Tag: personal-development

Five Patterns Preventing Progress Toward Your Goals

On By Jane LawrenceIn SOLITUDELeave a comment

Have you ever set out to achieve something—a creative project, a career shift, a wellness goal—only to find yourself stuck in a cycle of delay, doubt, and inaction?

You tell yourself you need more time, better conditions, or the perfect plan. But deep down, you know the real issue isn’t lack of time or talent—it’s something deeper.

I recently uncovered five resistance patterns that have been quietly preventing my own progress, and if you recognize yourself in these, you’re not alone. These are the Five Patterns of Resistance, and once you name them, you can start dismantling them.

Perfectionism: The Fear of Not Being “Good Enough”

How It Holds You Back:
Perfectionism convinces you that if something isn’t flawless, it’s not worth doing. It tricks you into believing that mistakes define you and that taking imperfect action is worse than taking no action at all.

How to Shift It:
Instead of striving for perfection, strive for excellence with flexibility. Perfection is a moving target—you’ll never reach it. Progress, however, happens when you allow yourself to iterate, adjust, and improve along the way.

People-Pleasing: The Need for External Validation

How It Holds You Back:
You hesitate to express yourself or your ideas because you fear judgment, criticism, or rejection. You want your work to be valuable, but instead of focusing on your truth, you shape your actions around what others might think.

How to Shift It:
Instead of seeking universal approval, focus on authentic connection. Not everyone will resonate with what you do, and that’s okay. The right people—the ones who align with your message—will.

Procrastination: The Illusion of Waiting for the “Right Time”

How It Holds You Back:
You convince yourself that now isn’t the right time—that you need more research, better conditions, or a clearer plan. Procrastination disguises itself as preparation, but really, it’s fear keeping you from taking action.

How to Shift It:
Instead of waiting for the right time, focus on aligned action. Clarity comes from doing, not from waiting. The conditions will never be perfect, but forward momentum will create the path.

Paralysis: Overthinking That Leads to Inaction

How It Holds You Back:
Unlike procrastination, which is an intentional delay, paralysis is the feeling of being stuck in indecision. Your brain goes into overdrive, analyzing all possible outcomes, which makes even simple decisions feel overwhelming.

How to Shift It:
Instead of seeking absolute certainty, trust in your resilience. You have faced difficult choices before, and you’ve figured it out every single time. You don’t need all the answers—just enough confidence to take the next step.

Pride: The Resistance to Asking for Help

How It Holds You Back:
You believe that you should be able to do it alone. You hesitate to ask for help because you fear looking weak, incapable, or dependent. But the truth is, self-sufficiency isn’t the same as strength.

How to Shift It:
Instead of seeing support as weakness, reframe it as wisdom. The most successful people lean on others, ask for guidance, and surround themselves with those who uplift them. Accepting help isn’t about needing it—it’s about welcoming it.

Breaking Through These Five Patterns

Each of these patterns keeps you in a loop of inaction, self-doubt, or hesitation. But when you name them, you take away their power.

So, here’s my challenge to you: Which of these five patterns shows up most in your life?

  • Are you delaying launching an idea because it’s not yet perfect?
  • Are you hesitating to take action because you fear judgment?
  • Are you waiting for the right time instead of just starting?
  • Are you stuck in overthinking mode?
  • Are you resisting help because you feel you should be able to do it alone?

Awareness is the first step. Action is the second.

Closing Thought

You are already capable, creative, and strong. The only thing standing between you and your next step? The belief that you aren’t ready.

But you are. Start now.

5 Timeless Takeaways from Maya Angelou that Inspire

On By Jane LawrenceIn AWARENESSLeave a comment

Maya Angelou’s words have always held a transformative power for me. Her wisdom, drawn from a life rich with experience and reflection, reminds us of what it truly means to live intentionally, with purpose and grace. This week, my focus is on Awareness, one of the guiding principles in my Seasons of Hygge practice. With this in mind, I’ve been making a conscious effort to read more to continue to learn and grow. Today, I came across Marianne Schnall’s Forbes article, 5 Lessons I Learned From My Interviews With Maya Angelou.

As I read Schnall’s recounting of her conversations with Angelou, I found myself drawn to how these lessons align so beautifully with many of the principles work to incorporate into my life. Here are five takeaways from Angelou’s wisdom that resonate deeply, offering a gentle yet profound guide to creating a life of meaning and purpose.

Your Story is Your Strength

Angelou often spoke of the importance of owning our stories—both the triumphs and the struggles. As Schnall highlights, Angelou believed in the courage it takes to acknowledge and embrace all parts of our journey.

This idea is central to living an intentional life. When we honor where we’ve been, we create space to set meaningful intentions for where we’re going. Whether journaling about a challenge or reflecting on moments of joy, embracing our story helps us find clarity and direction. It’s a reminder that even the hard chapters have something to teach us.

Our Words Matter

Angelou’s understanding of language as a tool for connection and transformation is unparalleled. Schnall notes Angelou’s emphasis on choosing words carefully, as they shape not only how we see the world but how we show up in it.

