I felt it coming. I tried to outrun it, work around it, and even push through it. But my body said no more. My mind said no more. My momentum came to a grinding halt.

Suddenly, everything slowed down to quite an uncomfortable pace.

A couple of life circumstances sparked this slowdown, and it has now transformed into a full surrender.

Not fully by choice, but maybe for a reason.

I used to see slowdowns as setbacks—something to fix, recover from, or push through.

But lately, I’m beginning to see them differently. Maybe they’re not interruptions, but invitations to discover what I could learn from them.

Because this particular flavor of discomfort is one so many driven entrepreneurs carry—the belief that we can’t slow down, we can’t stop… all because we were taught to measure progress and success by how fast we’re constantly moving or how much we’re consistently performing.

Inevitably, you will experience a slowdown at some point.

It can happen by choice through an intentional pause to reassess, recalibrate, or rest. A vacation. Some time off. Maybe you sensed some misalignment and proactively cleared space to regroup.

Other times, it was chosen for you. A health condition. Something unexpected happens. Life decided to rearrange your priorities without permission.

No matter how it arrives, a slowdown in your business can initially feel disorienting—a disruption that forces a change, whether you’re ready or not. And underneath the surface, something even more unexpected starts to unfold.

What’s often missed in those moments is that the pause itself isn’t the problem.

It’s what arises in the stillness that makes it hard to sit with

Most avoid it, but within that discomfort lies something worth paying attention to.

You might feel unproductive. Off track. Behind.

The external noise starts creeping in. "You should be doing more." "You can’t afford to stop." Or the worst… "you’re losing momentum."

It’s easy to believe that slowing down is a setback or even a sign of failure. Most starting running again out of fear, out of obligation, or out of pure habit.

But here’s the blindspot most driven entrepreneurs miss when life forces them to pump the brakes:

A slowdown doesn’t mean you’re off path.
It’s often the most necessary part of your growth.

What you’re not often told is that slowdowns come with invisible layers. They're not just about rest or recovery. They reveal cracks you didn’t know existed. And they rarely show up in a neat, convenient package. Often, they feel like… chaos.

You think you’ll have space to reflect. Instead, you’re met with a flood of unease and dread you didn’t RSVP for:

• The creeping anxiety and guilt of “not doing enough”

• Pressure to make the most of this time

• The mental noise you’ve kept at bay with busyness now surfacing

• A nervous itch to fill the void or strong avoidance to face those uncomfortable thoughts

• A haunting fear of momentum you gave up and might never “get back”

The deeper blindspot isn’t just the discomfort of stopping. It’s the assumption that momentum equals alignment. That as long as you’re moving forward, you must be on the right track.

But slowdowns expose what you truly need

It shows you where you’ve been operating on outdated definitions of success or inherited metrics you never questioned. They uncover where you’ve been overidentifying with your output or mistaking control for stability.

This is the part no one warns you about:

Sometimes you’ll lose your rhythm in order to find your truth.

The truth doesn’t always arrive with clarity. Sometimes it starts with the unraveling.

The course/workshop/program you were certain would be your breakthrough starts to feel lifeless. The structure that used to give you certainty now feels like a cage. Your body refuses to keep up with a pace you no longer want but didn’t feel “allowed” to stop.

These moments don’t feel like wisdom at first. They feel like failure, but here’s a new way to look at them…

Slowdowns are a revelation

They peel back the layers of performance—of the should’s, the external validation, the overexertion of efforting, and ask:

Who are you when you’re not achieving?
What remains when your plans are paused?

That’s the real discomfort.

Not the lack of activity, but the unfamiliarity of facing your own reflection without a role or result to cling to.

But that’s also the power.

Because when you confront that question honestly, you begin to rebuild from a deeper foundation—one not rooted in urgency or image, but in clarity, congruence, and trust.

In fact, it's in these slower, quieter moments that the most vital clarity can finally come through.

When you're constantly producing, planning, or pushing forward, there's little room to assess if your actions are still aligned with your values—or simply echoes of what used to matter.

Yes, that is plenty uncomfortable.

You may grieve your previous momentum. You may question your worth when you're not “doing.” There can be real despair when you feel like you're no longer in control.

But it’s also in these moments that you develop a deeper kind of self trust.

You get to examine:

• What was driving your pace in the first place?

• What assumptions were you carrying about what “enough” looks like?

• What parts of your work or identity feel threatened when you're not achieving?

That’s the real work. Not bouncing back as quickly as possible, but being brave enough to ask what this experience is revealing about how you relate to effort, self worth, and control.

Here’s what’s often true underneath it all:

When your body, mind, or life forces a pivot, it’s rarely random. It’s responding to an invisible accumulation of unaddressed strain, misalignment, or silence that’s finally too loud or too heavy to ignore.

This isn’t punishment. It’s protection.

Not failure… but feedback.

Not a detour… but an invitation.

The question becomes… “Will you listen?”

Because what you learn in these moments can fundamentally reshape how you work, create, and relate. If you let it, this slowdown can teach you how to lead from clear intentions instead of pressure… to build sustainability into your systems… and to give yourself the permission you’ve always craved but never dared to grant.

What if the guilt you’ve been feeling isn’t meant to shame you but show you a different way?

You might not have chosen this pace, but you get to choose what it becomes.

I used to see this as a setback and would quickly try to get back to my prior pace or what I’ve been told I should be doing. Believing it was the right thing to do or that it’s the only way.

I am continuing to make different choices. I am questioning it all. I’m not just adjusting my schedule. I’m examining and unraveling the patterns underneath the hustle.

This stage has been uncomfortable, disorienting, and… strangely clarifying. I don’t have a perfect system yet. But through Soulfueled, I’m uncovering what might finally make my work sustainable.

There is another way, and I will find my way there. More soon on what I’m parting ways with… and what is finally starting to click.

P.S. If this post helped you feel less alone in the discomfort of slowing down, give it a 💜 to let me know. Share or restack this post to remind someone else that stillness isn’t failure—it’s often the moment that reveals what’s no longer aligned and what’s truly ready to shift.

I just need more time.

I need to be fully ready before I start.

Maybe I should do a little more research first.

Procrastination doesn’t always look like laziness. It can come off like a wise decision, convincing yourself that now isn’t the right time to take action or it’s best not to be impulsive due to some sort of potential risk.

You hesitate. You overthink. You second guess.

You then fill your time with low priority tasks that keep you busy, but not progressing.

And before you know it, another week, another month, another year has passed—and you’re still going in circles, stuck in a similar spot.

I’m not ashamed to admit that procrastination still creeps into my decisions, because these situations also become great teachers, showing me how I can do better.

I wasted time dragging my feet when the choice was absolutely the right decision for me. I put off pivoting my coaching niche because I wanted to make sure it was the right move. Could I have done it sooner? Probably. I kept delaying it because deep down, I was scared of making a mistake and feeling like a failure for giving up. Plus, I felt daunted by how much work I’d have ahead of me, revamping all of my plans, content, and offerings, as it felt like I was going back to square one. But it became the best decision for me when I finally did. I’m so much happier, more motivated, and excited about what I’m working on now.

