10. stop chasing what isn't for you

You're driven. You're capable. You're achieving. But are you chasing what YOU actually want? Or are you chasing what looks good, what's impressive, what's expected? High-achievers are really good at the chase - but we're not always good at pausing to ask: Do I actually want this? In this episode, I pull three tarot cards with messages about stopping the chase of what isn't for you and getting honest about what you actually desire. Because you can spend years building something impressive that leaves you feeling empty.

---

You're chasing what isn't for you.

You're driven. You're capable. You're achieving. But are you chasing what YOU actually want? Or are you chasing what looks good, what's impressive, what's expected?

High-achievers are really good at the chase. We're really good at setting a goal and going after it. We're really good at pushing through and making things happen.

But we're not always good at pausing to ask: Do I actually want this? Or am I just good at it? Or does it just look right on paper?

And when we don't slow down to ask that question, we end up building impressive lives that feel empty. We end up in roles that look great from the outside, but drain us from the inside. We end up achieving things we don't even want.

You can spend years – decades even – chasing something that isn't for you. You might even catch it. You might achieve the thing. And then you're standing there holding this accomplishment, this title, this life you worked so hard for, and you feel... nothing. Or worse, you feel trapped by it.

This episode is about stopping that chase. About getting honest with what you actually want – not what you think you should want, not what would impress other people, but what you actually desire deep down.

I pulled three tarot cards with messages about this.

Here's what came through.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL HEAR:

• 00:00 Introduction to The Unraveling Achiever
• 00:46 The Problem: You're Chasing What Isn't For You
• 02:52 Message One: Tune Into What You Actually Feel (King of Cups)
• 07:59 Message Two: Slow Down to Discover Your True Desires (King of Wands)
• 12:25 Message Three: You Can't Run From This Work (Six of Swords Reversed)
• 17:05 Recap: Stop Chasing, Start Building What Feels True
• 18:42 Soul Reading

THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF:

• You're achieving things, but feeling empty
• You're not sure if you actually want what you're chasing
• You've been overriding your gut feelings with logic and "shoulds"
• You're good at something, but don't know if you actually like it
• You're building an impressive life that doesn't feel like yours
• You keep thinking "I should be grateful for this," but you're not excited
• You're ready to get honest about what you actually want

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

No external resources mentioned in this episode.

---

READY TO GO DEEPER?

If what you heard today resonated, I'd love to support you in going deeper.

Soul Reading is a 75-minute one-on-one session where I open your Akashic Records and help you reconnect with what your soul already knows about your path, your purpose, and what's next.

Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.angelamckayllc.com/soul-reading⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

---

LET'S STAY CONNECTED:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.angelamckayllc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@angelamckayllc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Angela McKay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Career Revival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

---

ABOUT THE PODCAST:

The Unraveling Achiever is for the person who's done everything "right" and is questioning what that even means. Host Angela McKay - former SVP of HR turned intuitive career coach and soul reading practitioner - helps accomplished folks stop defaulting to what looks good and start building what feels true. You don't have to turn your life upside down. Just point your achiever energy toward a soul-led career and life you'll love.

9. what the Sunday scaries are trying to reveal

The Sunday Scaries. That anxiety for Monday that creeps in on the weekend. I've been seeing this come up everywhere lately - commercials for sleep aids, online posts about weekend dread, people caught between needing rest and not being able to rest. At the root is usually some kind of misalignment - not necessarily with your role, but with your approach. In this episode, I pull three tarot cards to reveal what the Sunday Scaries are trying to tell us. Because they're showing up for a reason.

---

The Sunday Scaries. That anxiety for Monday that we experience on the weekend.

I've been seeing this come up everywhere lately. A commercial for sleep aids featuring someone who can't sleep on Sunday night. Posts in online groups about the anxiety people feel on weekends about Monday.

For some, it's the anxiety about having to go back to work - they're not in an aligned role, or it's just a tough time at work right now.

For others, their work weeks are so intense that when the weekend comes, they can't rest. There's too much pushed to the weekend because the week is so busy. Or if they try to rest, it doesn't feel natural - they're in constant go mode with thoughts of what they should or could be doing instead.

