and Clarity, Lisa Pirinelli shares the behind-the-scenes story of leaving her corporate career and stepping into entrepreneurship, only to find herself drowning in pressure, confusion, and self-doubt. What looked like freedom on the outside quickly turned into overwhelm on the inside.

If you’re feeling stuck, scattered, or unsure of your next move, this episode will help you slow down, refocus, and take one aligned step forward.

What listeners will learn:

• Overwhelm is often a sign of trying to do too much at once rather than not knowing what to do.
• Chasing someone else’s version of success can create pressure, confusion, and misalignment.
• Clarity helps eliminate unnecessary decisions and reveals what truly matters in the current season.
• Building internal stability is essential before creating external success.
• Focusing on one next step creates momentum and reduces decision fatigue.

FAQ:

Why do I feel overwhelmed even when I have a plan?

Overwhelm often comes from trying to execute too many things at once rather than focusing on one clear next step.

What is the first step to getting clarity?

Start by identifying what matters most right now instead of trying to map out the entire future.

How can I move forward when I feel stuck?

Shift your focus from solving everything to simply identifying and taking your next step.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Welcome to Cupcakes and Clarity, a podcast for high-achieving women who want success and fulfillment without burning it all down. I'm your host, Lisa Pirinelli, and every Tuesday I'm bringing you honest conversations and practical strategies to help you create more balance, purpose, and joy in your work and your life. Think of this as a heart-to-heart with a trusted friend. Together we'll get real about the challenges you face, and you'll leave every episode feeling clear, confident, and inspired to make your next chapter your best one yet. Welcome back to Cupcake for Clarity. I'm your host, Lisa Pirinelli.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