In our daily lives, the words we speak to ourselves and others create the tone of our existence. I see this reflected in the principle of Presence within Seasons of Hygge: mindful communication fosters deeper connections and a greater sense of harmony. A thoughtful word has the power to uplift, while a careless one can create distance. Let’s choose words that nurture.

Live with Courage

Angelou’s perspective on courage as the foundation for all virtues is a poignant reminder that intentional living often requires bravery. Schnall recalls Angelou’s words: “Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”

This lesson encourages us to step into discomfort, whether it’s pursuing a dream, building a relationship, or letting go of something that no longer serves us. Courage fuels the principle of Gratitude—appreciating the fullness of life, even when it challenges us, and trusting that each step forward brings us closer to growth.

Lead with Kindness

One of the most powerful reflections from Angelou’s interviews is her unwavering belief in the significance of kindness. As Schnall notes, Angelou emphasized that people will forget what you said or did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

This resonates with the principle of Togetherness in my Hygge practice. Being kind—whether through small gestures or acts of service—nurtures connections and strengthens our communities. Kindness doesn’t have to be grand; it can be as simple as sharing a smile or offering support. These moments weave a fabric of warmth that envelops us all.

Find the Joy in Life

Angelou’s celebration of joy—even in the face of difficulty—is perhaps her most inspiring lesson. Schnall describes Angelou’s ability to find humor and joy as a survival mechanism, a way to navigate life’s complexities with grace.

This lesson speaks to the principle of Pleasure: making time to savor life’s beauty and indulge in its simple delights. Whether it’s a quiet cup of tea, the glow of candlelight, or the laughter of loved ones, joy reminds us why life is worth cherishing. Angelou’s perspective invites us to seek joy not as a luxury, but as a necessity.

Carrying These Lessons Forward

Maya Angelou’s insights are timeless because they speak to the essence of what it means to be human. They remind us to live fully, love deeply, and embrace each moment with courage and grace. These lessons are a call to slow down, reflect, and realign with what truly matters.

As I think about how to incorporate these lessons into my own life, I see them as touchstones for my Seasons of Hygge practice. Each principle is a way to ground myself in the values Angelou exemplified. Her words are a gift—a reminder that intentional living is not about perfection, but about creating a life that feels authentic and whole.

How do these lessons resonate with you? I’d love to hear how Maya Angelou’s wisdom has shaped your journey or what steps you’re taking to live more intentionally this season. Let’s share and learn from each other as we strive for a life of meaning, joy, and connection.

By reflecting on the legacy of Maya Angelou, we can honor her wisdom by weaving it into the fabric of our everyday lives. Her lessons are an invitation to live not just deliberately, but beautifully—a reminder that, as she said, “This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.” Let’s make it count.

5 Lessons Learned from The 12 Week Year

On By Jane LawrenceIn AWARENESSLeave a comment

There’s something both exciting and daunting about picking up a book like The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington. While it promises transformation—a framework to accomplish more in 12 weeks than most people achieve in a year, I found that this book challenged me to think more deeply about how its concepts already underpin aspects of my seasonal practice, offering new ways to refine and strengthen the methods I’ve been cultivating around intentional and mindful living.

It turns out, The 12 Week Year aligns beautifully with my existing seasonal practice, and even where it differs, it offers insights I hadn’t considered before and may choose to incorporate. Here are five lessons within the book that reinforce what I have already been practicing:

Letting Go of Annualized Thinking

One of the first lessons in The 12 Week Year is the trap of “annualized thinking”—setting big, ambitious goals for an entire year, only to feel overwhelmed or lose focus long before achieving them. This idea hit home for me. For years—decades, really—I’ve rung in the New Year with a list of habits, goals, and plans I was excited to tackle starting January 1. Without fail, by the end of January, many of those resolutions had already fallen apart. Each time, I’d beat myself up, labeling myself a failure and looking ahead to the next “restart” date, like my birthday in early March. And so the cycle of setting lofty goals and feeling personal disappointment would begin again.

The seasonal practice I’ve been developing has helped me break free from this pattern. Like The 12 Week Year, it avoids the overwhelm of annualized thinking by breaking the year into more manageable chunks. My practice focuses on one season—13 weeks at a time—providing space to set meaningful intentions, take action, and reflect on what worked and what didn’t. This shorter, intentional cycle has been a game-changer, naturally aligning with the book’s concept of redefining success in smaller, more focused intervals.

Getting A Fresh Start

Letting go of annualized thinking opens the door to something far more empowering: the chance to begin anew with each cycle. One of the most exciting concepts in The 12 Week Year is that every 12 weeks marks a fresh start. If you fall short of your goals, there’s no need to dwell on the disappointment. Instead, you regroup, refocus, and move forward.

This idea resonates deeply with my seasonal practice. Each season offers its own opportunity and excitement. The natural rhythm of the changing seasons brings its own momentum, allowing me to work with the flow of time instead of against it.