And this cycle repeats which can ultimately lead to burnout.

At the root of the Sunday Scaries is typically some kind of misalignment. But it's seldom the role itself that's the issue first - usually, the initial work is on the person who is in the role. How you approach your work, how you approach your rest - it has everything to do with your mindset, what you believe to be true or needed or expected.

In this episode, I pull three tarot cards with messages about what the Sunday scaries are trying to reveal to us. Because they're showing up for a reason.

Here's what came through.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL HEAR:

• 00:00 Introduction to The Unraveling Achiever
• 00:43 Why I'm Talking About the Sunday Scaries Now
• 02:39 What's at the Root
• 04:04 The Pattern: Not Being Present on the Weekend
• 05:40 Message One: Reconnect with Your Intuition (Queen of Cups Reversed)
• 10:12 Message Two: Zoom Out and Find a Mentor (The Hierophant)
• 15:25 Message Three: You Are Stronger Than You Think (Strength)
• 21:03 Recap: What the Sunday Scaries are Revealing
• 21:53 Soul Reading

THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF:

• You experience Sunday anxiety about Monday
• You spend your whole weekend dreading going back to work
• You struggle to rest because you're in constant go mode
• You feel stuck in "I have to" energy around your work
• You're questioning if you can keep doing this anymore
• You're living for the weekend instead of finding peace throughout the week
• You want to understand what your Sunday scaries are trying to tell you

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

No external resources mentioned in this episode.

---

READY TO GO DEEPER?

If what you heard today resonated, I'd love to support you in going deeper.

Soul Reading is a 75-minute one-on-one session where I open your Akashic Records and help you reconnect with what your soul already knows about your path, your purpose, and what's next.

Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.angelamckayllc.com/soul-reading⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

---

LET'S STAY CONNECTED:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.angelamckayllc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@angelamckayllc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Angela McKay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Career Revival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

---

ABOUT THE PODCAST:

The Unraveling Achiever is for the person who's done everything "right" and is questioning what that even means. Host Angela McKay - former SVP of HR turned intuitive career coach and soul reading practitioner - helps accomplished folks stop defaulting to what looks good and start building what feels true. You don't have to turn your life upside down. Just point your achiever energy toward a soul-led career and life you'll love.

8. navigating work and life with clarity

How can you be more discerning in your actions? Less quick to react? How can you work with your emotions so they don't get in the way of your interactions or decisions? In this episode, I use tarot to explore the energy of the Queen of Swords and share three messages about navigating work and life with more clarity. Whether it's emotional reactivity, hastiness, fear, or overthinking - your mind is getting in the way of your clarity. Here's how to bring it into balance.

---

How can you be more discerning in your actions?

How can you be less quick to react?

How can you work with your emotions in a way that you don't let them get in the way of your interactions with others or the decisions you make for yourself?

Words can be sharp. And an emotional reaction can override your experience.

In this episode, I'm using tarot to support the messages. The topic was reflected to me through the Queen of Swords - a very logical, wise energy.

This week, we're talking about how you can embody that practical, logical side as balanced with emotion and experience.

This is an episode about how you can navigate work and life with more clarity.

Here's what came through.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL HEAR:

• 00:00 Introduction to The Unraveling Achiever
• 00:44 Using Tarot for This Episode
• 00:57 Embodying the Queen of Swords
• 02:54 Message One: Process Before You Communicate (Five of Swords)
• 05:11 Message Two: Haste vs Inaction (Knight of Swords Reversed)
• 08:37 Message Three: Completing Cycles (The World Reversed)
• 12:49 Connecting the Messages
• 14:01 Soul Reading

THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF:

• You tend to react in the heat of the moment and regret it later
• You swing between moving too fast and being completely frozen
• You know what you need to do but you're stalling out
• You feel stuck in your mind and can't seem to move forward
• You're ready for that next evolution but your frightened mind is keeping you stuck
• You want to navigate your work and life with more clarity and wisdom

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

No external resources mentioned in this episode.

---

READY TO GO DEEPER?

If what you heard today resonated, I'd love to support you in going deeper.