If you've ever tried to make a change in your life, whether it's your career, your business, or something deeply personal, and suddenly found yourself overwhelmed by all the tasks, the multitude of decisions, solicited or unsolicited advice, and the array of unknowns, this episode is here to let you know you are not alone. Because overwhelm isn't usually a sign that you don't know what to do. It's a sign you're trying to do too much at once. So today we're going to simplify it down to what actually matters. Your next step. I want to take you back to a very specific moment in my life. I was sitting on my couch after a long week of work, and I was depleted. I had started scrolling on my phone, not with any real intentions, not searching for anything in particular, just that kind of aimless scrolling you do when you're tired and overstimulated and trying to mentally escape your life for a few minutes. And I came across a Facebook ad. It was a business coach. And she looked like she had found a completely different life than the one I was living. She was traveling, working from anywhere. She had these pictures of just beautiful scenery. It was freedom. It looked like ease and purpose. And I remember this very clear thought when thinking about my own circumstances. There has to be more than this. And at that time my life my life looked fine on the outside. But I felt completely unstable on the inside. I had been through multiple layoffs and constant threats of more. Every year there was a new boss, a new system, and a new this is how we're going to do things now. And each leader seemed to be trying to prove stability while not actually having any themselves. I worked from home alone most days, or lived like a total road warrior where I spent weeks on the road and I was disconnected from home and family and friends and just anything that felt grounding. And my health was starting to reflect it. The stress, the uncertainty, the lack of control, it was all catching up with me. And underneath everything was this deep restlessness. I knew I was good at what I did, but I didn't feel valued in it. I I wanted to be in service of people in a way that actually used my strengths in a meaningful way. And I kept thinking, this can't be it. There has to be more than this. And here, this woman living the laptop lifestyle on beautiful beaches, she looked like the way out. So after daydreaming of better things and following her online for many months, I hired her and soon after left my corporate career behind. I made a total mega career shift without knowing it would all work out, but with a hope and a prayer that this was the right decision. And the reality is, I didn't just hire a coach. I hired what I thought was a blueprint out of my current life. In my mind, I believed she had the answers. She had figured out the simple formula. There would this be this clear roadmap, some repeatable system that I could just follow. And I thought, if I just do what she did, I'll get what she has. I imagined I would immediately feel lighter and more confident and excited and secure. Like everything would click into place quickly. And at that time, I wasn't conscious that I was putting so much hope in and responsibility on one person. But looking back, that's exactly what I was hoping to happen. But that's not what happened. Instead, something unexpected showed up. Pressure. Extreme pressure to make things turn around fast. To do things perfectly. And then confusion. Confusion as to why this was so hard for me. Why wasn't I able to just follow the plan logistically and succeed immediately? Or at least quickly. And then shame. Oh, so much shame. That I had just made a life-altering decision that I couldn't make work seamlessly. Because I had been competent my entire career. I was illogical, methodical, project managing, dot your I's, cross your T's, get your ducks in a row type of planner. Resourceful, respected, a leader. I was someone people trusted. And now I was sitting in something new thinking, why does everyone else seem to know what they're doing? And underneath that, who do I think I am to try this? And then the fear that quietly sat underneath everything. What if I fail? And have to go back to the corporate world feeling even worse. That's the part no one tells you. Overwhelm isn't just about tasks, it's about identity cracking open. I would go into coaching calls with her hoping for something different. I wanted validation and clarity and direction. I wanted someone to look at what I was doing and say, you're okay, you're on the right track. But instead, I often found myself trying to sound confident when I wasn't, or holding back tears, or admitting I didn't know how to choose a niche or build a webinar or write the correct words for an ad or figure out why I wasn't getting client calls. And inside I wasn't just confused, I was drowning. And I quietly hoped she would save me. That wasn't her role. And the truth is I had spent my entire career putting on my game face and pushing through. Showing up as less than at the top of your game wasn't widely accepted, or at least not exemplified as a key indicator for career exemplary. Also, when I entered the coaching industry, many programs were wrapped in a layer of toxic positivity at that time. So it didn't feel safe to say that I was scared or I felt lost, or that I just don't know what I'm doing. Because I was struggling, to me it meant I was doing something wrong. It meant I wasn't high vibe enough or aligned enough or in the energy vortex of success. So instead of support, I felt shame. And slowly I started pulling away because it felt incredibly lonely to be in a space where I thought I was supposed to be growing, but instead I was quietly unraveling what I didn't understand then, but I so clearly see now is this. The problem wasn't Facebook ads. It wasn't niche clarity, it wasn't strategy. It was that I skipped over the foundation. I was trying to build something external before I'd built internal stability. And I didn't yet understand what it meant to go from employee to entrepreneur. Because I had left structure, but I hadn't replaced it with anything yet. So everything felt like floating. What I also didn't realize was how deeply I depended on that external structure. Having deadlines, reporting to a manager, getting approvals, clear expectations, and someone telling me what mattered most. Because suddenly in my own business, none of that existed. And the decision fatigue was intense. Even more than deciding to leave my corporate job in the first place. Because now it wasn't one big decision. It was every decision. It's everything all the time with no external validation, no boss approval, no roadmap, no this is the right way. It was just me. And that kind of freedom can feel like pressure when you don't yet have clarity. And here's what shifted everything for me. I realized I wasn't actually building the life I wanted. I was chasing someone else's version of success. That laptop lifestyle freedom wasn't mine. My real desire was simpler, but far more grounded. A successful, meaningful life where I felt was home. Close to family and friends, doing work that felt aligned, helping women step out of overwhelming into clarity. And once I saw that clearly, everything changed. Because clarity doesn't just tell you what to do, it tells you what to stop doing. And that's where peace begins. And around here we call that a cupcake moment. A reminder that even in the middle of chaos, there is always space for joy, connection, and clarity. During that overwhelming season, I remember we made the decision to get rid of everything that we didn't absolutely want or need, and we moved back to the Midwest. We had moved across the country for my job, and we were now living in a bucket list location. So leaving that could have felt like a throw in the towel moment. But it didn't. It felt like relief and just it felt right. It wasn't an easy decision, or it wasn't one that had certainty written all over it, that's for sure. But in my core, I knew I wanted to be somewhere that felt familiar and grounded. Because I had a new baby and I wanted some sort of stability that I now didn't have in my worker community. Once we moved, our new home was small. It was easy to maintain and within walking distance to this adorable kid-centric park. And once my foundation was stable, I could clearly see those that mattered most to me didn't care about my niche, my new business. No one asked about Facebook ads. They cared about me. Having me be present at peace and happy. That's what mattered most. And it reminded me that the life I was building wasn't about escaping. It was about creating something meaningful right where I wanted to be. That was my cupcake moment. And that's what clarity does. It brings you back to what truly matters. And this is exactly where so many women get stuck. And not because they aren't capable, but because they're trying to solve everything at once instead of getting grounded in what actually matters right now. This is what I help women do inside my Freedom Map Clarity session. We slow everything down. We strip away the noise, the pressure, the shoulds, and the overwhelm. And in one session, we get clear on what actually matters most in your current season, what your next aligned step is, and what's been keeping you stuck in overthinking instead of action. So you're not doing this alone or spinning in circles trying to figure it all out in your head. You can find the link in the show notes and at leastapirinelli.com. Here's what I want you to take with you. Take the time to make sure your vision is your own. Not someone else's version of what a life well lived should look like. Because in this highly scripted, AI perfected and guru-led marketing world, it's easy to get distracted and led to believe your version of life isn't cool enough or exotic or big enough. Let your voice be the most clear. Let others have their version of life. And if you remember anything from this today, it's that you don't need to see the whole path. But you do need to trust the next step. Not the perfect step, not the forever decision, just the next one. Because overwhelmed doesn't mean you're behind. It means you're trying to carry the whole staircase instead of climbing one step at a time. And when you stop doing that, something shifts. You start moving again. Even if it's imperfect, even if it's uncertain, even if you don't feel fully ready. So I'll leave you with this. What are you currently overcomplicating that is really just asking for clarity? And what would you change if you stopped trying to solve everything and just focused on your next step? Because time will pass either way. But clarity changes how you experience it. And without it, we don't just stay stuck, we stay exhausted in the process of trying. So thank you so much for spending this time with me today. And if this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs it, subscribe and leave a review because it helps more women find this message. And if you're ready to stop spinning and finally get clear on your next step, come join me inside the Freedom Map Clarity session at LisaPironelli.com. Until next time, choose clarity, trust yourself, and take your next step. See you in the next episode.

SPEAKER_00 14:11

Thanks so much for listening to this episode of Cupcakes and Clarity. If today's conversation inspired you and you'd like even more tips and strategies tailored to your life, go to Carnelli.com.