I ended up wasting all this money on a resource that I barely used! I got excited about this service that can create an AI coach version of me so that my clients can get my advice and frameworks on demand whenever they need it. That sounded like such a cool idea, so I excitedly jumped in. But I didn’t have the time to work on it, and I wasn’t prepared for all the behind-the-scenes work it required to get it up and running. There went 10 months of subscription fees down the drain. Yes, it took me that long to finally just cancel the service, all because I had FOMO and didn't want to face my own limitations.

…and this is just a tiny subset of the ways I’ve procrastinated due to some sort of fear or didn't want to let go just yet.

It’s such a sneaky stall tactic!

Your brain isn’t sabotaging you on purpose. It’s simply trying to keep you safe. Avoiding action isn’t just a bad habit. It’s a built in survival response designed to keep you in your comfort zone, away from potential risks.

It’s your mind’s way of shielding you from:

• Fear of failure, so you delay rather than risk getting it wrong

• Discomfort of the unknown, so you cling to what you know instead of stepping into uncertainty

• Loss of control, so you wait for the perfect conditions before taking action

But instead of protecting you, this cycle keeps you stuck. You stall. You overprepare. You convince yourself that you’ll start once you’re ready.

Another major pitfall I see purpose-driven entrepreneurs fall into is Avoidant Procrastination—the belief that if you wait long enough for the right moment or solution, your level of confidence or motivation will eventually appear.

Every time you put something off, you’re reinforcing hesitation as your default. The task doesn’t disappear—it lingers in the back of your mind, draining your energy and confidence. Before you know it, you’ve spent months thinking instead of progressing—while others who started imperfectly are already miles ahead.

This self sabotaging behavior is what I call your inner “Disruptor”, and these are some ways it could show up:

• You read, watch, and listen to all the advice… but don’t apply any of it.

• You tell yourself you need more info before you can move forward.

• You feel paralyzed by too many options and struggle to make a decision.

• You keep adding the same tasks on your to do list over and over again without actually doing it.

If any of this resonates, all your mental rehearsing and justifications for waiting are just quietly closing the windows of opportunity behind you.

Here’s the truth: Readiness isn’t what leads to action. Commitment and firm decision making are what truly create action. Taking that first step, even before you feel ready, is what builds momentum and leads to the clarity you’ve been seeking.

The productivity illusion

The problem isn’t your ability—it’s how you’re following through with your ideas and goals.

When you hesitate and overthink:

• Your confidence weakens because inaction fuels self doubt.

• Your progress feels further out of reach as your dreams remain “someday” goals.

• Your ideas stay stuck in your head instead of becoming results.

The goal isn’t to force yourself into constant action. It’s to create a rhythm of progress that feels aligned and sustainable.

Taking small, intentional steps lifts the mental burden of procrastination and turns hesitation into progress. By changing how you engage with action, you create a smoother path forward—one that feels aligned, manageable, and sustainable.

ARE YOU STUCK IN THIS CYCLE?

This is just one of the seven inner Disruptors that can wreak havoc on your productivity and keep you stuck.

Want to know which ones are secretly sabotaging your decision making skills?

In a few minutes, the Success Blocker Quiz can help you identify the patterns that are quietly stalling your progress.

Stop overthinking and start taking action⎯begin with taking the quiz.

Take the quiz now

It’s not all doom and gloom. Here’s the flip side!

If this cycle sounds familiar, don’t beat yourself up. These patterns don’t mean you’re failing—they mean you have strengths that just aren’t being channeled the right way.

When channeled intentionally, these seemingly bad Avoidant Procrastination traits help you make thoughtful decisions, produce high quality work, and create strategies that set you up for long term success.

The key is learning to direct them toward action rather than letting them keep you stuck in hesitation.

🐢 Deep thinker + strategist

• You have a strong ability to see the big picture and anticipate potential challenges before they arise.

• Your analytical mind helps you consider all possible angles, leading to well thought out decisions.

• When focused, you can break down complex tasks into structured, actionable steps.

🏆 Driven by excellence

• You set high standards for yourself, making sure that your work is polished, thoughtful, and impactful.

• Your attention to detail helps you refine ideas and produce high quality results.

• You naturally push yourself to improve, which fuels long term growth and mastery.

🐝 High energy go getter

• You are proactive and thrive on movement, making it easy for you to stay engaged and take action.

• You excel at handling multiple tasks and keeping projects moving forward.

• Your ability to adapt and shift gears quickly makes you highly resourceful in fast paced environments.

⏳ Rapid problem solver

• You work well under tight deadlines and can deliver results quickly when needed.

• Your ability to focus intensifies under pressure, helping you push through distractions and execute efficiently.

• You’re highly adaptable and can make fast decisions, allowing you to navigate challenges with ease.

Deep thinking, high standards, and laser focus execution are powerful assets… as long as they’re paired with action, confidence, and momentum.

Harness these strengths with purpose and channel them intentionally to move you out of procrastination towards what you actually desire.

It’s never too late

More waiting won’t fix your programs, as procrastination doesn’t magically make them disappear. It just compounds over time, keeping you further and further from where you actually want to be.

Don’t let another week, month, or year slip by while you wait to feel ready. Take the quiz now—because the sooner you start and the more awareness you have, the sooner you gain momentum. Buh bye, limbo. Hello, progress. You’ve got this!

P.S. If this post helped you recognize the subtle ways procrastination has been stalling your growth, tap the 💜 to acknowledge that shift. Share or restack this post to help others stop waiting for the “perfect” moment to start and make the moves toward their goals.

Work harder. Do more. Now do it faster!

Hustle Culture is quite toxic, because no matter what and how much you do, it’s still never enough.

It shows you all that glamour, abundance, and mind blowing results—all the things you also want for yourself—to lure you in.

Then it deeply intertwines those visions of success with these beliefs, by repeatedly telling you:

• More is better.

• It’s a numbers game, so sheer quantity is better than quality.

• You’re not enough… and definitely not doing enough.

These beliefs drive you to do more and more, then faster and faster.

You might get glimmers or waves of results, but most likely, it’s mainly leading you quicker to burnout.

I’ve been there… waaayyy too many times to count. I’ve burned out and even burned myself to the ground. I’d try to justify all this that it’s just a part of the process. Everyone around me burns out, so this must be normal, right?

I’d try to glamourize my journey by equating myself to the life cycle of a phoenix, that each time I experience burnout, I’m just rebirthing myself from the ashes.

But honestly, what BS!! All that is just exhausting, and I’ve been so tired of it.

I feel like I keep going through the same cycles of overdoing it, burning out, and then crashing into a state of exhaustive halt, where I’m forced to pause, stop, and rest to recover.

This isn’t sustainable. This isn’t fun and exciting anymore. There has to be another way!

As entrepreneurs, we pride ourselves on our drive, right? We chase goals, push limits, and do whatever it takes to make things happen.

But what if I told you that doing more is actually keeping you stuck?

One of the biggest traps I see purpose-driven entrepreneurs fall into is Overdoing Churn and Burnout—the belief that success requires nonstop action.

Maybe this sounds familiar:

• You feel guilty when you’re not working, so you keep adding more to your plate.

• You say yes to everything because you don’t want to miss an opportunity.

• You push through exhaustion, convincing yourself that hard work will pay off eventually.

• When things slow down, you find more work to do—because stress and busyness have become your norm.

