If It Feels Like Too Much - It Probably Is
A short story about pressure, pause, and what actually helps you move forward - without forcing it.
Can you really teach what you don’t live?
It’s a question I keep coming back to.
And lately - it caught up with me again.
The past few weeks were intense. I was finalizing two playbooks I deeply believe in. Writing, editing, simplifying.
Designing every part so it would feel clear, warm, and actually useful.
There was no external pressure. No boss. No deadline.
Just me - and a project I cared about.
But even when you’re doing what you love - pressure sneaks in.
It wears a new outfit, but the weight feels the same.
And after the final article was out, and the playbooks were published - I felt it.
That old pull: what’s next? keep going. keep proving.
But my body said: not now.
Still recovering from a spine injury, I’ve learned to listen more closely.
This time, I didn’t override that message.
The pause we ignore is the one we need most.
We think burnout only comes from doing too much.
But it also comes from constantly pushing - even when the work feels meaningful.
That’s the part we often miss.
Rest isn’t a luxury. It’s a system reset.
So that day, I let myself stop.
Took a long bath - my first in over four months.
Made a slow breakfast. Let my thoughts float to the surface.
Instead of analyzing, I noticed.
Instead of forcing clarity, I created space for it.
That pause gave me more than rest.
It gave me back a sense of clarity and calm I hadn’t felt in days.
And with it came this reminder:
The most important shifts often begin in stillness.
Gentler doesn’t mean weaker - it means wiser.
That’s what shaped the two playbooks I built - not from theory, but from lived experience.
🟡 Soft Start - Mini: a 5-day reset to reconnect with yourself and begin gently.
🟡 Soft Start - A Gentle Way to Begin Again: a 4-week guided path from stuck to momentum - without burnout.
They’re not about hustle or performance.
They’re about small, intentional movement - from where you are now, toward what matters.
My wife said she’d been putting off booking a massage for weeks - always finding excuses. But after reading the draft of the playbook, she paused and asked herself: “Why am I avoiding doing something kind for myself?” She ended up booking a 6-session package the same day.
You’re not behind - you’re recalibrating.
This isn’t about a breakthrough.
It’s not about one huge step.
It’s about a quiet, kind decision:
To care for your energy.
To follow your timing.
To begin - without pressure or performance.
🟡 Soft Start - Mini
🟡 Soft Start - A Gentle Way to Begin Again
P.S.
If this resonates, you might also enjoy these two earlier reflections:
Both are part of the same thread - choosing presence over pressure, and learning to start again.
As always, I’d love to know what lands with you. I read every reply.
As someone recovering from intense burnout with very little support from management, this has really helped me shift my perspective :) Thank you :)
It’s wild how hard it is to pause, even when we know it’s what we need. Grateful for this gentle nudge to listen more closely.