Why You Might Be Addicted To Achievement (And How To Let Peace In Without Slowing Down)

The Full Frontal Living™ Podcast with Lisa Carpenter

What if the driving force behind your achievements isn't about what you want, but what you're desperately trying to run away from? In this raw and honest episode, Lisa gets real about the hidden addiction to achievement that so many high performers share—and why your relationship with success might actually be keeping you from the life you really want.

What We're Diving Into:

The Achievement Trap: Lisa breaks down how the constant chase for more—awards, recognition, that next level of success—often becomes a way to avoid sitting with ourselves. Are you actually pursuing your dreams, or are you just trying to outrun discomfort?

Your Power to Choose (Yes, Really): Here's the thing—you're not stuck in old patterns or at the mercy of external validation. Through awareness and honest self-reflection, you can choose how to respond, break the cycles that are keeping you small, and create new patterns that actually nourish you.

Peace Without the Productivity Guilt: This isn't about slowing down or doing less (Lisa knows that's not realistic for most of us). It's about learning how to let peace and satisfaction exist alongside your ambitions. You can have both.

Success That Actually Feels Good: True fulfillment isn't about what everyone else sees on the outside—it's about how you feel when you're alone with yourself. Lisa shares how to build that intimate, loving relationship with yourself where peace becomes your new normal.

Living Enchanted: Drawing from Elizabeth Gilbert's work, Lisa introduces the concept of an "enchanted life"—not the Instagram version, but a sustainable way of being that's grounded, balanced, and deeply satisfying.

The Real Talk Moments:

• Why excitement and depression are often two sides of the same coin—and how many of us are actually addicted to the chaos
• How your body can become hooked on dopamine and adrenaline hits, making stillness feel scary or "wrong"
• The hard questions you need to ask yourself about where you're chasing intensity instead of actual fulfillment
• Why reclaiming your power of choice is the gateway to deeper presence, creativity, and connection

Your Homework (Because Lisa Always Gives You Homework):

Get Honest: Where are you mistaking busyness for productivity? When did you last choose to slow down instead of being forced to?

Notice the Good Stuff: What are your moments of real enchantment? The ones that fill you up without requiring achievement? Can you let more of these in?

Remember This: You deserve to feel as good as your life looks on paper. But that's a choice you have to make from the inside out.

Bottom line: Every single day, you get to choose—to let peace in, to honor what you've built, and to create a life that feels as incredible as it looks. The question is: will you?

Ready to Go Deeper?

Lisa shares details about working together, including her Reclamation program for women ready to stop performing their lives and start living them, one-on-one coaching, and her upcoming Tulum retreat where you'll integrate peace and ambition in the most beautiful setting.

If this episode hit you right in the feels, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And honestly? Leave a review. It helps other people find these conversations when they need them most.