If any of this resonates, you might be running on an endless cycle of churn and burnout.

This self sabotaging behavior is what I call your inner “Disruptor”.

With a healthy dose and good balance of these characteristics, the drive that leads to Overdoing Churn and Burnout is actually great for you! In fact, these quality positive traits often fuel success, creativity, and resilience.

But when they’re out of balance, that’s when it becomes that Disruptor sabotaging your progress and hijacking your productivity.

Plus, you’re also getting something from it, which is why you keep doing it and can’t stop!

The key is learning how to harness their strengths without letting them consume you:

🐴 Relentless dedication

• Your strong work ethic and commitment help you push through challenges and deliver exceptional results.

• You take pride in what you do and refuse to settle for mediocrity.

• When balanced, this drive helps you grow, achieve big goals, and follow through on commitments.

♻️ High efficiency + drive

• You have a natural ability to get things done and make the most of your time.

• You thrive on momentum and are great at keeping projects moving forward.

• When used wisely, your ability to take action and stay focused makes you incredibly effective.

🔥 Bold innovation + momentum

• You bring energy, excitement, and fresh ideas to everything you do.

• You take risks, embrace change, and don’t let fear hold you back from starting something new.

• When paired with consistency, this ability to pivot and adapt can lead to breakthrough success.

The goal isn’t to eliminate these traits—it’s to channel them intentionally. Dedication, efficiency, and innovation are powerful tools for success… as long as they’re paired with sustainability, focus, and rest.

The productivity illusion

The problem isn’t your work ethic—it’s the hidden cost of how you’re working.

When you overdo it, you’re not actually moving forward faster. You’re just running yourself into the ground. Productivity isn’t about working harder. It’s about working smarter.

When you’re constantly pushing:

• Your creativity suffers.

• Your decision making weakens.

• Your body and mind wear out, which leads to a whole slew of other problems.

Success isn’t about how much you do. It’s about how effectively you do it.

ARE YOU STUCK IN THIS CYCLE?

This is just one of the seven Inner Disruptors that can wreak havoc on your productivity and keep you stuck.

Want to know which ones are secretly sabotaging your progress?

In a few minutes, the Success Blocker Quiz can help you identify the patterns that are quietly stalling your progress.

Take the quiz now to find out which habits are slowing you down—and what you can do to break free.

Take the quiz now

It’s never too late

Awareness is always the first step. By identifying your patterns and natural tendencies, you can start doing something about it.

Nope, ignoring the signs of burnout will not magically make them disappear. They just build and build and build… until you experience something dramatically horrible that forces you to change. Let’s avoid that.

If you’re tired of overworking and still feeling behind, it’s time to get clear on what’s creating those symptoms and results. Take the quiz, get your results, and start working in a way that actually fuels your success—instead of draining you dry. You got this!

P.S. If this post reminded you that doing more isn’t the answer and rest can be powerful, tap the ❤️ to honor that shift. Share or restack this post to help other entrepreneurs unhook from hustle culture and reclaim a more sustainable way of working.

When was the last time these hopeful, longing words slipped out of your mouth: “I’ll be happy when…”?

…I make enough money?
…I have enough time?
…I get x amount of followers/subscribers?
…I can hire someone to do that for me?
…I can have some time off?
…I retire and don’t have to work anymore?

Having goals and desires isn’t the problem. They’re great for you as they stretch you, challenge you, and help you grow.

The problem is when happiness becomes something you delay—something you put off until some future milestone is reached.

Because what happens when you get there? You move the goalpost!

Then the cycle repeats.

When you say “I’ll be happy when…”, what you’re really saying is “I won’t be happy until…”

In other words, you are postponing your happiness. You’re forcing yourself to achieve a set condition before you allow yourself to be happy and satisfied.

Suddenly, what you thought would bring you happiness is just another thing you checked off your list. You tell yourself you need to do more, achieve more, be more before you can finally feel how you want to feel.

And just like that, happiness remains out of reach.

The secret? You don’t have to wait.

Happiness isn’t something that magically appears once you’ve “earned” it. It’s something you create.

You can choose to build your business in a way that feels fulfilling now, not just once you reach a certain revenue goal.

You can create work habits that support your joy now, not after you’ve “proven” yourself.

You can find meaning outside of work now, not once everything in your business is perfectly aligned.

Because if you don’t learn how to cultivate happiness along the way, you risk building a life where you have everything you thought you wanted—but still feel empty.

Work in a way that fuels you, not drains you

Your work is part of your purpose, but it’s not your whole life.

If you’re grinding in a way that leaves you depleted, constantly chasing the next thing without appreciating what you’ve already built, ask yourself:

• Am I working in a way that actually feels good to me?

• Do I enjoy the process of what I do, or am I just pushing toward an outcome?

• Am I honoring my energy and natural tendencies, or am I forcing productivity at all costs?

The how matters just as much as the what. If your current work habits feel like a neverending treadmill, it’s time to reassess.

Less force. More flow. Less pressure. More presence.

Find fulfillment outside of work, too.

You didn’t leave the 9-to-5 grind just to work more, did you?

Make time for the things that light you up—not just your business wins, but your life outside of it.

• Prioritize hobbies that have nothing to do with work.

• Spend time with people who energize you.

• Create small daily rituals that bring you joy, not to maximize your time.

• Give yourself permission to rest without guilt.

Because here’s the truth: When you cultivate joy outside of work, your business thrives—not because you’re hustling harder, but because you’re showing up from a place of fulfillment, not depletion.

Enjoy happiness by choice

Waiting to be happy is a trap.

Instead of “I’ll be happy when…”, ask yourself: “How can I create moments of it for myself today?”

Not after you hit that next milestone.
Not after you fix everything in your business.
Not after you have it all figured out.

But now… in the life you already have.

Because happiness isn’t a reward at the finish line. It’s something you create with every choice you make, and you don’t have to wait until some distant future in order to enjoy it.

Instead of waiting for happiness to arrive someday, bring it into your today.

YOUR INSPIRED ACTION

The lens through which you live your life shifts when you change your focus to enjoying happiness instead of chasing those symbols of success, achievements, milestones, or set conditions.

Happiness can be in your now… right now. Even the tiniest ones make a difference. You can create happiness for yourself in this exact moment just by being willing to create it or see it in your life.

Rediscover and remind yourself of where and how you can find it in your daily life. Find a happy memory, do something that makes you smile, indulge in a guilty pleasure, watch a comedy and laugh out loud, or hug a loved one.

Take this moment to write down 3 small and simple actions that bring you joy—one in your work, one in your daily routine, and one outside of both.

Now commit to actually doing them within the next 24 hours.

Because the business, the life, and the fulfillment you dream of aren’t only found in the future.

They’re built into the choices you make right now.

P.S. If this helped you rethink how often you postpone your own happiness, tap the ❤️ to anchor that reminder for yourself. Share or restack this post to help others stop waiting for permission to enjoy the life they’re already building, too.

You’re mentally exhausted. Your body battery has been running low. You might also be dealing with a chaotic overwhelm or be in an utterly burned out state.

Then, an exciting opportunity or new request came your way. Despite knowing better, you find yourself saying, “Sure, I can do that!”

You say “yes” because you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity, or you feel like you’re obligated in some way. Regardless of whatever reason you tell yourself, you know you’ll find a way to make it work.

