Why Does Starting Feel So Heavy? Using Rituals to Begin Bold Goals | Ep. 277

You're sitting at the edge of something you want. Maybe a new project, maybe a decision you've been circling for months. The calendar says it's time to begin. But your body hesitates. Not because you're unclear, but because starting feels heavier than it should.

Y'all, that heaviness isn't a flaw. It's a threshold. And in this episode, I'm diving into why beginnings are actually identity moments (not just logistical tasks) and how rituals can help you cross that threshold when readiness feels impossible.

Here's what we're covering:

• Why ambitious women interpret starting friction as personal failure (and what to do instead)
• The concept of liminality: being "betwixt and between" who you were and who you're becoming
• Three types of beginning rituals: opening rituals, reset rituals, and courage rituals
• The difference between habits (that manage time) and rituals (that assign meaning)
• Why identity often lags behind your desire and your action
• Real stories: from helping my daughter release anxiety with dance moves to writing "I am a savvy business woman" every morning

The big insight: Beginnings don't ask for readiness. They ask for orientation. And ritual can be the doorway you're allowed to walk through slowly.

Your challenge this week:

1. Choose one moment that feels slightly resistant
2. Pick your threshold (start of workday? returning to a dream? saying yes to fear?)
3. Add a sensory marker or identity question: "Who am I invited to become here?"
4. Meet yourself at the threshold—not with pressure, but with presence

If you're a woman in a high-pressure job who wants to pursue bold goals without losing yourself—even when life feels banana pants—this episode is your permission slip to begin with ritual, not just willpower.

Next week: I'm talking with Ayelet Fishbach (author of Get It Done) about why procrastination shows up when goals threaten our identity. You won't want to miss it!

Mentioned in this episode:

• Simply Bold 8-week group program (for women in high-pressure jobs pursuing bold goals)
• Sense the Possibilities Planner & Journal
• Performance studies concepts: liminality, ritual, witnessing

Resources:

• Sense the Possibilities Planner & Journal (20+ worksheets to help you connect with yourself before setting goals)
• Plan Goal Plan 2026 Weekly Planner
• Quarterly Plan Goal Plan Your Year Retreats (dates at plangoalplan.com/retreats)

Connect with me:

• • Email: support@plangoalplan.com
  • Facebook Group: Join Here
  • Website: PlanGoalPlan.com
  • LinkedIn: (I post most here!) www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-mcgeough-phd-🗓️-b673334

Ready to begin? Schedule a chat about Simply Bold at plangoalplan.com