116. Rewriting Your Success Story: How Internal Pressure Blocks Elite Achievement with Kelli Towers
What if the pressure you put on yourself is actually making success harder to achieve? This thought-provoking question opens a powerful conversation between host Kristin Burke and guest Kelli Towers, a coach who specializes in helping high achievers pursue success in ways that feel aligned, sustainable, and fulfilling.
The distinction between internal pressure and internal drive emerges as a crucial insight for anyone pursuing elite achievement. As Kelli explains, pressure often feels "muddy" and lacks clarity, while drive stems from a clear vision and purpose. This difference manifests physically – tightness in the body, shallow breathing, and what Kelli describes as "efforting" versus energized action. For high achievers accustomed to pushing through discomfort, recognizing these signals can be transformative.
At the heart of internal pressure lie the stories we tell ourselves – narratives about how success "should" look, often inherited from childhood experiences or professional environments that reward linear paths and constant striving. Both Kristin and Kelli share personal examples of rewriting these stories, from Kristin's realization that her volunteer work was driven by fear of letting others down to Kelli's ongoing exploration of how to expand her business while maintaining the freedom she values.
Perhaps most valuable is the conversation around personal definitions of success. Kristin shares her moment of clarity years ago: "Success for me is having choices – choices with how I spend my time, who I spend my time with, how I spend money." Kelli emphasizes freedom as her north star. These definitions serve as anchors when external pressures or ingrained habits threaten to pull us off course.
For listeners feeling caught in cycles of pressure and burnout, this episode offers permission to pause, question assumptions about achievement, and create practices that foster self-awareness. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or pursuing personal goals, this conversation invites you to transform how you pursue elite achievement – not by working harder, but by aligning your actions with what truly matters to you.
In this episode you will learn about:
• Distinguishing internal pressure from internal drive - pressure feels muddy and lacks clarity
• Recognizing when our own stories create unnecessary pressure
• How pressure in the body provides clues that we're out of alignment with our goals
• Redefining personal success beyond conventional metrics or expectations
• The importance of asking "what feels fulfilling" versus always pursuing the next achievement
• How external validation and belonging needs influence internal pressure
• Moving from "efforting" to energized, aligned action
• Developing practices that help us hear ourselves amid external noise
• Permission to pause, reflect, and adjust our definitions of success as we grow
Highlights:
0:35
Internal Pressure vs. Success
5:32
Defining Elite Achievement
Internal Pressure vs. Internal Drive
Recognizing Your Stories
From Pressure to Burnout
Redefining Personal Success
Finding Support and Daily Practices
You Know You’re Capable of More.
The best leaders aren’t satisfied with “good enough.” They’re clear there’s another level—and they’re willing to do the work to get there.
My clients don’t hire me because they’re struggling.
They hire me because they’re driven—and they know that with the right coach, they can think more strategically, execute more consistently, and lead more powerfully.
If you're ready to:
- Align your time with your highest-impact goals
- Think bigger and follow through better
- Develop the mindset and habits to match your ambition
Then let’s connect.
Book a Discovery Call to explore how coaching can help you close the gap between where you are—and where you know you could be.
Click here to book your call.
Connect with Kristin
Connect with Kelli
Email: Towers.kp@gmail.com
