The Art of Strategic Half-Arsing

There comes a time in every business owner’s life when the universe decides to play “How Many Life Disruptions Can You Juggle?” all at once. For me, it was the delightful quadrathlon of moving house, keeping my business afloat, attempting to parent (and home-school a teenage boy, because of course), and - just for fun - getting sick.

If you’ve ever tried to coordinate a house move/deep clean while battling brain fog, an immune system on strike, snot and a teenager whose primary interests include talking about football and pretending his school work doesn’t exist, you’ll know that the phrase “just push through” is an outright lie. Pushing through leads to burnout, which leads to collapse, which leads to absolutely nothing getting done.

So, I made a radical decision: I was going to half-arse some (most) things. Strategically.

Why We Can’t Full-Arse Everything

There’s an insidious pressure - especially for women conditioned to be Good Girls - to give 100% to everything. We’re supposed to be the perfect business owner, the flawless project manager of our move, the most marvellous partner/friend and still somehow make time to be emotionally available for everyone around us.

Except, that’s impossible.

Trying to full-arse everything is a one-way ticket to meltdown city. The real skill in these moments isn’t pushing harder, but prioritising what gets your full energy and what gets the bare minimum required to keep the wheels on.

The Fine Art of Half-Arsing

I approached my dilemma with ruthless prioritisation.

1. The Business - Clients still needed things done, invoices still had to go out, and my email inbox was still a hungry monster demanding attention. But did I need to be at my best? Nope. I operated on a “minimum viable effort” strategy: urgent things got done, non-urgent things got a polite “next week,” and anything requiring creative brilliance was postponed.
2. The Move - There is a difference between “moving” and “moving perfectly.” Did I label every box meticulously? Absolutely not. Some got scribbled on with mystery words like “random crap – maybe kitchen?” and “important but who knows why?” But did everything get from A to B? Yes. That’s a win.
3. Parenting (and Home-Schooling, Apparently) - The teenager was fed (mostly toast and supermarket ready meal lasagnas, but I’m calling it a lesson in budgeting). We embraced “life skills” education - such as “here’s how you use a dishwasher” and “if you eat all the food, you need to go buy more.”
4. Being Sick - The hardest part was accepting that rest wasn’t negotiable. It wasn’t a reward for later. It was the fuel that allowed me to function at all. So, I ignored the guilty voice in my head that said I should be “doing more” and let myself sleep, binge rubbish TV, and eat soup like it was my new religion.

The Takeaway? Choose What to Suck At (For Now).

This wasn’t about giving up - it was about choosing my battles. Some things had to be handled properly. Others needed to be done just well enough not to break. And a few things? They had to be abandoned entirely.

Perfection is a trap. The goal isn’t to do everything flawlessly but to make it through in one piece. If you’re in the middle of your own life tornado, let this be your permission slip: strategically half-arse something before you completely fail at everything.

My most exciting thing that happened this week was when James plumbed in the washing machine. As I was on my last pair of comfortable knickers and so didn’t want to have to wear the sexy ones. Because I’m feeling so far removed from sexy.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some many unpacked boxes, unanswered emails, and a teenager who has just announced he’s starving again despite consuming an entire loaf of bread this morning. I’ll deal with all the things tomorrow.

Maybe.

And What Else is Happening?

1. Good Girl Deprogramming Podcast

In this episode of Good Girl Deprogramming, I am joined from Canada by Victoria Theriault for a powerful discussion on breaking free from the need to please, the impact of good girl conditioning, and how communication shapes our relationships and workplaces.

Victoria is the founder and owner of DISCover What Works. She’s a Certified Team Facilitator, DISC and EQ Analyst and a Keynote Speaker.

Victoria helps raise individual and team performance as well as notably improve client service. She’s a co-author of the book Pursuit 365, and the creator and host of the DISCovering You podcast which explores the role that personality plays in our interactions at work and beyond, and how it affects us as we navigate through life.

In our podcast, Victoria shares her personal journey of self-awareness, from people-pleasing and seeking external validation to setting boundaries and understanding her own needs.

Together, we explore:

? How good girl conditioning shows up in unexpected ways

? The struggle between avoiding disappointing others vs. disappointing yourself

? Why curiosity (not judgement) is key to better relationships

? Strategic exhaustion, ADHD, and society’s role in keeping women tired

Tune in now and start deprogramming!

2. WTF (Women Talking Facts)

In this week’s WTF, helped along with pain meds, throat sweets and tissues, Felice and I talked about all the episodes of misogyny this week has offered up.

There were some big moments. Very sad and shocking moments. But the FAFO was delicious.

You can see where we’re hanging out next week and catch up with all previous episodes here.

3. Want a Good Girl Deprogramming Workshop?

Are you tired of playing by everyone else’s rules? Stuck in the cycle of people-pleasing, perfectionism, and putting yourself last? It’s time to break free.

Good Girl Deprogramming Workshops will help you:

• Unlearn the conditioning that keeps you small
• Set boundaries without guilt
• Reclaim your confidence & voice
• Connect with a community of rebellious, like-minded women

It’s time to stop shrinking and start living unapologetically.

Here’s a LUSH recommendation from Angela…

Send me an email about bringing me into your organisation - [email protected]

Wishing you a week of rebellion and joy - see you soon!

Mx