From Rock Radio to Self-Renewal: Sheridan Stewart on Breaking Free from Perfectionism
In this conversation with radio broadcaster and author Sheridan Stewart, we explore her remarkable journey from Triple M rock chick to ABC presenter and published author. Beyond the glamour of interviewing rock stars and celebrities, Sheridan reveals how career transitions, personal struggles, and moments of clarity shaped her empowering approach to midlife. Her transformation from constantly striving to finally declaring "I have enough, I do enough, I am enough" offers powerful inspiration for women ready to rewrite their own stories.
Key Takeaways
Your Past Gives You Power
Sheridan's early experiences of resourcefulness and independence became strengths in adulthood. Those moments when you had to "figure it out" yourself have equipped you with resilience and courage that serve you today.
Perfectionism Steals Your Joy
When perfectionism and people-pleasing drive your decisions, boundaries disappear. Sheridan's journey through burnout during back-to-back emergencies (bushfires, pandemic, floods) reveals how caring deeply about your work can lead to harmful patterns that require intentional change.
Press Pause to See Patterns
Sheridan's 90-day challenge to stop dining out and non-essential spending wasn't about deprivation but awareness. Sometimes we need to halt automatic behaviors to uncover the stories driving them. What might you discover by pressing pause on one habit for even a week?
Midlife Offers a Powerful Choice
"We don't go straight from parenting to grandparents," Sheridan explains. There's a "queen phase" between mother and crone where we have unprecedented freedom to redefine ourselves. This isn't about "becoming invisible" but choosing how and where to direct your energy and visibility.
Action Creates Motivation
Waiting to feel motivated before taking action backfires. As Sheridan discovered, "We feel good when we do what we have come on this earth to do." The actions come first, then the feelings follow.
Moving Forward
The most powerful question Sheridan asks herself when feeling flat is simply "What will I do to feel the way I want to feel?" This emphasis on personal agency and action over wishful thinking transforms everything. At 59, Sheridan took up dance classes in the dark where no one could judge her appearance or ability, proving it's never too late to discover new joys.
Remember, as Sheridan would tell her future 80-year-old self: "Sweetheart, you are just getting started." This isn't about running out of time, but rather realising you don't have time to waste on what doesn't truly matter.
Connect with Sheridan:
Website http://www.sheridanstewart.com/
Connect with me:
Share your journey with me by sending me a message on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/joclarkcoaching/
Email me your success story at jo@joclarkcoaching.com.
What you do today shapes your tomorrow. Your health matters because YOU matter.
Here’s to redefining midlife and making our next half of life even better than the first.
