We trace how genuine motivation drifts into pressure and burnout, then share a practical path back to alignment using small steps, playful courage, resets, recovery, and self-compassion. The nervous system leads the way, turning shoulds into sustainable action anchored in purpose.

• difference between aligned action and hustle
• early signs of pressure replacing joy
• burnout as a protective nervous system response
• using mindfulness to catch the shift
• reconnecting to why to restore choice
• making the first step smaller and doable
• adopting playful mindsets to drop perfection
• weekly reviews to reset direction
• micro-recovery and sleep as performance fuel
• practicing self-compassion to sustain momentum

Suggestions or questions? Email sarah@risingwithsarah.com.

Related Episodes:

Episode 106 - What’s Your Motivation? How Remembering Your ‘Why’ Can Turn Resistance Into Joy

Episode 95 - Unlock Mobility in Just 5 Minutes: Stretching for Long Periods of Sitting

Episode 73 - Sleep 101: Stages, Signs of Deficiency, and How to Fix Your Sleep Naturally

Questions or Comments? Message me!

We trace the quiet shift from “have to” to “choose to because,” showing how intention turns chores, work, healing, and conflict into meaningful acts. We share simple heart-centered tools to check alignment, reduce pressure, and act from purpose without burnout.

• reframing have to into choose to because
• everyday examples across chores, work, caregiving
• healing and health as devotion, not control
• conflict tools using needs and clear requests
• push versus pull energy and alignment checks
• heart-centering practice to sense expansion or contraction
• journal prompts to spot resistance and reconnect with why
• teaser for burnout patterns after a burst of motivation

If this episode resonated, I'd love for you to share it with a friend or leave a review. It helps this work reach more people who might need it. Any questions, email sarah@risingwithsarah.com

Related Episodes:

Episode 22 - Communicate Without Conflict: Non Violent Communication Basics for Everyday Life

Episode 74 - Beyond "If Only": Finding Joy in the Present Moment

Episode 77 - Feeling Anxious When Life Is Good? Understanding Foreboding Joy, Its Link to Gratitude, and Why We Brace for Pain

Questions or Comments? Message me!

We trace how doubt—often disguised as perfectionism, overthinking, or busyness—pulls us away from alignment and how small, courageous steps restore movement and trust. Stories, frameworks from the Bhagavad Gita and Stephen Cope, and practical prompts help turn uncertainty into rhythm and action.

• doubt’s masks: procrastination, perfectionism, overthinking, staying too long
• the Gita’s teaching: doubt as destroyer of peace
• dharma as alignment with truth and duty
• three detours: closing the door, denial of dharma, improper aim
• competence versus aliveness as a guide
• timing doubt, comparison, and replacing timelines with rhythm
• antidotes: humility, smaller first steps, courage through play, trust in process
• three reflection prompts to reframe doubt and check alignment

Email us your questions or topic ideas at Sarah@risingwithsarah.com

Book:

The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling by Stephen Cope

Related Podcast:

Feel Behind In Your Career, Relationship, or Life? On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Related episodes:

Episode 76 - The Growth Mindset Reset: How to Redefine Success and Embrace Failure

Episode 87 - Spiritual Awakening Explained: The Elements of Inner Growth and Why Love is and Accelerator (Part One)

Questions or Comments? Message me!