Last week, I left my corporate job. It was a decision I'd been working toward for a while, although perhaps not quite in the way I originally imagined. I liked the work itself. Coaching people through difficult seasons of their lives is something I care deeply about, and I had the opportunity to work with some truly wonderful humans.

But the schedule had become increasingly difficult to reconcile with the rest of my life. Evenings and weekends spent working meant missing time with my family, turning down opportunities, and trying to squeeze everything else into the hours that remained.

I had taken the job because it made sense at a particular moment in my life. Eventually, I had to acknowledge that what made sense then didn't necessarily make sense anymore. So I left.

I expected to feel relieved, and I do. I expected to feel a little nervous about walking away from a predictable paycheck, and I do. What I didn't necessarily expect was to feel just as overwhelmed in the days immediately afterward. The truth is, my life didn't suddenly become less complicated because I removed one significant obligation from it.

I still own a business that requires an extraordinary amount of attention. I have coaching clients, projects in development, a family, and an ever-evolving collection of responsibilities that apparently did not receive the memo about my newfound availability.

In fact, some of the things I'd been holding together through sheer determination began demanding attention almost immediately. There was a moment when I found myself wondering whether I'd actually accomplished anything by leaving. I'd made this big, intentional decision to reclaim my time, and here I was, still feeling like I had more to do than hours in the day.

But I've been thinking about that reaction, and I suspect there's something important underneath it: For most of my adult life, I've been very good at figuring things out. I've built businesses, navigated uncertainty, raised a child, supported other people, and learned to make things work with whatever resources were available. I've become remarkably efficient at accommodating the demands of a full life.

Perhaps a little too efficient. Because when you spend enough time organizing your life around what needs to be done, it becomes surprisingly easy to lose sight of what you actually want to do. And even when you make a decision to change that, the old habits don't disappear with the obligation.

I'm beginning to understand that creating space is only the first part of the work. Learning to protect it, and perhaps more importantly, learning to inhabit it without immediately making it productive, is something else entirely.

I don't want to leave one demanding schedule only to recreate another one of my own making. I want to be able to pick my son up, show up for his activities, take a yoga class, spend time outside, and enjoy a Tuesday afternoon without feeling as though I need to justify it.

I want to continue building meaningful businesses and doing work that matters to me. I want to be ambitious, creative, and financially independent. None of those desires have gone away. But I also want to travel, explore, make art, have adventures, and experience the life I've worked so hard to build.

I don't think those things should be the rewards we occasionally allow ourselves after everything else is finished. Because everything else is never finished.

I'm not sharing this because I've figured out how to strike some perfect balance. I haven't. I'm still navigating the uncertainty that comes with making a big change, and I'm discovering that a decision can be absolutely right without immediately making everything easier.

Maybe that's part of what we misunderstand about change. We expect the moment of decision to feel like transformation, when often it's just the beginning of a long, occasionally uncomfortable process of learning to live differently. For now, I'm trying to resist the urge to measure the success of this decision by how much I accomplish with my newly available hours.

I'd rather measure it by whether those hours begin to resemble the life I actually want. And that's going to require a different kind of discipline. Not the discipline to do more....The discipline to leave room.

NBC-HWC | ACSM-CPT

Mental PEAKS: Practice Leaving Room

There's a concept in behavioral science called implementation intentions, which involves connecting an intended action to a specific situation: When X happens, I will do Y.

Research suggests that making a concrete plan can help close the gap between what we intend to do and what we actually do.

We usually apply this to productivity, exercise, and habit building. But what if we used it to protect the experiences we keep saying matter to us?

Try this: Think of one thing you've been wanting more of in your life. It might be time outside, a creative pursuit, a friendship, unstructured time with your family, or simply an afternoon that isn't spoken for.

Rather than waiting until you have enough time, identify one opportunity in the coming week and give it a place in your calendar. Then create a simple plan for protecting it.

When I feel tempted to fill that time with another obligation, I will remind myself why I reserved it.

The goal isn't to turn leisure into another item on your to-do list. It's to begin treating the life you want to live as something worthy of your attention right now.

Join us for Power in Practice 2027

Speaking of making room for the experiences that matter, I have something exciting to share! Our next Power in Practice retreat is taking us to Latsch, South Tyrol, Italy, May 30–June 5, 2027, and we're already seeing people put down deposits and reserve their spots! Julz and I have been thoughtfully creating an experience that brings together so many of the things we love: intentional movement, outdoor adventure, incredible food, genuine connection, and the opportunity to slow down long enough to appreciate it all. We'll be staying at the beautiful five-star Das Paradies resort and spa, nestled in the mountains and valleys of South Tyrol. Over the course of seven days, we'll enjoy a blend of yoga, strength, mobility, alpine hiking, spa and sauna time, and opportunities to explore the nearby town of Merano. As always, everything is designed to meet you where you are, with plenty of flexibility to choose your own adventures. This isn't about escaping your life or returning home as some entirely new version of yourself. It's about stepping outside your usual routines, experiencing something extraordinary, and remembering that adventure, rest, and connection deserve a place in your life, too. Registration is officially open, and we're keeping this group intentionally intimate. Deposits are already coming in, and room selections are available as bookings are made. As a thank-you to our early supporters, we're offering a €500 VIP discount with code ITALYVIP, subject to the offer's current eligibility and availability. ​Explore the full itinerary, see pricing, and reserve your spot here!​ If this experience has been on your mind, I'd love for you to join us. Some of the best memories we make begin with deciding that something we've been dreaming about is worth making room for.

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