But then reality hits… You’re already stretched too thin.

You’re juggling too much, dropping balls, and not showing up in the way you’d hoped. You conveniently “forgot” about your other priorities, existing commitments, and that long list of things you still have to do.

That one “yes” turns into a commitment that eats into your personal time, forces you to sacrifice quality to get it done, or, worst case, one that you can’t fully honor.

This is the entrepreneurial equivalent of “avoid saying something you’ll regret later when you’re angry.”

In anger, it’s possible to speak before thinking and say things you don’t mean.
In burnout, you’re likely to overpromise before careful consideration and easily commit to things you can’t handle.

In either emotional state, the outcome is the same… regret.

The burnout promise quicksand

When you’re burned out, your decision-making skills are impaired and skewed. You’re operating from a place of exhaustion, scarcity, or FOMO. You tell yourself:

• “I’ll make it work somehow.”

• “It’s just one more thing. I can handle it.”

• “If I don’t say yes, I might lose momentum or fall behind.”

But what happens? You unintentionally overpromise and underdeliver:

• That “one more thing” stretches your already-limited energy even thinner, edging you closer to a breaking point.

• Prior commitments start to slip through the cracks, and you have to clean up that “mess” after.

• More stress weighs heavily on you as you pile on more guilt, shame, or frustration. Because in this process, you are not only letting others down, but you are also letting yourself down.

That mental and emotional quicksand becomes a trap that takes more time and additional effort to pull yourself out of.

That’s when you kick yourself, wishing you didn’t say “yes” in the first place. You know there’s no one else to blame because you are the one who got yourself here.

Overpromising hurts more than it helps

When you overpromise, you might think you’re helping your business, your audience, or your goals. But in reality, you’re eroding trust—both with yourself and with others.

• With others: Overcommitting often leads to rushed work, missed deadlines, or a watered-down version of what you originally intended. It’s not fair to your audience, clients, or collaborators to give them less than your best.

• With yourself: Overpromising chips away at your confidence and sense of integrity. Each time you stretch yourself too thin, you reinforce the belief that you can’t handle it all (which isn’t true!!)

And let’s be honest, the people who truly value your work and energy would much rather you say “no” than say “yes” and then fall short.

Burnout is the enemy of good decisions

When you’re burned out, you’re not thinking clearly. You have blinders on and are trying to make decisions from survival mode, not alignment. It’s like trying to see a clear path forward through a heavy fog—you’re guessing from a lack of clarity and a state of uncertainty.

This is why burnout and overpromising go hand in hand!

When you’re depleted, everything feels urgent, and your boundaries are weakened. You convince yourself you have to do more, even when “more” is the very thing that’s keeping you stuck.

Saving yourself from that burnout promise quicksand

The key to escaping this trap is simple but powerful: Don’t make promises when you’re burned out.

Give yourself the time, space, and permission to pause, reflect, and ask:

1. Am I saying “yes” because it’s in alignment—or because I’m afraid?
   Be honest. FOMO or falling behind is never a good reason to commit to something.

2. Do I have the time, energy, and focus to deliver on this promise?
   Saying “yes” isn’t just about time. It’s about the quality of your presence and energy. Remember, you are putting your wellbeing and reputation on the line here!

3. What are the obvious and potentially hidden costs of adding this to my plate?
   Every “yes” is a “no” to something else. Make sure you’re saying yes to the right things and using no’s to protect your time, energy, and other priorities in business and life.

4. What would it look like to say no respectfully?
   Remember, a kind, thoughtful “no” is better than a half-assed, overcommitted “yes.” Your integrity matters more than the temporary discomfort of turning something down. Your “no” gives that other person the opportunity to find someone else who has the ability to better deliver on that “yes”.

Focus on less but better

Saying “no” isn’t just a boundary. It’s a gift to yourself and others.

When you commit to fewer things, you create space to do those things exceptionally well. That’s where your magic lies—showing up fully present and aligned, not stretched thin and resentful.

Because here’s the truth: more isn’t always better. Sometimes, it’s just more burden and weight that you didn’t need to sign up for in the first place.

So the next time you’re tempted to overpromise, take a deep breath and give yourself the time and space to thoughtfully make a proper decision. Remind yourself that you’re not in competition with anyone else’s timeline or to do list. Your energy is your most precious resource, and it deserves to be protected!

Honor your commitments (and yourself) by choosing less but better. You’ll not only avoid the regret of overpromising when you’re burned out, but you’ll build a foundation of trust, integrity, and sustainable growth.

And THAT is the kind of success that feels good from the inside out.

USEFUL JOURNAL PROMPTS

Look back at moments you wish you had said “no” and recall the reasons you convinced yourself that it was a good idea prior. What can you learn from those past experiences that can help you make better, more sustainable decisions going forward?

P.S. If you’ve ever said “yes” when you were already at your limit, tap the ❤️ as a reminder to honor your energy next time. Share or restack this post to help someone else avoid the burnout promise trap and protect what truly matters.

I confess… I’ve been on the quieter side lately. I’ve spread myself thin like a crepe and burnt myself crispy. I finally cracked and was left picking up the pieces.

Plus, with the winter season approaching, I also felt the desire to slow down, even though the workaholic part of me wants to push harder since there is only so much time left in the year.

But I went against my old patterns of pushing through, and I chose to pause.

I sat with all these uncomfortable thought patterns and feelings to identify where it all went wrong with my planning, my approach, and my mindset.

That sucked, and I’m still in recovery from burning myself out for a good chunk of this year. I thought it was fine and that I could push through, but my faulty reasonings led to my current state.

Exiting the burnout fast lane

In a world where we’re constantly encouraged to do more, achieve more, and have more, it’s easy to feel like you’re constantly falling short in some way. Not only that, but you’re also asked to do it faster and perform with clockwork-like consistency as if you’re a machine.

…and these hustle-inducing paradigms have been unconsciously sabotaging your long term progress and overall wellbeing.

Because you are human.

Because you have a life outside of work.

Because you also have your own unique blend of values, beliefs, experiences, skill sets, needs, and wants, too.

It doesn’t help when you try to disregard all that and act like someone else, hoping to find the “right” shortcut or method to success as soon as possible.

So, honestly, ask yourself—what is all that rushing doing to you? What's behind that pressure to do it all and do it all now?

The most common top-level answer is financial because you’re trying to make x amount of money as soon as possible due to the various financial obligations heavily weighing over you. (Psst, that’s also one of the most common and easiest sales hooks to get your attention and money, too.)

But there are other underlying factors contributing to your stress, overwhelm, and soul draining patterns.

And what if going against these common beliefs is your best business strategy instead?

Here are 3 productivity lies that are unconsciously sabotaging your progress towards building a Soulfueled business:

1 - More means better

We live in a society that’s all about more—more accomplishments, more productivity, more hustle, and more possessions. But how often do we stop to ask, "Is this pace sustainable?" “Do I really need this?” and “Is this what I truly want?”

We’re trained to chase after more, which leads to greed. We’re encouraged to buy more, which leads to hoarding. We’re taught that we’re not enough in some way, which leads to low self worth and lack of self confidence.

