The Invisible Achievements of Women.
Today, women are praised for being everywhere, doing everything, and knowing everyone. We idolize the woman who serves on seven boards, attends every gala, takes photos with decision-makers, and somehow manages to be the face of every initiative. But what if she’s not actually doing much? What if impact isn’t about how many meetings you’re in or how many committees you join — but about how deeply you show up when it matters?
We rarely talk about the woman who may not be the loudest in the room, but whose presence changes lives. The one who does less, more intentionally. The one who prioritizes her mental health, sets boundaries, and still manages to make people feel seen, heard, and supported. So why do we continue to equate more with worthy? This is a question I’ve asked myself recently because I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by so many amazing women every day in my professional life. I watch these women give so much of themselves to both their work and their families, and somehow, they still feel like they’re not doing enough.
We live in a culture that celebrates overachievement, especially when it comes from women. The ones who seem to have superhuman energy. They get the awards, the visibility, the applause. But what about the women who do the hard, consistent, often invisible work? The ones who wake up at 5 a.m., put in a full workday, keep a home running, raise children, and still manage to meet expectations at work. Where’s the award for the woman who came back to work 6 weeks after giving birth to her third child, gets everyone out the door on time in the morning, pumps in her car, and still never misses a meeting and meets her goals each quarter. Or what about the woman who is responsible for her aging parents and runs a business. Don’t forget about the woman who is battling anxiety, post-partum depression, or her own health issues and still shows up every single day. You don’t see these women at every happy hour networking, because they have to get home. You don’t see them at every evening event, because their kids have soccer. You don’t see them at every community breakfast, because it starts before school. When we are talking about these women that I just mentioned, it seems like all that we recognize is where they aren’t vs. where they are.
For many women, there’s an unspoken truth: to be seen, you have to do more. Meeting expectations isn’t enough anymore, you have to exceed them. Be exceptional. Be everywhere. Be constantly “on.” It’s not just about doing your job; it’s about proving, again and again, that you belong at the table. That you’ve earned your seat and are worthy of society’s praise.
For me, that pressure usually turns into doing way too much, and burning out. In the past I’ve found myself saying yes to extra work, unpaid tasks, volunteer gigs that I really wasn’t interested in, and being everyone’s emotional support just so that I felt I wouldn’t fade into the background or get overlooked for what I’m already bringing to the table.
It’s time to ask why a woman who “just” does her job rarely gets recognition. She hits her deadlines, shows up with integrity, balances the mental load of work and home, and still finds time to care for others. Yet, she’s often passed over for awards or promotions in favor of someone who might be more active in public spaces, but less effective behind the scenes.
We need to start seeing consistency, reliability, and presence as equally valuable, and lose the focus on charisma and busyness. Let’s be honest, just because someone seems to be “everywhere” doesn’t mean they’re actually making an impact. Activity is not the same as effectiveness. Being everywhere doesn’t automatically mean you’re changing anything. In fact, the woman who chooses not to spread herself thin, who protects her time, nurtures her mental health, and engages intentionally may be the one making the deepest impact. She may not be “doing it all,” but what she does is thoughtful, aligned, and meaningful.
Burnout is not a badge of honor. We have to stop glamorizing it. Women are already stretched too thin. We don’t need the late nights and early mornings and the calendar that never has space. It’s all just noise. “Doing it all” isn’t sustainable and it shouldn’t be the ideal standard. Mainly because when women feel like they must constantly overextend themselves to be worthy of recognition, we’re not celebrating them, we’re exploiting them.
I feel like it’s time to shift the narrative. I want to celebrate the woman who’s deeply invested in her work, even if she’s not in the spotlight. The one who sets boundaries, who prioritizes quality over quantity, who makes real, tangible contributions that don’t always make it onto Instagram or Linkedin. I want to celebrate balance. Intentionality. Mental wellness. Let’s stop requiring women to prove their worth through exhaustion and neglect.
Most people don’t see that there are women making quiet, powerful change every day, and they deserve to be seen, too.
