Let’s talk about a pattern I see in so many high-achieving women:

You start the new year ready to go.
✅ New routines.
✅ New rules.
✅ New energy.

And then…
💥 You crash.
💥 You feel ashamed.
💥 You either push harder or quit altogether.

This is the Hustle Relapse. It happens not because you’re flawed. (But, aren’t we all?) But because your goal-setting wasn’t built on a regulated foundation.

The Nervous System is the Hidden Key to Motivation

If your nervous system is in fight-or-flight (which it often is for women juggling work, caregiving, and chronic stress), it perceives anything new as a threat—even the good stuff.

That means:

• A new habit might feel like punishment.
• Saying “no” might trigger guilt.
• Slowing down might feel like failure.

And no planner or vision board can override your biology.

What Works Instead: Pace Over Pressure

Instead of asking “How can I do more?”
Ask: “What’s the most sustainable next step I can take—without betraying my body?”

Try this:

The “Pace Over Pressure” Goal Setting Mini-Exercise:

1. Pick ONE goal you want to pursue.
2. Ask: If I moved toward this goal 30% slower than I want to, what would that look like?
3. Write down one micro-action you could take this week (not today. This week.)
4. Before doing it, regulate.→ Try breathwork, a walk, or my favorite: a 60-second body scan from toes to crown of the head.

When you go slow on purpose, you teach your system that growth doesn’t have to feel like threat. You build trust. And from trust—momentum grows.

Want Support That Honors Your Body?

If you’re done trying to “push through” goals that leave your body in shambles, I’d love to support you.

In my 1:1 work, I guide women through nervous system–informed coaching to create meaningful, sustainable change that starts with regulation, not resistance.

[Learn more about how we can work together.]

Because your goals deserve to feel good.
And so do you.