This week, there won’t be a new podcast episode.
And a few years ago, that probably wouldn’t have been the case.
This week, I had planned to record a couple of episodes in a row so I could be ahead for the next month. Instead, I’ve had a persistent cough that’s left my voice sounding more like a pack-a-day smoking jazz musician than a podcaster. Okay, it might not be that dramatic, but my voice isn’t in a place where recording makes sense right now.
In the past, I would have handled this very differently. I would have taken whatever I needed to suppress the symptoms, pushed through, and told myself that rest could wait.
But that’s not how I work anymore.
Lately, a familiar lesson has been showing up again and again in my life, the reminder that we are not actually in control of everything. And the harder we try to force outcomes and timelines, the more resistance we tend to meet.
This week is another clear example of that.
If, like me, you've struggled with the idea of letting go, and you’re in the habit of trying to control the uncontrollables, then I know you know exactly what I’m talking about.
If this is coming up for you right now, I also know how frustrating it can feel. The effort it takes to keep everything held together. The mental load of trying to stay one step ahead. And the exhaustion that comes with all of it.
What I’ve learned, and continue to learn, is that there is another way. One that drains far less energy. And when you stop pouring so much of yourself into control, you’re left with more capacity to invest in the things that genuinely light you up.
Instead of trying to push through this week, I’m focusing on the tasks I can do without straining my voice. A lot of listening, receiving, planning and creating. All things I genuinely love doing.
So while this week looks different to what I had planned, it’s still very productive in its own way. And yes, of course I’m resting (which is also productive in its own way).
I could have tried to override what my body was telling me. I could have recorded anyway. But doing that would have gone against everything I now know to be true about sustainable success, self-leadership, and listening to the information discomfort offers us.
Sometimes the most aligned choice isn’t pushing forward. It’s adjusting, pausing, letting go of the plan you had, and working with what’s actually here instead.
That’s not the same as giving up either. Instead, it’s about responding with awareness rather than control.
This is something I talk about often with clients. We’re taught to override, minimise, and power-through signals of fatigue, stress, or misalignment. But those signals aren’t problems to be eliminated. They’re messages asking us to consider a different path.
So this week, I’m practising what I encourage others to do. I’m honouring the message. I’m letting things unfold a little differently than planned. And trusting that things will still move forward, just not always in the way I had initially expected.
As you read this, ask yourself:
Where am I currently pushing, when what’s actually needed is a small adjustment instead?
– Nat
PS Let me know if this pattern is coming up for you this week. Respond to this email, I’d love to unpack it with you.
PPS If you’d like support working through the patterns that keep pulling you into “push-through mode”, you’re always welcome to reach out for a chat here.
