How To Make An Executive Decision Over Your Life

There comes a point in every journey when we look back and see the threads of our story woven with patterns that no longer serve us. Those toxic loops—people-pleasing, over-controlling, leaning on unhealthy relationships—once protected us, but today they hold us back. If you’re feeling called to a new chapter, an executive decision over your own life, this is your invitation to reflect, realign, and release.

1. Shine a Light on Your Patterns

• Journal your history.

Spend a week writing honestly about recurring conflicts: What arguments or resentments keep resurfacing? Which relationships trigger your old defense mechanisms?

• Notice where the shame creeps in.

Toxic patterns often hide behind guilt or embarrassment. When you feel that knot in your chest—ask, “Is this truly my burden to carry?”

• Ask for outside perspective.

Invite a trusted friend, coach, or therapist to point out blind spots. Sometimes we need an objective mirror to see what we’ve been overlooking.

2. Own Your Executive Authority

You are the CEO of your life. That means you get to:

1. Define your core values.

What non-negotiables will guide your relationships and choices?

2. Set clear boundaries.

Identify the behaviors you will no longer tolerate—from others or from yourself.

3. Draft your personal mission statement.

In one sentence: “I am building a life of __________ by __________.”

Taking ownership of your vision requires courage. It means telling your inner critic, “Thank you, but I’m moving forward on my own terms.”

3. Prepare for Hard Conversations

When you decide to shift your path, some people will resist. They’ve grown accustomed to your old ways or counted on your availability.

• Validate their feelings—without surrendering your boundaries.

“I hear that this change upsets you, and I’m sorry you feel hurt. I also need to honor my own growth right now.”

• Keep the dialogue brief and firm.

Long justifications can blur your boundaries and reopen doors you meant to close.

• Accept that hurting feelings is sometimes unavoidable.

Growth isn’t cruelty—it’s clarity. Your willingness to change may sting, but it also offers a blueprint for others to examine their own lives.

4. Close Doors with Grace

Closing a door isn’t burning a bridge—it’s marking the end of one chapter so you can write the next.

1. Release guilt.

If you’ve forgiven others, invite yourself to be forgiven for any past mistakes. You’re not abandoning, you’re evolving.

2. Perform a symbolic ritual.

Write the name of the pattern or relationship on paper; tear it up or burn it safely. Feel the weight lift as you watch it disappear.

3. Redirect your energy.

Channel that time and emotion into something new: a side-hustle, a fitness goal, creative writing, or simply more margin in your schedule.

5. Embrace the Unknown Ahead

As the dust settles behind you, you may catch your breath and see a wide-open landscape before you. That’s where the magic lives—beyond the familiar.

• Cultivate curiosity.

Ask yourself daily: “What invitation is this moment offering me?”

• Trust your resilience.

You’ve survived every “last time” already. This next season will ask for more, but you’re ready.

• Celebrate small wins.

Every time you choose peace over people-pleasing, growth over comfort, applaud yourself.

Final Thoughts

Breaking free from toxic patterns is never a lonely act of rebellion—it’s a revolutionary act of self-love. Some doors must close so brighter ones can open. You owe it to yourself (and to those who truly value you) to step boldly into this season of growth.

“Growth demands a temporary surrender of what we know for the promise of what we can become.”

Are you ready to make your executive decision? Share one toxic pattern you’re releasing today in the comments—let’s support each other as we close old doors and walk into incredible new beginnings.

—

Join our Chain Breaking Moms community to find stories, tools, and accountability partners as you transform chaos into creation and creation into freedom.