Soul Reading is a 75-minute one-on-one session where I open your Akashic Records and help you reconnect with what your soul already knows about your path, your purpose, and what's next.

Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.angelamckayllc.com/soul-reading⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

---

LET'S STAY CONNECTED:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.angelamckayllc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@angelamckayllc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Angela McKay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Career Revival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

---

ABOUT THE PODCAST:

The Unraveling Achiever is for the person who's done everything "right" and is questioning what that even means. Host Angela McKay - former SVP of HR turned intuitive career coach and soul reading practitioner - helps accomplished folks stop defaulting to what looks good and start building what feels true. You don't have to turn your life upside down. Just point your achiever energy toward a soul-led career and life you'll love.

7.​ messages for December

This episode is a little different. I'm tuning into the month of December specifically and bringing forth the messages most needed for high-achievers right now. I pulled the Book of December 2025 for High Achievers from the Akashic Records - mid-month - as a reflection, recalibration, and pivot point. Five messages came through about simplicity, connection, being present, and the capacity for love - reminding us that December didn't do this to us. Energetically, it's actually a quite calm month.

---

This week's episode is a little different.

I'm tuning into the month of December and bringing forth the messages most needed for high-achievers in this month specifically.

I'm doing this mid-month - as a reflection, a recalibration, a pivot, a "stay on track," whatever serves you.

I pulled the Book of December 2025 for High Achievers from the Akashic Records, taking note of the book itself and its pages to see what messages are here for us.

I received five messages: two for the first half of December, one for the present moment, and two for the second half of December.

Here's what came through.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL HEAR:

• ​00:00 Introduction to The Unraveling Achiever
• ​00:43 A Different Kind of Episode: Messages for December
• ​01:43 Opening Energy: The Yellow Book
• ​02:53 Message One: The Call for Simplicity and Connection (First Half of December)
• ​04:31 Message Two: Introducing More of You (First Half of December)
• ​07:02 Message Three: The Pivot Point (Present Day December)
• ​09:35 Message Four: The Capacity for Love (Second Half of December)
• ​12:03 Message Five: Let Go of End-of-Year Pressure (Second Half of December)
• ​15:03 Closing Reflection: The Calm Energy of December
• ​16:36 Soul Reading

THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF:

• ​You're feeling the compounding weight of the holiday season
• ​You've felt a calling for simplicity but haven't settled into it
• ​You're going through the motions on autopilot during the holidays
• ​You're putting pressure on yourself around end-of-year/new-year expectations
• ​You want to show up more authentically in how you celebrate and connect
• ​You're ready to let December be calm instead of chaotic

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• ​⁠⁠None in this episode

---

READY TO GO DEEPER?

If what you heard today resonated, I'd love to support you in going deeper.

Soul Reading is a 75-minute one-on-one session where I open your Akashic Records and help you reconnect with what your soul already knows about your path, your purpose, and what's next.

Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.angelamckayllc.com/soul-reading⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

---

LET'S STAY CONNECTED:

• ​Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.angelamckayllc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@angelamckayllc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Angela McKay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Career Revival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

---

ABOUT THE PODCAST:

The Unraveling Achiever is for the person who's done everything "right" and is questioning what that even means. Host Angela McKay - former SVP of HR turned intuitive career coach and soul reading practitioner - helps accomplished folks stop defaulting to what looks good and start building what feels true. You don't have to turn your life upside down. Just point your achiever energy toward a soul-led career and life you'll love.

6. creating your aligned vision

Having an aligned vision gives you something to work toward - so you can point your energy and actions toward what you truly want to build rather than defaulting or taking a back seat to the creation of your life. In this episode, Angela tunes into the energy of an aligned vision for the high-achiever and shares five intuitively received messages about creating a vision that feels expansive and true.

---

Having an aligned vision gives you something to work toward.

It helps you point your energy and actions toward what you truly want to build - rather than getting stuck in the day-to-day routine you're in, sinking into familiarity and comfort when those habits don't align with where you want to go.

We can create a life we want and love. Our lives are not predestined - we have free will. And we don't have to accept that it's not possible.

