Tutu Ariyo

One thing gardening these past years has taught me, everything grows at a different pace.

Some seeds take days.
Some take weeks.
Some surprise you when you least expect it.

So I’ve stopped comparing.

Not my garden.
Not my journey.
Not my growth.

What’s one area of your life you’ll stop comparing… and start nurturing instead?

When I found a good book, I didn't just read it.
I returned to it.

My Coach Anu introduced me to two books early in my agile coaching journey. And for three consecutive years I read them both. Every single year. Without missing a beat.

Not because I had forgotten what was inside. But because I had changed.
I treated those pages like a university. I wrote notes in the margins and marked the pages. I wrote reflections after every chapter. I noticed my reflection changed every year.

They tuned my practice. My presence. My voice.

This practice has taught me.
Depth beats breadth. Every time.

Find your two books. Not twenty. Two. On topic of your interest.
And return to them until they stop surprising you.
They won't. 📚
What do you need to sharpen at the moment?

Somewhere between "yes" and "I'll handle it", I lost the thread of my actual work.
Not because I was lazy. Because I filled every gap with busyness and called it responsibility.
And then one day I collapsed in my kitchen.

That was my interruption.
Here's what took me too long to admit:
Not every urgent thing deserves my best energy. Not every open door is meant for me to walk through. Not every task with my name on it actually belongs to me.

So I started asking one question before saying yes to anything:
"If I take this on, what doesn't get done? And is that trade-off worth it?"

That question became my filter. And the filter became my freedom.
This World Health Day - if you could stop one thing. Not forever. Just long enough to remember what your real work feels like.
What would that be? 👇🏾

Come find me if this is the conversation you need. 🤍
Happy World Health Day. 🌿

Happy Easter Monday Folks! 🐣
Here's a gentle thought for the break: Awareness feels like progress. But it isn't. Not yet.

At some point knowing has to become doing.
Not today though, today enjoy your rest. 😄

But this week, pick one thing you've been aware of for far too long.
And take just one small step.
Come find me if you're ready for that conversation. 🤍

On Good Friday, I am not thinking about comfort.
I am thinking about the cost.

Not all carrying of the cost are equal.
There is carrying that simply accumulates. And there is carrying that paves the way, that makes the path a little smoother for the person walking behind you.

Don't put it down.
Carry it with intention.
Because what you carry today may be the very thing that sets someone else free tomorrow.

❤️

There was a time I allowed my 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 to dictate how I worked, and slowly I slid into mediocrity.

Then I met my mentor, FFO, who said to me plainly, “You’re intelligent, Tutu. It’s not working because you’re not putting in the right work.”

I felt hurt. I wanted validation, not truth.
But she refused to join my pity party. She made me face myself.
I was busy, but not on what mattered. 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠.

There’s a quiet frustration that comes with knowing you’re capable of more… but not seeing it translate.

Not because you’re lazy or that you lack discipline.
But because somewhere along the way, you became an afterthought in your own life.

If you’ve been showing up, holding things together, meeting expectations… while your own goals wait in the background. And you've made other people's tasks your emergency.

And the longer it stays that way, the heavier it feels.
If it resonates, don’t ignore it. That nudge matters.

I'm hosting a 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝟐𝟖 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡, 60 minutes to stop postponing yourself and start moving on what matters.
Details in the comments.

🎡

Not long ago, I had a conversation with a project manager who started the year full of plans, clear goals, and strong energy.

They said to me, “My days are so full… but nothing that actually matters is moving.”

I asked, “What’s sitting in the background for you right now?”

They paused and said, “This constant feeling that I should be further ahead than this.”

As we talked more, it became clear. They were saying yes when needed, stepping in, carrying more than their share, showing up for everyone else, but slowly disappearing from their own priorities.

Their goals had been delayed, their dreams quietly pushed aside, replaced by the daily grind of meeting everyone else’s needs.

They admitted, feeling drained… and a bit disconnected from themself.

Nothing was wrong with them. They just needed space to pause, breathe, and reset.

By the time we finished, things began to change. Not overnight, but enough for them to feel lighter, clearer, and back in control of their direction. Recognising what they are saying yes to at the expense of their dreams and goals.

If that conversation feels familiar, it may be time to face something honestly. Tomorrow is not promised. If you have been postponing yourself, putting your goals second, telling yourself “later” again and again, the year will not wait.
This is exactly why I’m hosting a free session on the 28th, to help you reset and step into Q2 differently.

Here’s what this session will help you do:
📌 Get clear on what actually matters to you right now, not what everyone else needs from you
📌 Identify where you’ve been overgiving and silently postponing your own goals
📌 Break out of the cycle of busyness without progress
📌 Reconnect with the version of you that had clarity, energy, and direction at the start of the year

If you are ready to reclaim your 2026 goals before the year escapes you, I’ve shared the registration link in the comments

Starting something new on IG this month…
Moments With Tutu.

A space for reflection, growth, and honest conversations.

I’ll be starting with Moments with My Younger Self — reading from my book, one letter at a time.

Join me… you might hear something you didn’t know you needed 💫

See you latee today GMT.

Happy Mother's Day to every mother who has ever put her own goals on hold to hold everyone else together.
This one is for you.
💛

Q1 is almost over.
And if you're honest, some of those January goals have already gone quiet.
Not because you don't care, but because life got busy.

Join me on Saturday, 28th March at 11am for Ignite Forward — a free 60-minute online session to reset your Q2 and build a plan you'll actually follow.

Click the link in the comment to register.