Who doesn’t like a well-organized plan?

Knowing what to do next without having to think about it is a gift in a world that is constantly demanding more of your attention.

Having a plan also makes it easier to complete really big projects.

For example, creating Sabbatical School and designing the Press Pause workshop simultaneously has been a gargantuan amount of work in a short amount of time. The vision was clarified in October; we started working earnestly on the project in November; and now, in mid-January, we’re prepping next week’s workshops and preparing to open enrollment for Sabbatical School on Monday!

We did it with ease (for the most part) because we had a step-by-step plan to follow. Without it, there’s no way we’d be where we are today.

But here’s my big secret…

The plan was only effective because my vision was crystal clear.

I’ve been holding the seed of this idea since 2021 — just waiting for the timing to feel aligned to bring it to life. The waiting can be excruciating!

But every time I started to work on the project, it felt forced. I had more questions than answers. There was zero ease. It felt like chopping vegetables with fogged-up glasses. Truly a recipe for disaster.

The vision was not clear enough to proceed. Full stop.

When we feel pressure to do something meaningful now, it’s easy to bypass the visioning phase and jump straight into logical planning — especially in the business world.

As entrepreneurs, we’re taught that having a plan is the ticket to success.
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>> Build it, and they will come.
>> Decide what you want to do, and do it well.
>> Make an annual plan, and you will reach your goals.

But are the goals you’re working towards actually meant for you?

Or are you following instructions — doing the logical thing you’re supposed to be doing, or making a plan based on what someone else told you was a good idea?

If the vision isn’t coming from inside of you, don’t waste your time.

Otherwise, your big plan will go…

.. right in your face. (Speaking from experience here.)

Here’s the truth:

A plan without a vision is just someone else’s to-do list.

Do you want to spend the rest of the year checking boxes off of somebody else’s to-do list? No! Of course you don’t!

You want to nurture your vision — the ideas, offerings, and projects that want to come through you. You want to spend your time doing work that feels aligned, exciting, and so meaningful you shed tears of happiness just thinking about getting to do it.

But cultivating a soul-level vision is hard to do when you’re running the rat race inside of our capitalist system. Like, really hard.

​That’s why I’m hosting the Press Pause workshop.​

During the workshop, I’ll guide you through a journey to illuminate your vision. The amazing thing about being human is that we always have a vision that’s ready to bloom.

You just need to press pause on the busyness of life long enough to see it, feel it, and let it know that, yes, you’re ready to bring it forward.

​You can read all about the workshop here.

And then, join me on Monday at 3pm PT or next Friday, 1/23 at 9am PT.

I am so excited to do this work together.

Do you ever feel confused about what to do next in your business?

It might sound like this:

>> Something needs to change, but I don’t know what to do next.
>> I feel so stuck right now. I don’t know what to do to get unstuck.
>> Everything feels fuzzy, and I don’t know how to find clarity.
>> I know what I want to do, but I don’t know how to do it.
>> Everyone else is doing (insert thing), so I think I should do it too.

Almost every client I work with comes to me feeling stuck and confused about something — and it’s usually business-related.

I feel like I’m listening to “I don’t know” on repeat, echoed by dozens of entrepreneurs who have a proven track record of being extremely competent and capable of figuring shit out.

Take yourself, for example.

You might be confused about something right now. (Who isn’t?) But you also have a looong list of receipts proving that you are amongst the most accomplished people on the planet.

Advanced professional training? Check. Strong reputation? Check. Escaped the drudgery of 9-5 employment by creating a business from scratch that helps other people and pays your bills? Check and check.

You might feel squirmy admitting it, but you are a very accomplished and capable human. Why then is it so easy for you to get lost in a swirl of confusion and self-doubt?!

It’s because the smarter and more capable you are, the more uncomfortable you feel when you don’t know what you’re doing.

Let’s look at two different scenarios:

Scenario #1 → You know exactly what you’re doing.

When you can say, “ I have a successful business helping (this type of client) get (this kind of result),” and really mean it and love it with your whole body…

That is the best feeling!

That’s when you know you’re firing on all cylinders. The work you’re doing feels clear, how you’re doing it feels clear, the way you’re doing it feels clear — and it’s working. Celebrate, you have reached peak competency status!

And then…

Something changes.

You heal an old wound. You end a relationship. You lose a loved one. You get an amazing idea. You learn something new.

And before you know it, you’ve become someone new.

It’s the cycle of personal growth, and you’re here for it.

… until you realize it means you’ve kind of outgrown your business.

Again.

Reality is, when you’re a person committed to healing and growth, it’s hard for your business to keep pace with your personal evolution.

That’s because internal change happens faster than external change.