When you push yourself relentlessly, you risk losing yourself trying to be like someone else or trying to impress others. You risk exhaustive burnout and sacrificing what actually matters. You risk draining your passion, focus, and motivation—the very things that fuel your business.

Plus, when you’re trying to replicate the output of a team as a solopreneur, that can easily lead to feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and burnt out from juggling all the roles you need to play simultaneously in work and life.

INSTEAD: Focus on “less but better.” Commit to fewer things, stop spreading yourself so thin, and concentrate on doing things better. Simply, it’s about quality over quantity.

Plus, don’t promise anything when you’re burned out and overstretched. You might feel like things would get better if you did more. But all that moreness can become unnecessary pressure and end up wasting your precious resources.

A prior mentor told me to “Say yes to everything and buy everything. It doesn’t matter if you use it. Do that to open more doors and create more opportunities for success.” That sounded like a good idea initially, until I took that to the extreme and wasted all this money hoarding seemingly warehouses full of shelf help content and spent all this time chasing after the next, newest, or latest idea. I not only realized how damaging that advice has been, but I also now see through his underlying intent of encouraging me to spend more money with his organization.

Less doesn’t mean worse or not living up to your potential. Less means you can develop better focus, higher quality of work, and more space for your creativity, enjoyment, and other priorities in life.

2 - Push harder to get there faster

Seeing other people’s progress can make you feel like you’re not doing enough or fast enough. You might think that if you push yourself harder or force your way through to get the results you want faster.

But that’s not always the case. Instead, take a look at what’s really necessary for where you’re currently at. Are those self imposed deadlines actually required? Is that right next step to take right now? Are you setting realistic goals that factor in all of your responsibilities, downtime, and those inevitable surprises life throws your way?

Many of us set these ambitious schedules assuming we'll have uninterrupted focus or as if that’s the only thing we need to do. But life, especially life as an entrepreneur, rarely follows a perfect plan.

INSTEAD: Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your progress is to slow down, breathe, and release unnecessary pressure you put on yourself.

When you honor downtime and a slower pace, you’re giving yourself the time and space to recharge and find better clarity. You’ll feel more grounded, refreshed, and actually more effective.

Honor the pace and the season you’re in—whether it’s the season of your business, your life, or the actual year. Each has its respective influence over your focus, productivity, and output.

For example, winter is coming (for the northern hemisphere). It’s a natural time to wind down, reflect, and plan for what’s next. It’s a season to let go of the pressure to "keep up" and honor the natural slowing down that this time of year encourages. You could also be in a winter-like season of your business, even at other times of the calendar year.

Taking a pause can lead to the greatest insights, ideas, and even the answers you’ve been looking for, too. There is a lot of wisdom in aligning your planning with these natural cycles, however you want to categorize them.

3 - Spend all your downtime to get ahead

Many of us push ourselves as if every moment of not "doing" is a sign of procrastination, laziness, or failure. But is it really? The truth is that this approach can take a toll on your wellbeing, your creativity, and especially your business.

You might have to do this to some degree if you have a full time job. You could probably do that if you don’t have a partner, kids, or family members who also need your time, energy, and attention. Regardless of your situation, giving up your downtime needs to be more intentional with clear boundaries, or else you might sacrifice more than what you want.

INSTEAD: Rethink your "unproductive" time. Watching a movie, indulging in hobbies, or even just daydreaming—activities often dismissed as distractions—are essential parts of recharging. Just as sleep restores your body, downtime restores your mind. It’s a chance to process all you’ve been through, reflect on your progress, and give your mind the space to make connections that you might not see while you’re deep in the daily grind.

Rest isn’t just about recuperating—it’s essential for connecting to your creativity, finding your flow, and returning to your zone of genius. Give yourself permission to rest, so that you can create space for inspiration to strike. When you push yourself too hard, you can lose that ease and natural spark and replace them with stress and strain.

Instead, listen to what your body and mind are telling you. If you’re feeling that urge to slow down, honor it. This isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of Soulfueled wisdom. Rest fills your cup so you can show up for your work, your clients, yourself, and others in your life with the full version of you, instead of a drained shell.

So, what are you rushing towards?

I had to ask myself this and ruthlessly modified my goals and schedule for the next few months. I created more space for me to reflect and breathe. I set firmer boundaries to protect my downtime and vacation.

The hardest part was being honest with myself as to what wasn’t sustainable or realistic for me. Just because it’s right for someone else, that doesn’t mean it’s right for me. I had to face my own limitations and own up to what I could no longer do.

Let’s rethink the rushing hustle and embrace a steadier, more intentional path. Honor where you are in this season of your life and business. Give yourself permission to step back, reflect, and recharge.

This approach will not only protect your wellbeing but also lay a stronger foundation for long term success. After all, it’s only when you give yourself the space to breathe that you can truly connect with your highest potential.

Focus on doing what’s right and Soulfueled for you.

USEFUL JOURNAL PROMPTS

What’s the season you’re feeling in your business and in your life right now? What can you do to help support yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically to honor that? What are the resistant thoughts and behavior patterns stopping you?

P.S. If this helped you question the pressure to do more and reminded you to honor your current season, tap the 💜 as a quiet vote of support. Share or restack this post to help others realize that slowing down isn’t falling behind… It’s how we build sustainably!

“REST, please, rest! Quiet your mind and just go to sleep… you have done more than enough!”

I was desperately pleading with my mind. My body was exhausted, but my mind was still running nonstop with all these ideas and thoughts about what I should’ve done and what I could still do.

I had been going to bed late the past few days, staying up working on all the things I didn’t get the chance to finish earlier in the day.

I knew I could catch my second wind later in the evening, so I “had to” capitalize on that.

It wasn’t just because I was busy with other things.

It was because I stuffed my to do list to the brim with so many tasks to do that I couldn’t fit them in the time allotted.

I began with a handful of tasks to get done.

But once I started working on them, each task unraveled to even more things I needed to complete first before I could check off that initial task.

Each task was a whole project itself… not just one simple action to take.

That’s how my to do list kept failing me… while stressing myself out at the same time.

I felt like a failure and incompetent

I kept wondering, “How the hell are other people getting all this stuff done with also a full time job and other family obligations, too?”

“Ugh, what the hell am I doing wrong here?!”

So I pushed myself harder as I kept criticizing myself for not being good enough.

I shoved myself to my limits, dead set that my strategies were wrong.

I bought more audiobooks, I signed up for another program, or I sought help from another guru.

“They’re successful, so they must be doing it right!”

“If I do what they say, then all this would be easier and finally come together!”

But, nope, that wasn’t the complete picture.

Yes, I’ll admit that I did learn a lot from those resources, but they were also detours.

If you pressed rewind on what I was doing, you probably guessed right.

I was initially correct… my strategy was wrong, but I misidentified the error.

It was HOW I was setting up and using my to do list that failed me.

Sure, I learned what kind of tasks to focus on or new approaches that improved my process.

But the root cause was still my to do list…

I set myself up for failure from the start

I didn’t properly break down the tasks.

I didn’t set realistic timeframes for the tasks I wanted to get done.

I also allowed myself to get distracted with other things, too, instead of being laser focused on what I was working on.

My perfectionism also got in the way because “it had to look good” (thanks, graphic design background) and “it had to be done well, else why bother” (thanks, Mom, for drilling that into me).

