I am, by nature, a Yes person. I love to make people happy and I learned early in my career that saying Yes – and just jumping in without worrying how – is a fast way to grow personally and professionally. This strategy worked well for many years and my career progressed farther than anyone could have imagined. I became masterful at adding new responsibilities, figuring things out, and making it all work. 

For example, I left my second maternity leave two weeks early to launch a new client project that included regular travel. Then not quite a year after that, with a toddler and a baby at home and while I was still very active with that initial client project, I started another project. I didn’t have to do it, but the opportunity came my way and I jumped in. 

The new project was local and I rationalized that while it was a heavy workload, at least I wouldn’t be away from home more than I already was. Then immediately after the launch, the client...