Both The 12 Week Year and my seasonal practice share a built-in framework for reflection and celebration at the end of each cycle. In my practice, the final week of every season is dedicated to the principle of Reflection. This isn’t just about looking back; it’s about engaging deeply with the experiences of the season. I reflect on how each principle manifested in my life, what I learned, and how I lived my intentions. I also ensure to close the season with a meaningful act of celebration, honoring the journey before turning my focus toward preparing for the next.

Similarly, The 12 Week Year ends with a week of reflection and celebration. This pause creates space to acknowledge progress, identify lessons, and recharge for the next cycle. Both approaches emphasize that growth isn’t about starting over; it’s about appreciating the journey, learning from the process, and carrying those insights forward with renewed purpose.

Each new season, whether in the calendar or in life, is a chance to begin again—not from scratch, but with the wisdom and clarity gained from the path already traveled.

Connecting to Your Vision

Each fresh start, whether it’s the beginning of a new season or a new 12-week cycle, requires something deeper than just goals to guide the way—it requires a vision. One of the most powerful lessons from The 12 Week Year is the emphasis on creating a compelling vision—a vivid picture of the life you want to create. This vision isn’t just an abstract idea; it’s the emotional connection that fuels consistent action, even on days when motivation is hard to find.

In my seasonal practice, vision takes the form of intentions tied to my 11 guiding principles. These intentions aren’t just goals—they’re deeply personal commitments aligned with the values I want to embody. For example, when I set an intention around Comfort, it goes far beyond cozy blankets and warm tea (though I love those too!). It’s about creating an environment where I feel safe, rested, and restored—a space where I can fully recharge and show up as my best self.

This kind of vision provides both clarity and direction. It gives meaning to my daily actions, helping me stay aligned with what truly matters throughout the season. Both The 12 Week Year and my seasonal practice recognize the importance of this connection to a bigger picture. Without it, even the best plans can feel hollow. But with a vision, every step—whether small or significant—becomes a part of creating something larger and deeply fulfilling.

Making Progress Daily

A compelling vision is only the beginning. Both The 12 Week Year and my seasonal practice stress an essential truth: execution isn’t about grand, sweeping gestures—it’s about the quiet, consistent actions of each day and week.

In my seasonal practice, I bring my vision to life by breaking the season into manageable weeks, each centered around a single principle like Nourishment, Presence, or Simplicity. This focus ensures I stay aligned with my intentions without feeling overwhelmed. Each week becomes a deliberate exploration of how to embody that principle in my daily life.

To keep this focus actionable, I incorporate daily practices. Morning questions help me plan specific ways to live out my intentions, while evening reflections allow me to notice how other principles naturally reveal themselves throughout the day. Designated journal prompts nudge me to pause and write, giving me a chance to consider these principles more deeply within the unique context of each season.

This approach — intentional actions supported by reflection — ensures that my seasonal practice stays grounded and meaningful. Much like the 12 Week Year’s emphasis on weekly plans and daily execution, my approach creates a structure that bridges the gap between vision and reality, one day and one week at a time.

Building Community and Accountability

Daily and weekly execution can create powerful personal transformation, but The 12 Week Year reminds us that we don’t have to go it alone. The book highlights the value of peer support, emphasizing how accountability groups can significantly improve outcomes. This idea feels like an invitation to expand my own practice—not just as a personal journey, but as something shared.

While my seasonal practice has been deeply personal and largely private, I’ve begun to feel the pull toward building a small, supportive community around it. Imagine a space where people come together to reflect on their seasonal intentions, share their experiences, and hold each other accountable—not as critics, but as cheerleaders for one another’s growth.

Whether this takes shape through social media, intimate gatherings, or an entirely new platform, the potential for connection excites me. Sharing what I’ve created and refined over the past four years feels like the natural next step—not just to strengthen my own practice but to invite others to find meaning in theirs.

What new ideas, perspectives, and possibilities might emerge from such a community? What lessons might we learn from sharing our wins and struggles? These are the questions I carry as I think about how to cultivate connection and collaboration. Together, I believe we can deepen the journey of intentional, seasonal living—and maybe even inspire each other in ways we couldn’t imagine alone.

Embracing Structured Seasons

While The 12 Week Year thrives on urgency and efficiency, my seasonal framework offers a deeper connection to natural cycles and an emotional release from the pressure of constant striving. It’s about valuing the process as much as the outcomes, celebrating progress, and living each season with intention and grace.

Reading The 12 Week Year has reaffirmed so much of what I value in my seasonal practice. Breaking the year into smaller, intentional periods; finding meaning in daily actions; and celebrating progress are all at the heart of what I do. The book has challenged me to strengthen my focus and structure, while my practice reminds me to slow down and embrace the rhythm of life.

As I prepare for my next season, I’ll take these lessons with me. Each principle, each intention, and each moment of reflection builds toward a life lived with purpose, connection, and balance. Whether I’m nurturing my personal growth or inviting others into this journey, I see the potential for both approaches to create something truly transformative—one season, and one step, at a time.

What about you? Have you tried a structured approach like The 12 Week Year or found your own way to navigate goal setting and personal growth?