Correction: The root cause was my beliefs.

It was what I believed in that drove my work ethic.

It was what I habitually did and told myself that created this mess I was in.

Also as a result of excusing my behaviors, I was giving myself permission to keep doing all this.

3 ways I course corrected my silliness

1 - Use a time tracking to do list app

• I compiled my to do list in one spot, instead of on paper, in a journal, or in different spots.

• It allowed me to easily move tasks around and set up better systems.

• I started tracking how long tasks were taking me, too, so I’m aware of this data point to plan better in the future.

• Plus, it also had the ability to add up all the hours and showed me clear visual marks for when I was exceeding the time allotted.

• BONUS TIP: Do factor the number of meetings/calls into your planning for the day. If you have tons of them, reduce your workload!

  • That causes you to work “over time” to compensate.

  • If you find yourself in this pattern a lot (which I did), the harsh truth is that something’s gotta give (the number of meetings or workload) because that isn’t sustainable long term.

2 - Set up my work environment to minimize distractions

• That meant closing other program windows, keeping my computer desktop and physical tabletop clean, and keep my phone on DND, faced down.

• I listen to the same playlist to help me anchor in focus. The repetition of this trained my brain to focus on the task at hand and helped me get into the flow faster when I listened to these songs. I do rotate between 2 playlists based on my mood if I need something calmer or boost myself with more energy.

  • Make sure it’s not distracting and be aware of what is being said in the songs, too, as those words unconsciously affect you in your flow state.

• Sometimes, I just need a change of environment and head on over to a coffee shop for a deep dive work sesh.

3 - Get ideas down and then tweak along the way

• It’s like starting to work out for the first few times. It’s not gonna be perfect right off the bat, and things might still be awkward. So just get it done and tweak the process as you go.

• Experiment to see what process works specifically for you.

  • I keep tweaking my to do list setups to figure out how simple/detailed or loose/strict of a structure I need to get to make this effective.

  • You might need to track A LOT in the beginning to learn your patterns first, then simplify it later since you know yourself better now.

• Evaluate and reevaluate your setup often.

  • Be ruthless and get rid of what didn’t work. Repeat what does (be careful not to “accidentally” scrap that, too!)

  • Use whatever data points you need to make sure you’re not burning yourself out with doing too much. (I even had to modify my plans early this week because I was unnecessarily trying to do too much in a short amount of time. It’s ok not to be perfect, just keep practicing.)

Like always, figure out what works best for you. Only you know that…

USEFUL JOURNAL PROMPTS

Go take a look at your to do list and consider: What is the bigger picture I want to achieve with these goals, and are these tasks really in alignment with that? How can I make this process better for me? What structures do I need to have in place to make my work environment more conducive to focus better?

P.S. Tap the 💜 if this made you rethink how you’ve been working and helped you see the cost of pushing too hard. Share or restack this post if you're all for trading burnout for a more sustainable way to work.

I’ve been bashing my head against the wall lately.

I finally stopped to rub my sore, bloodied forehead, trying to soothe the pain.

“Why am I doing this?”

Then it’s as if I suddenly took the red pill.

The answer quickly revealed itself after I took a step back and noticed all the other people around me rhythmically bashing their heads, too.

Continuously trying to force their way through their obstacles with their heads.

Bamboozled into thinking that it’s because we haven’t tried hard enough.

“You’ve gotta do more reps!”

“You’ve gotta do it this particular way!”

You can hear the surround sound of grunting and crying.

…but they’re not stopping.

You can see new people walking up and starting to follow suit.

It’s as if someone brainwashed us into believing that this is the only way.

So, how sore is your forehead?

Have you had enough?

Or have you found a way to manage the pain?

Or even better, did you find another way?!

It feels weird going against muscle memory and not following suit to what everyone else is doing, too.

The brainwashing still lingers.

Pausing feels so unnatural, but that’s exactly what’s needed for my sanity.

Just because others are doing it, that doesn’t mean it’s right for you, too.

Anyone can justify reasons for why you should continue the pain, but that’s not the only way.

This is what social media felt like to me

It felt like a “necessary evil” for having an online business.

If you’re not on social, you won’t be found or even noticed.

You have to post every day or multiple times a day. (…else uh oh! You’re out of sight, out of mind, right?)

You have to engage with others. (It’s called “social” media for a reason, duh!)

You have to write valuable content or publicly share your life.

You have to jump on trends. You have to go viral!

ARG!! All these you-have-to’s are so annoying!

UGH, I don’t want to!! Nooooo~ *kicking and screaming, throwing an internal tantrum*

For an introvert who doesn’t even use social media on a regular basis, even for entertainment, this has been challenging.

I would try really, really hard.

Then, I’d recoil in disgust and frustration.

“Accckkkk, what do I do!?”

Where did it all go wrong?!

Back in the day, I used Instagram for fun, and it was enjoyable.

But once I “needed” to start using it for business purposes, it lost its appeal.

I couldn’t “just” post anymore.

I had to think of meaningful content, create eye-catching graphics, write thoughtful captions, find related hashtags, and continually engage with others. Now it’s also about creating viral videos and adding engaging music, too.

Posting content went from 15 minutes to a couple of hours of intentional work.

It wasn’t fun anymore.

Then, I went onto X per the nudge of my writing mentors.

Initially, I was scared of putting myself out there, so I was writing fairly generic platitudes.

Through continual practice of writing and posting daily, I started to find my groove and writer’s voice. I started to enjoy posting again.

Writing felt good as it became my creative expression.

And then the next hurdle was engaging with others. It went from liking to thinking of thoughtful comments to add.

And then it went from commenting on people I know to finding bigger accounts to comment under so I’d get noticed by strangers and hopefully get more followers.

And then it was taking part in an engagement group to comment and like each other’s stuff to create more traction.

And then the hurdle after that was DMing people who engaged with my content per my business coach’s advice.

And then it was expanding out to doing Spaces on a regular basis to try this other growth strategy.

And then… and then… Ugh, there was always something else I “still had to” do!

Social media felt like a blackhole of a time suck

It didn’t matter if you were a creator or a consumer. Our lives and businesses seem to revolve around social media now.

It felt like whatever I initially did was never enough.

It kept demanding more and more of my time and attention.

Feeling despondent, drained, and depressed.

“Is this really the only way?”

No, it isn’t.

THIS was the problem…

Nah, it’s not about trying out another growth strategy or approach.

It’s about changing the filter through how you’re showing up.

It’s about changing the conditionalities you’ve unconsciously put in place, either adopted from others or you’ve chosen yourself.

Social media was previously fun because I didn’t pile on all this additional pressure for what a social post meant or had to do.

I was sharing because I wanted to capture a moment of my life that was meaningful or enjoyable. It’s as if I was telling my friends, “Hey, check out this thing I did” while we’re hanging out.

But I turned it into an “omg, I have to post something really good to get attention.” “I have to make money from this.” “I have to get more followers, or else I’ll seem like a loser or that I’ve failed.”

It’s all the I-have-to’s that poisoned my experience.

It was fun and more authentic BEFORE I applied all those growth strategies to what I was doing.

When I started off without any of those conditionalities, I found enjoyment in sharing my thoughts and engaging with other likeminded people.