But most of us have been building from the outside in - letting external expectations determine where our actions align. It's better that we create from the inside out. Tune in and discover what we want, then let the outside world serve as the resources and landscape for what we're going to create.

In this episode, Angela explores the energy of an aligned vision for the high-achiever and shares five intuitively received messages about creating a vision that feels expansive and true.

Here's what came through.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL HEAR:

• ​00:00 Introduction to The Unraveling Achiever
• ​00:43 The Benefit of Having an Aligned Vision
• ​01:45 Outside In vs. Inside Out
• ​03:00 Message One: The Aligned Vision Feels Expansive (Not Limiting)
• ​04:48 Message Two: Creating an Aligned Vision Requires Self-Awareness
• ​07:48 Message Three: The Gap Between Where You Are and Where You Want to Be
• ​10:52 Message Four: The Fear of Change (And Why It's Not as Scary as You Think)
• ​14:32 Message Five: Your Desires Are Meant For You
• ​16:36 Closing and Soul Reading

THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF:

• ​You're stuck in the day-to-day routine and want direction
• ​You've been building from the outside in instead of the inside out
• ​You keep defaulting or taking a back seat to the creation of your life
• ​You jump to action quickly but aren't sure it's aligned with what you truly want
• ​You're ready to create a vision that feels expansive, not limiting
• ​You want to learn how to write your vision from wisdom, not fear

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• ​⁠Soul-Led Career⁠
• ​⁠Soul-Led Life⁠
• ​Three Parts/Lenses Reference: Sourced from/inspired by the teachings of The Mind Rebel Academy

---

READY TO GO DEEPER?

If what you heard today resonated, I'd love to support you in going deeper.

Soul Reading is a 75-minute one-on-one session where I open your Akashic Records and help you reconnect with what your soul already knows about your path, your purpose, and what's next.

Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.angelamckayllc.com/soul-reading⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

---

LET'S STAY CONNECTED:

• ​Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.angelamckayllc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@angelamckayllc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Angela McKay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Career Revival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

---

ABOUT THE PODCAST:

The Unraveling Achiever is for the person who's done everything "right" and is questioning what that even means. Host Angela McKay - former SVP of HR turned intuitive career coach and soul reading practitioner - helps accomplished folks stop defaulting to what looks good and start building what feels true. You don't have to turn your life upside down. Just point your achiever energy toward a soul-led career and life you'll love.

5. messages about rest that actually restores

You know that feeling when you've had a full night's sleep but still wake up exhausted? When you take a day off but still feel depleted? Rest doesn't always restore. In this episode, I tune into the energy of restorative rest for the high-achiever and share three messages about the kind of rest that actually replenishes you - not just keeps you functional enough to keep going. If you're tired of being tired, this one's for you.

---

You know that feeling when you've had a full night's sleep but still wake up exhausted? When you take a day off but still feel depleted? When you rest but don't actually feel restored?

That's where I've been lately. This deep tiredness that sleep doesn't fix. This sense of wearing thin even when I'm technically doing the "right" things to take care of myself.

And that's the frustrating part, isn't it? You're trying. You're aware enough to know you need rest. You might even be taking time to rest. But it's not working.

What I've come to realize is that rest doesn't always restore.

Not all rest is created equal. You can rest and still feel drained. You can stop working and still feel depleted. Because the kind of rest you're getting might not be the kind of rest you actually need.

In this episode, I'm exploring the energy of restorative rest for the high-achiever - the kind of rest that actually restores energy and helps remedy exhaustion and burnout.

Here's what came through.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL HEAR:

• 00:00 Introduction to The Unraveling Achiever
• 00:43 Deep Tiredness
• 01:50 When Rest Doesn't Feel Restful
• 03:15 We Need Rest That Actually Restores
• 03:51 Opening Energy: The Queen and High Priestess Within
• 04:36 Message One: Operating in Opposition to Flow
• 07:38 Message Two: Stepping Outside Your Obligations
• 10:09 Message Three: Ebb and Flow, Intention and Rhythm
• 12:16 Recap: Three Messages About Restorative Rest
• 12:48 Soul Reading

THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF:

• You wake up exhausted even after a full night's sleep
• You take time off but still feel depleted
• You're stuck in a cycle of exhaustion you can't seem to break
• You know you need rest but it's not working
• You want rest that actually restores you, not just keeps you functional
• You're tired of being tired

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

No external resources mentioned in this episode.

