Upstream Leverage
Why July is your most strategic month - if you’re paying attention.
July has a weird energy.
Half the world is on “holiday.”
The other half is “catching up.”
And everyone’s secretly trying to squeeze in some mythical “strategic thinking time” between inbox zero and sunburns.
What I keep hearing from the brilliant high-performers I work with:
“It’s chaos. I’m just trying to clear the decks.”
“I’m behind on emails and haven’t had time to think clearly in weeks.”
“I know I need to be more strategic. But… I don’t even know what that means for me anymore.”
Here’s what I say to that:
This is your most leveraged moment of the year - if you dare use it well.
Lag ≠ Strategy
In business, we know how to chase symptoms:
📉 Revenue’s down? We dive into sales effectiveness.
🧯 Culture’s off? We throw in an offsite.
📊 People are leaving? We check the engagement scores.
All lag indicators.
We’re trained to track the outcomes.
But smart operators?
They go upstream.
They look at the early signals - the decisions, conversations, behaviours, systems that shaped the results months ago.
We do this in business.
But we rarely do it for ourselves.
What’s your personal pipeline health?
Here’s what I see:
Leaders are not burnt out because they’re weak.
They’re exhausted because they’re over-obligated and under-committed.
Saying yes too often.
Leading without a personal strategy.
Reacting to life like it’s one giant e-mail thread.
If you struggle to say no in your personal life…
You’re almost definitely doing it at work too.
(But with fancier excuses.)
And that so-called “strategic thinking time”?
Often just a guilt-wrapped way to do email triage in peace.
Upstream leverage is this:
Tracking your real energy, not just your calendar
Noticing how often you’re bracing, rushing, fixing
Getting honest about what you’re doing out of fear, habit, or “should”
Remembering you can’t outsource vision - not for your company, and definitely not for your life
Tracking and focusing on Lead indicators predicts the outcomes and enables you to intervene in time. In business and in life.
But let’s be clear:
Most people have a company vision and strategy.
Very few have personal ones. So how would you know what lead indicators to track?
That’s not just unfortunate.
It’s dangerous.
(And if you want a deeper take on energy management, check out The Human Battery Paradox article)
TL;DR:
You’re not tired because of July.
You’re tired because you’ve ignored the signals since March.
If your business was running like your body or your calendar,
you’d be calling in consultants.
It’s not more hustle you need.
It’s Upstream Leverage.
PS: If this made you uncomfortable, good. That means it’s working.
If it made you laugh a little, even better. That means you’re still alive.
Want help with that?
That’s exactly what The Lens is for.
A 2-hour precision coaching session to map your upstream landscape.
We find the pattern, identify the real leverage point, and help you move.
Because most are reacting.
Few are leading.
And the ones who pause now? They’re the ones who fly in Q4.
🔍 Book The Lens (Investment: 1.000 EUR to solve your 10.000 EUR challenge or dream) → anja.coach@proton.me
Want more?
Here are 3 other powerful ways to transform your leadership, impact and life:
🌊 The Mare - A private 2-day retreat in Ericeira, Portugal. Focus, align, and unlock what changes everything.
🌲 The Woods - A 5-month 1:1 coaching partnership. Build clarity, confidence and leadership presence. Turn uncertainty into strategic advantage.
☄️ The Comet - An 11-month VIP coaching & strategic thinking partnership (by invitation only). For those who want to fully transform their life, business and leadership.
Reach out: anja.coach@proton.me.
We’ll talk.
We’ll walk together.
And we’ll change your life.