I was doing things on my own terms, instead of sticking to those “you have to do this to succeed on social media” strategies.

FYI, there’s a difference in honing your writing skills to be a more effective communicator (this I’m a fan of), compared to chasing the viral strategies to get cheap attention quick (this is what I’m super unhappy with).

My focus was all wrong

Those strategies weren’t in alignment with what I valued.

I would rather have quality than quantity.

The whole “your vanity metrics = your worth” vibe was sucking out my soul.

It just made me feel worse about myself and my progress.

Because I wasn’t focused on my own Work Vision and definition of success, I chased after what other people said was “important” and believed that their strategies were my solution, too.

Transparently, this is something I’m still working through at the moment.

I accept the conditionality that social media is required to organically grow my business, but HOW I do it is the debatable part.

I’m deciding and experimenting with an interim social media plan based on strategies that work for me related to my principles, personality, and intentions.

It’s set up in stages, concentrating on steady habits for long term sustainability (and making sure I’m still enjoying the process).

Plus, I’m working through my own baggage and limiting beliefs around social media as well.

And this’ll be my focus going forward

More importantly, I’m going back to the basics and rewriting my Work Vision from scratch.

I do have big dreams, so it’s important for me to clarify my intentions and what that looks like to me.

I’ve written versions of this since I started my business, but I stopped connecting with it and pursued other people’s vision of success.

I developed a manifestation process for myself that was working, but I abandoned my intuitive process to follow someone else’s “proven system”.

After reading the book “A Happy Pocket Full of Money” (the foundations and process of manifestation), it completely supported my intuitive process! (Wild, right?! Thanks, Universe, for the course correction.)

So I am rewriting my Work Vision based on the current me and what I know now.

I have accumulated all these experiences from my recent burnout and frustrations, along with the enjoyment and excitement.

None of my failures and learnings will go to waste.

I’m already in the process of actualizing my dreams with my Work Vision.

Now, let’s speed it up with stronger intentions.

Are you with me?

USEFUL JOURNAL PROMPTS

What would be an ideal way for you to post and engage on social media? What’s your preferred way to market and grow your business? Now turn that into your plan.

P.S. If this helped you see your relationship with social media in a new light or reminded you to stop chasing strategies that don’t feel right, tap the ❤️. Share or restack this post if you believe more entrepreneurs deserve permission to show up in ways that actually feel good.

Frustration, annoyance, procrastination, avoidance, stuckness, directionlessness, burnout.

If you’re experiencing any of these persistent side effects, please get in contact with your soul. It’s been trying really hard to tell you something, but you haven’t been listening.

These feelings and results are a sign that something is not in alignment with your soul, your Higher Self, or your purpose. Regardless of how you want to label it based on your belief system, there’s something off, and you’re not feeling happy, satisfied, or fulfilled at a deeper level.

We are spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical beings.

If you’re physically not well or unsatisfied with your physical reality,

If you’re emotionally uneasy or unsettled,

If you’re mentally overthinking, overwhelmed, or underfulfilled,

…then there’s something you need to address with your spiritual self, your soul.

It’s time to address the deeper underlying cause

Because bandaging the situation and tempering the symptoms aren’t working anymore. When you resolve the problem at its root, the rest of those symptoms will go away.

• Is there a scenario that keeps happening around you or shows up in different ways in your life, or gets more and more severe?

• Is there something you know you need to do but keep putting it off?

• Do you have a deeper desire unfulfilled?

• More importantly, have things gotten so uncomfortable that you are ready to do something about it?

The solution is to take a look at your soul wellness and do some soul care.

Continual pain and suffering mean there’s an error in your thinking and approach

In other words, you’ve been running an old, outdated programming that no longer serves you.

The sole purpose behind your struggles is to show you when a particular thought or belief is faulty and guide you to the existence of a “higher” thought that would serve you better. The suffering stops when that higher thought or approach is discovered and applied.

Resistance and denial only make the suffering worse or more persistent. So instead, examine your struggles with an open mind, and the answer will always reveal itself to you without fail.

But in order to figure out what it is, you have to take the time to listen to that little voice within you that has all the wisdom you need.

YOU are your best source. Any external influences will be filtered through their own set of beliefs and artful flair of suffering.

So trust your inner truth. Your soul has been that trusty, reliable, and wise friend who has been communicating with you through your intuition.

Here are 3 actions you can take to make listening to your intuition easier and turn the unconscious cause conscious, so you can finally do something about it:

1 - JOURNAL

Yes, you’ve probably heard of this one already. You can google or chatgpt this, and find numerous benefits to this practice. This pen to paper or hand to keyboard way to communicate is like channeling that hidden wisdom within and turning it into something visual and physical before you. Ask yourself a specific question and watch the answer unveil itself to you. It can be as simple as “What do I need to know for my highest good today?”

However, if you feel like your thoughts are flying faster than your hand can move, try voice or video recording yourself. This works well for those who learn better by listening to yourself talk out loud to process your thoughts. In other words, you’re talking it through with yourself or being your own sounding board.

2 - MEDITATE

This is like sitting down with your trusted friend and having an internal dialogue. Meditation gives your intuition a way and a dedicated time to communicate with you. When you quiet down all the external voices and influences and turn within, you are telling your intuition that I value you, I respect you, and I am willing to hear what you have to tell me.

What happens next varies. You might visualize something, displaying signs or recalling memories. You might hear a voice speaking to you. You might feel certain sensations within your body. Whatever you experience is perfect.

Sometimes the message is clear. Sometimes you might need more clarity, and it’s ok to ask follow up questions. Ask your intuition to explain the message in another way or elaborate on what it has shown you. Your soul will happily oblige because it truly wants to help and watch you succeed and thrive.

If sitting still feels challenging, try a walking meditation. Take a walk outdoors or even better find a spot in nature. Sometimes that change in environment, paired with movement, can shift you out of your status quo and provide some wonderful insights.

3 - DO SOMETHING THAT FUELS YOUR SOUL

Whether it’s a hobby or activity, do something that makes you feel good, come alive, and recharge your batteries. Do it alone or with others.

The point of this is to get out of your norm and to tap back into and enjoy what makes you happy. Answers also like to show up when you’re feeling good and positive. It can be as simple as “let’s do more of this” or inspire some brilliant ideas.

When you connect with genuine happiness, you get that release of your feel good hormones (dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin) or even get that adrenaline rush. All of this promotes a more positive state.

It’s because you have not been doing or having enough of this that you’re operating from a low or empty cup. So doing this is not selfish. It’s an absolute necessity. Do what you need to make the time for this, without any guilt, shame, or blame. Even little doses of this can make a difference, too.

Make sure what you’re doing doesn’t have an avoidant or numbing effect because that shuts down your soul’s ability to flourish. You might need to temporarily “stop the pain” from that soul draining situations, but don’t indulge in it for too long. It’s more effective to find something more soulfueling to make that quicker and more empowering switch.

Gratitude is also a simple and highly effective soulfueling activity. It reminds you of what’s good in your life, and it helps you spotlight what you’ve been taking for granted, too. More importantly, gratitude strengthens your belief in what’s possible and solidifies your state of being to help bring more of what you want into your life. (Yup, that’s manifestation at its finest!)

Alright, now what?

