Q: Dear Ruchi, I just hit my first six-figure year in my business. While part of me is proud, I honestly feel more anxious than excited. Instead of celebrating, I keep thinking, ‘What if this was a fluke? What if I can’t do it again?’ I worked so hard to get here, but now I feel this pressure to maintain it – or do even better – and it’s kind of paralyzing. How can I get past this feeling so that I can actually appreciate this milestone?
A: Let me start by saying, what you’re feeling is so normal. More than that, it’s deeply human. Hitting a six-figure year is a huge milestone, and I hope you let yourself feel a flicker of pride – because you built something out of nothing, and that deserves to be honored. But I understand why your first instinct wasn’t celebration.
When we reach a level we’ve never seen before, especially with money, it can stir up all sorts of old fears. And here’s the truth: success can be just as triggering as struggle – sometimes even more so, especially for those of us who weren’t raised to expect financial prosperity. Many women are taught to be grateful for “enough”, to not be overly ambitious, too visible, too wealthy. So when we do break those ceilings, our nervous system doesn’t always know what to do with that expansion.
But let me lovingly remind you: this wasn’t luck. It wasn’t a fluke. It was you. Your vision, your grit, your resilience. And just because the terrain ahead is unfamiliar doesn’t mean you’re not equipped for it.
Take a deep breath. You are allowed to grow into this version of yourself. Let this be a season of trust: in your patterns, your momentum, and your ability to build on what you’ve already created. That fear? It’s just your brain adjusting to new possibilities.
Feeling overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’re failing – it means you’re expanding. And I’ll be right here cheering you on every step of the way.
Here’s to your prosperity.
Ruchi
