Welcome to Episode 33 of The Mindset Podcast with your host, Coach Sally Allen. Today’s episode tackles a subtle but heavy pressure many high achievers feel, the belief that every year must somehow top the last. After a year filled with remarkable milestones, publishing a book, winning two Stevie Awards, and hosting her first women's leadership conference, Sally found herself confronted with a question she didn’t expect: “So… how are you going to top that next year?”

This episode reframes the entire concept of “topping” your accomplishments. Instead of chasing more, bigger, and faster, Sally invites you to consider a healthier, more strategic mindset: building on top of what you’ve already created.

Key Highlights: 

- Stop trying to top last year and start building on it. Accomplishments aren’t checkpoints to beat. They’re foundations and stepping stones that give you permission to grow. 

- Use your wins as leverage, not pressure. Sally shares how she’s shifting from, “How do I top writing a book?” to “How do I use this book in 2026? How do I leverage it to help clients, build workshops, create courses, and expand impact? 

- Leaders don’t rush to the next title. Many leaders jump from one promotion to chasing the next. Instead, immerse yourself in your current role. Build your people. Strengthen your team. Let your leadership, not your ladder climbing, be your legacy. 

- Examine why you feel the need to achieve more. Sometimes the drive to “do more” is really about a lack of confidence, feeling unqualified, or needing external validation. When your confidence grows, you stop chasing credentials just to feel “ready.”

Follow & Subscribe: 

- On Instagram: @sallyallenpodcast

- On YouTube:  @mindsetcoachpodcast  

- Online: sallyallencoaching.com

Closing Thought: 

If you change your mindset, you can change your life. 

Don’t try to outdo the past, build on it, honor it, and let it propel you into who you’re becoming.