---

READY TO GO DEEPER?

If what you heard today resonated, I'd love to support you in going deeper.

Soul Reading is a 75-minute one-on-one session where I open your Akashic Records and help you reconnect with what your soul already knows about your path, your purpose, and what's next.

Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.angelamckayllc.com/soul-reading⁠⁠⁠⁠

---

LET'S STAY CONNECTED:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.angelamckayllc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@angelamckayllc⁠⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Angela McKay⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Career Revival⁠⁠⁠⁠

---

ABOUT THE PODCAST:

The Unraveling Achiever is for the person who's done everything "right" and is questioning what that even means. Host Angela McKay - former SVP of HR turned intuitive career coach and soul reading practitioner - helps accomplished folks stop defaulting to what looks good and start building what feels true. You don't have to turn your life upside down. Just point your achiever energy toward a soul-led career and life you'll love.

3. when did you stop having fun?

High-achievers are out there optimizing joy… out of their lives. We've made everything transactional - even fun has to count for something or it feels like a waste of time. In this episode, I tune into the energy of fun, joy, and play and share three messages about reconnecting with what makes you happy. If you've forgotten what you actually enjoy (or feel guilty when you're not being productive), this one's for you.

---

High-achievers are really good at optimizing joy out of their lives.

Everything becomes transactional. Exercise isn't for enjoyment - it's for health goals. Hobbies aren't for fun - they're for networking or skill-building or starting a side gig. Even relaxation becomes a self-care task to check off the list.

Fun has to count for something, or it feels like a waste of time.

Maybe you've been asked "what do you do for fun?" and drawn a blank. Not because you don't have an answer - but because you genuinely can't remember what actually makesyou happy.

That's kind of heartbreaking, isn't it?

In this episode, I'm exploring the energy of fun, joy, and play - what it actually means to prioritize these not as a reward, but as a way of being. I sat in meditation and asked: What dohigh-achievers need to know about reconnecting with joy?

Here's what came through.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL HEAR:

• 00:00 Introduction to The Unraveling Achiever
• 00:44 How Achievers Optimize Joy Out of Their Lives
• 01:55 The Guilt of Not Being Productive
• 03:12 When Achievement Becomes a Coping Mechanism
• 04:02 What If Joy Isn't Something You Have to Earn?
• 04:36 Message One: It's Still in You (Follow Your Curiosity)
• 06:30 Message Two: Don't Expect Too Much of Fun (Just Be Present)
• 08:02 Message Three: Your Imaginary Friend (Visualize and Act)
• 10:23 Recap: Sparking Fun as an Adult
• 11:59 Soul Reading

THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF:

• You've optimized joy out of your life and everything feels transactional
• You feel guilty when you're not being productive
• You can't remember the last time you did something just for fun
• Rest feels lazy and play feels childish
• You make sure everyone else is happy but your joy comes last
• You're afraid of what happiness might require you to change

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

No resources mentioned in this episode

---

READY TO GO DEEPER?

If what you heard today resonated, I'd love to support you in going deeper.

Soul Reading is a 75-minute one-on-one session where I open your Akashic Records and help you reconnect with what your soul already knows about your path, your purpose, and what's next.

Learn more: ⁠⁠www.angelamckayllc.com/soul-reading⁠⁠

---

LET'S STAY CONNECTED:

• Website: ⁠⁠www.angelamckayllc.com⁠⁠
• Instagram: ⁠⁠@angelamckayllc⁠⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Angela McKay⁠⁠
• Newsletter: ⁠⁠The Career Revival⁠⁠

---

ABOUT THE PODCAST:

The Unraveling Achiever is for the person who's done everything "right" and is questioning what that even means. Host Angela McKay - former SVP of HR turned intuitive career coach and soul reading practitioner - helps accomplished folks stop defaulting to what looks good and start building what feels true. You don't have to turn your life upside down. Just point your achiever energy toward a soul-led career andlife you'll love.