In other words, I can have a huge psychological ah-ha in an hour, but translating that ah-ha into a new offering in my business takes months.

And the time between the hour of realization and the day your business finally feels aligned with your new self? That’s Scenario #2.

Scenario #2 → You have no freaking idea what you’re doing.

Now we’re back at where we started.

The seasons of confusion and self-doubt that come when we’re navigating the space between personal growth and business evolution.

You can think of these periods as liminal spaces — thresholds between the past and the future, the old and the new.

Have you ever been outside when a thick fog rolls in? You blink, and suddenly, you can’t see six inches in front of your face. The air feels dense. It’s eerily quiet. You start to worry you’re going to walk straight into a tree.

That’s what it feels like when you’re in a liminal space.

And the part of you that loves feeling competent?

Oooh-weee, she’s gonna throw a tantrum.

“Get me OUT OF HERE,” your mind will scream.

And then, “I’ll do anything. Please! Just tell me what to do!”

Feels a bit like you’re being tortured, honestly. The discomfort of not knowing is all-consuming. Your ego panics. You become desperate for answers, for solutions, for someone to tell you how get rid of all of this goddamn fog so you can see again.

This is when you forget that you always know exactly what to do.

You know the answer to your question — you just can’t hear it because your tortured ego won’t stop screaming!

Whenever I notice a client is caught in an “I don’t know” loop, I like to give them this suggestion:

I know you think you don’t know what to do here, but what if that’s just a story your ego is telling you because this in-between place feels super uncomfortable? And because it’s confusing and scary to be creating something new?

Instead of saying, “I don’t know,” try saying, “I can’t hear the answer yet.”

Let’s try it right now:

Think about the thing you feel confused about. Notice how it makes you feel and how desperate you are to get out of the discomfort.

When you’re ready, speak this sentence out loud:

“I know everything I need to know, but I can’t hear the answer yet.”

Now, say it three more times.

What do you notice now?

Hopefully, immediate relief.

Like you’ve been riding an old wooden rollercoaster that just came to a screeching stop at the end of the track. You’re a bit rattled, heart pumping, legs wobbly. But you made it back safely. You can exhale.

Now that your ego has stopped freaking out, we can finally talk about how to listen for the answers when you’re lost in the fog of “I don’t know.”

The WORST thing you can do when you’re in this liminal space is ask for other people’s opinions, thoughts, ideas, and solutions. Please, resist the urge! Every time they open their mouth to give you an answer (no matter how logical or well-meaning), it becomes harder for you to hear the truth.

And that includes asking the voice of your ego!

Because, remember, your ego is panicking right now. She’ll tell you whatever you want to hear to get you moving again, just so she can go back to feeling capable and competent. Your ego is not wise. She’s desperate.

The best thing to do right now is create space to listen to your intuition.

To press pause on external input so you can journey deep inside of yourself — to the place where all of the truest answers are waiting to be excavated.

Instead of rushing forward, trying to claw your way out of the “I don’t know” discomfort, can you slow down and try going deeper into it instead?

Oof. That’s hard. I know.

Here’s the good news → You don’t have to do it alone.

Yes, this work is deeply personal. But that doesn’t mean you should do it alone. I’m saying you should stop asking people what to do, not exile yourself until you’ve figured it all out!

This work is most effective when done in the company of others.

That’s exactly why I created the Press Pause workshop.

This is my alternative to annual planning.

Instead of using your intellect to map out a safe, logical, probably arbitrary, and definitely comfortable plan for the new year, what if you used your intuition to clarify your vision for this season of your life?

Once your vision is clear (or at least clearer than it is right now), you can begin mapping out an intentional implementation plan that moves you forward at a sustainable pace that pleases your ego and your spirit.

Sound cool?

Honestly, it’s the best.

I’m excited to guide you through the process live next week — for free.

​Pause Press is a live, 2-hour guided workshop.

Because this work is so deep and personal, I will not be recording it. That means there will be no replay. I don’t want you holding back because you know you’re being recorded, anxious about what kind of internet voyeurs might be spying on your personal process later. Nobody likes that.

Plus, part of the magic is experiencing this journey with others!

That means if you want to join, you have to attend live.

Here are the options:

→ Monday, January 19th at 3pm PT / 6pm ET
→ Friday, January 23rd at 9am PT / 12pm ET

​Click here to read all of the details (there’s lots more!) and register.​

Nobody likes feeling confused. Myself included. To be clear, I’m not promising easy solutions to your problems. But I am promising a grounded, deep, meaningful workshop experience that will guide you through the fog safely, getting you one step closer to the answers you’re seeking.

Will you press pause with me next week?

I hope so.