“I didn’t realize how much I needed that permission, especially from all these wonderful women whom I already admired. I am an over-achiever, and it’s especially hard to carry that mentality into parenthood. There’s always more you can be doing for your children, but if you do it at the expense of self-compassion, it benefits no one. I also became aware of how much I related being an adult to being good at everything I did, to always making the right decisions. I forgot how I used to approach the world with wonder, eager to try and learn new things, simply for the joy of learning. I can do these thought experiments. I can try out something new, and if it doesn’t lead to anything, it’s totally fine! The reward is in the journey itself. And I realized that I want to model that for my kids so they grow up into the woman I also hope to be.”