You Look Fine. But Are You Really Okay?
There comes a moment often quiet, sometimes inconvenient when you realise you’re no longer sure how you’re really doing.
Not on the surface.
But underneath.
You’re still showing up. Still performing. Still “on.” The diary is full. The targets are met. The people around you describe you as reliable, capable, even thriving.
But inside, something feels off. Not broken just… dulled. Disconnected. Distant from a version of yourself you vaguely remember. A version that once felt clear, energised, purposeful. Now you’re just getting through the days. Functioning. Surviving.
And because nothing looks wrong, you keep going.
This is the quieter side of misalignment the one that doesn’t make a scene. The one that hides in routines and meetings and morning alarms. The one I know intimately. Because before I burned out, I wasn’t falling apart. I was over-functioning. I was surviving in disguise.
From the outside, I looked steady. But I had stopped feeling things in real time. Joy became flat. Rest felt unproductive. Everything felt muted, like I was living slightly outside myself. And still, I kept going. Because when you’re high-functioning, the world rarely gives you permission to pause. Especially when nothing looks broken.
When You’re Not in Crisis -Yet Something’s Breaking Down
What finally shifted for me wasn’t a single dramatic collapse, but I did burn out. Not all at once, but slowly, quietly, over time. I had become so used to coping that I stopped noticing the signs. I was performing a version of wellbeing I didn’t actually feel. Detached from my own needs. Distracted from what mattered. Until eventually, my body, mind, and spirit said: enough.
Looking back, I can see the clues were there long before anything looked “wrong.” And when I looked around, I realised I wasn’t the only one. In my corporate years, I sat across from countless brilliant, accomplished professionals who looked fine on the outside but inside, they felt lost. They didn’t have a name for what they were experiencing. There was no crisis that earned attention. Just a slow, steady drift from joy, from energy, from truth.
That’s why I created this second tool.
If Where Are You Leading From? helped you identify the voice behind your decisions, fear or values, this one asks a different question: What is the state of your inner world right now? Because leadership isn’t just about how we act. It’s about how we’re doing beneath the action.
This Tool Was Made for That Quiet Question
Are You Quietly Thriving or Just Surviving in Disguise? isn’t about diagnosis. It’s not another productivity check-in. It’s a deeper reflection an invitation to notice what you might be carrying, what you’ve been avoiding, and what might be asking for your attention.
It’s for those moments when you’re still getting the job done but feel like something inside you is eroding. It’s for those who are tired of acting strong and ready to start feeling strong again. And it’s for those who aren’t in full-blown burnout, but can sense they’re inching toward a version of life they no longer want to perform.
It takes 5 minutes to complete and offers one of three outcomes: Quietly Thriving, Awakening to Conscious Choice, or Surviving in Disguise. But this isn’t a diagnostic tool. It’s a mirror. There’s no right or wrong score. There’s only a chance to pause, listen inward, and ask what’s working, what’s missing, and what’s calling for your attention.
This Isn’t Just for Leaders – It’s for Anyone Who’s Carrying Too Much
This reflection is for anyone who feels like they’re constantly “on,” even when they’re not sure what they’re working toward. If you’re highly functional but tired, if you’re the person others rely on while you silently question your own capacity, if you’re holding things together without feeling fully present, this is for you. And if you’re thinking, “But I’m not in a leadership role,” I want you to hear this clearly: you don’t need a title to feel the weight of responsibility. You don’t need a team to be leading others through how you show up, how you care, and how much of yourself you set aside to keep the peace.
This tool is for all professionals, especially those who are doing well on the outside, but wondering whether they’ve lost touch with something vital on the inside. It’s for those who’ve been asking, quietly, “Is this really it?”
Why I’ll Never Charge for This
Like the first tool, this one was born from my lived experience. I created it not because I had all the answers, but because I wish something like it had existed when I was silently struggling. I didn’t need another strategy. I needed a mirror. Something simple, private, and reflective, something that wouldn’t take hours, but would invite honesty. That’s why this tool, and the reflection guide that comes with it, will always be free. And once you’ve completed it, you’ll also find links to additional free tools that can support you if you want to keep going.
You don’t need to overhaul your life. You don’t need to perform another version of yourself. You just need to slow down and listen to what’s real. Because there is a way to come back to clarity, joy, and alignment but it begins with asking different questions.
👉 Take the self-assessment: https://thechangecanvas.ch/take-the-assessment-2/
You’re not behind. You’re not broken. You’re becoming.
And the fact that you’re here means you already are.