Be sure to log your insights somewhere you can easily access and continuously add to. It not only serves as a reminder but also anchors in and solidifies that possibility further into your consciousness.

When you get in touch with your soul and determine what’s off, you now have the choice to do something about it.

Follow your intuitive guidance and take those actions.

All that amazing knowledge becomes useless unless you do something about it.

If you’re aware of it and don’t take the appropriate action, it will continue to get worse and manifest even more uncomfortable or painful experiences in your mental, emotional, or physical state. Avoid waiting until it becomes a serious life or death scenario.

When you do, things will start to change for you. When you feel alive, happy, and fulfilled, that state of bliss is undeniably exhilarating. The more positivity you exhibit, the more you’ll experience as well. You have changed your trajectory, and you’re cultivating the momentum for better soul alignment.

When you do this practice on the regular, you’ll be able to get clearer answers faster, make necessary course corrections easier, and enjoy a more soul aligned life.

Remember, this is YOUR life.

Regardless of what societal and cultural expectations are placed upon you or whatever obligations you feel like you have, it’s still your choice.

You can choose what quality of life you’d like to have.

You can choose to live a more Soulfueled life.

It just requires you to be more intentional and keep listening to those wise, wise whispers within you.

USEFUL JOURNAL PROMPTS

What’s that one thing you’ve been avoiding or needing to do? How would it feel if you took action on it? What do you need to have in place to make it happen?

P.S. If this reminded you to slow down and listen to yourself again, tap the 💜. Share or restack this post if it’s the kind of nudge more people need to start honoring what their soul’s been trying to say.

Someone’s got to have the answer…

Another program.
Another coach.
Another book.
Another resource I purchased and invested time in, hoping that’d give me the solution and tell me what I need to know and do to recreate their phenomenal success for myself.

No doubt I learned from it and got some valuable insights into who I am and who I want to be, what I do and don’t like, and what I am and not willing to do.

But this continual trial and error is damn exhausting and darn expensive.

I feel like I keep failing myself over and over again…

Because I am the root cause of all this.
There’s no one else to blame because I made these choices.

Other people are getting results.
So the next logical conclusion is that it must be what I’m doing (and especially what I’m not doing) that’s giving me these particular outcomes.

Plus, all of this takes time.
…the setup, the practice, the experimentation, the tweaks, the momentum, etc.

You never know what will work and what won’t unless you give it the proper effort and time.

But how much is “enough” time before you pivot or quit?

All that eventually led me into a deep, reflective low.

Questioning my path and my resolve.

Wondering when will I finally get “there”.

That seemingly elusive “there” that I’ve been dreaming of and chasing after.

I feel like I try so hard (so it’s not from a lack of time and effort).

But it’s because I get into these mental comparison cycles of…
“Why does it seem so hard for me but so much easier for them?”
“Why can’t I do it in the way they do?”
“Is this not meant for me then?”

Where I placed all the blame

I keep blaming it on my lack of discipline due to the ebb and flow of my focus and motivation.

I get into cycles of sticking to a routine and structure and then destroying it after a period of time.

I thought that if I made it a nonnegotiable, then I’d do it, right?

Well, it isn’t that simple, especially when you’re the boss and the worker, which require different mindsets and roles. It’s a constant game of priorities.

The gurus say don’t reinvent the wheel and just model what they do
…but so many of them say that, and they’re all doing it slightly or dramatically differently.

“Don’t listen to that advice, do this instead.”
“That doesn’t work anymore, this is the right solution.”
All those clickbait sales pitches…
All those contradictory advice…

Who do you listen to?!

Here’s the dark secret and reality of entrepreneurship: people mostly openly share and emphasize their accolades and diminish (or hide) their behind-the-scenes turmoil.

Their success is like an iceberg. You only see the tip, but the mass of their success is underwater, behind the scenes.

You can never understand the depth of what they had to go through, even if you experienced it yourself… because you’re not them!

Of course, those aren’t openly shared since…

1. It’s a widely used marketing tactic: hyperfocus on what your potential clients want and how you have the answers. This creates the falsehood of needing to have it all together and figured out. Their fear of losing their leverage and authority trumps transparency into the not-so-appealing aspects of what they go through.

2. It’s also a part of human nature: If you make it seem difficult upfront, then who’s willing to trade their time and freedom to work on it? People are “inherently lazy”, especially in this world that gravitates towards “instant gratification” by getting quick results with less time and without much effort.

How true is the easy and effortless facade of wild success by following their “bulletproof” system?

So, I had to consider “what are they not saying?” and weigh the risks of the unknown against the possible upsides.

Having too many cooks in the kitchen also creates more chaos.

I had to quiet all the external voices of should’s, must’s, and have to’s.

So I could clearly hear my own.

There are basic principles to follow, but…

What I discovered is that it comes down to your personality, your definition of success, and what you’re willing and unwilling to do.

I tried to copy and paste what others do, and it felt inauthentic.

This entire time, I’ve been trying to fit my square peg in their round hole.

I haven’t been honoring myself.

No wonder I get burned out…
No wonder it feels awkward and weird…

Sure, part of it was a learning curve doing something way outside of my comfort zone.

But some sort of blocker eventually surfaces because I’m “trying too hard” and I’m no longer myself.

My creativity stifled.

My motivation and attention span dither.

My drive comes to a grinding halt.

My routines fall apart.

That’s when the lightbulb moment appeared

What I previously blamed myself for are actually outcomes for not doing things that are in alignment with me.

It wasn’t because I wasn’t “good enough” or “faulty” in some way.

It’s because I pushed myself to the point where I can’t force that inauthenticity anymore…

Then I shut down and go into my “hermit mode“.
…and I’m in it until I recover enough from burnout and figure out what to do next.

…and that sucks because I was finally gaining some traction but had no energy and focus to continue on.

My business coach shared that it took him 3-4 years of doing the wrong things and 3-4 months of doing it right to enjoy the success he has now.

He had to go through his own trials by fire to finally get to the “right” thing.

His learnings from his past failures compounded and finally led him to his current trajectory of success.

But he also privately shared that he has his overly stressed moments, too, underneath his cool, collected demeanor.

His vulnerable reveal made me realize that what I felt was normal. My doubts and insecurities were natural, and it was okay.

We’re all chasing after something,
but the key is to get clear about why you truly want that and what sacrifices you’re willing to make.

Avoid getting caught up with the highlighted accolades and the surface-level perceptions.

We’re all trying to figure it out,
no matter how old you are or how much experience you have or don’t have.

Avoid comparing yourself to others in an unrealistic, skewed way.

No one has the absolute answer,
so use others’ experiences and methods as data points to see what’s possible for you.

Avoid trapping yourself in what is inauthentic or miserable.

You chose to be an entrepreneur.

That requires you to own your decisions and choices, own the path you’re carving out for yourself, and compassionately honor the pace at which things are unfolding for you.

You WILL get there.

USEFUL JOURNAL PROMPTS

What’s one of the biggest lessons you had to learn in entrepreneurship? What can you do to ensure you don’t repeat those mistakes again?

P.S. If this helped ease the pressure to “figure it all out” or reminded you to trust yourself more, tap the ❤️ as a kind reminder to yourself. Share or restack this post to help others stop drowning in too much advice and find their own voice again.