The Upper Limit Problem: Why We Make Things Harder When Life Gets Better

The Upper Limit Problem: Why We Make Things Harder When Life Gets Better

Something unexpected happened after I sold my house, moved into full-time travel, and watched momentum build in my business.   Instead of feeling energized by all the good things happening, I slowed down. I stopped posting. I stopped showing up in the ways that felt normal. And, it all felt pretty confusing.   In this episode, I’m sharing something that helped me make sense of it: the Upper Limit Problem, a concept from The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks that explains why we sometimes pull back, procrastinate, or make things harder right when life starts getting better.   If you’ve ever found yourself getting close to something you really want and suddenly feeling stuck, overwhelmed, resistant, or weirdly uncomfortable… this conversation is for you.   We’ll talk about the difference between burnout, misalignment, and upper limits, how creatives often sabotage momentum without realizing it, and what it looks like to gently expand your capacity for success, visibility, joy, and ease.   In this episode, we explore: • What the Upper Limit Problem actually is and why it happens   • Why creatives often pull back when things start going well   • The difference between burnout, misalignment, and self-protection   • Signs you might be experiencing an upper limit (without realizing it)   • Why growth, visibility, success, and ease can feel unexpectedly uncomfortable   • A simple mindset shift to help you move through resistance with more compassion If growth feels uncomfortable right now, nothing has gone wrong. You might simply be learning how to let something good become normal.   Mentioned in this episode:   • The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks   • Work Your Way: A Summer Reset for Creative Humans — coming next week with solo episodes, guest conversations, free monthly Zoom sessions, and limited breakthrough coaching sessions   Don’t miss the summer series: Follow The Complete Creative in your podcast app so you’ll be notified when new episodes drop.   ----more---- Connect With Me If you’d like to continue this conversation: Join me on Substack where I share more writing and ideas around creativity and business: https://thecompletecreative.substack.com [https://thecompletecreative.substack.com/] You can also connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/creativemindscoach [https://instagram.com/creativemindscoach] Work With Me If you're ready for deeper clarity in your creative life or business, you can start with a Clarity Call [https://link.creativemindscoach.com/widget/bookings/free-clarity-call-brie], the first step inside my Creative Compass framework, where we begin shaping your personal vision and direction.

From Reaction to Intention: Mastering Your Emotional Awareness

You know that moment after you hit send… and instantly wish you hadn’t? Or when you snap, shut down, or spiral—and later you’re like, where did that even come from?   In this episode, I’m talking about what’s happening in those moments—and how to catch it before it takes over. This is a follow-up to the Think, Feel, Do framework, and we’re focusing in on the most powerful part: what you’re feeling in your body, in real time.   When you start to notice it as it’s happening, you get your choice back. And that changes how you show up in your work, your decisions, your relationships… all of it. We get into: * Why your reactions feel instant (and why they’re not) * What’s happening in your body right before you react * How to catch the moment before it spirals * The small shifts that help you respond the way you want to * A simple way to build this skill without overthinking it   Connect With Me If you’d like to continue this conversation: Join me on Substack where I share more writing and ideas around creativity and business: https://thecompletecreative.substack.com [https://thecompletecreative.substack.com/] You can also connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/creativemindscoach [https://instagram.com/creativemindscoach] Work With Me If you're ready for deeper clarity in your creative life or business, you can start with a Clarity Call [https://link.creativemindscoach.com/widget/bookings/free-clarity-call-brie], the first step inside my Creative Compass framework, where we begin shaping your personal vision and direction. You can also explore my Energy Alignment Intensive [https://creativemindscoach.com/energy-alignment-intensive/], where I combine coaching with a custom AI tool to help you evaluate how you're spending your energy and realign your creative work with what actually matters most. Learn more here: https://creativemindscoach.com/energy-alignment-intensive/ [https://creativemindscoach.com/energy-alignment-intensive/]

How to Make Resistance Easy: A Creative’s Guide to Getting Unstuck

There’s a moment every creative knows well—you sit down to do the thing that matters most… and suddenly you’re doing literally anything else. Checking email. Reorganizing your desk. Thinking about the project instead of actually starting it. In this episode, I’m walking you through what’s sub-consciously happening in those moments—and how to move through resistance in a way that feels simple, doable, and even… kind of fun. Because resistance isn’t a sign that something’s wrong. It’s a signal that what you’re working on actually matters. And when you understand how your brain is wired—and how to work with it instead of against it—you can get unstuck faster than you think. In this episode, I share: * Why resistance shows up (and why it’s not a character flaw) * The real reason your brain avoids meaningful work * How to recognize resistance in your behavior, body, and thoughts * The difference between procrastination and what’s actually happening * A toolkit to move through resistance without forcing yourself * My favorite question that instantly makes things feel easier * Resources + Mentions: * Think → Feel → Do episode [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-complete-creative/id1811507073] * Substack Live (Imposter Syndrome) episode [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-complete-creative/id1811507073] * Access free workshop (Imposter Syndrome Fix) HERE [https://studio.creativemindscoach.com/imposter-syndrome-fix-free] * Impostor Syndrome Rehab (4 week program): https://studio.creativemindscoach.com/imposter-syndrome-rehab [https://studio.creativemindscoach.com/imposter-syndrome-rehab] Connect With Me If you’d like to continue this conversation: Join me on Substack where I share more writing and ideas around creativity and business: https://thecompletecreative.substack.com [https://thecompletecreative.substack.com/] You can also connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/creativemindscoach [https://instagram.com/creativemindscoach] Work With Me If you're ready for deeper clarity in your creative life or business, you can start with a Clarity Call, [https://link.creativemindscoach.com/widget/bookings/free-clarity-call-brie] the first step inside my Creative Compass framework, where we begin shaping your personal vision and direction.

Selling My Home: Lessons on Navigating a Big Life Transition With Ease

Selling my home took almost a year… and instead of being stressful, it became one of the most easeful transitions of my life. That wasn’t an accident. In this episode, I’m sharing what actually made the difference—from the emotional side of closing a long chapter to the practical shifts that helped me move through it in a completely different way than I used to. This wasn’t about forcing a positive mindset or pretending things felt easy. It was about learning how to move with the process instead of against it—and what opened up because of that. If you’re in the middle of a transition (or can feel one coming), this conversation will help you stay grounded, trust yourself more deeply, and create a little more ease along the way. In this episode, I talk about: * Why big life transitions can feel heavier than expected—and what’s actually happening underneath that * How I shifted from stress into a more grounded, intentional way of moving through change * The mindset that helped me navigate a year-long home-selling process without burning out * What it looks like to honor both excitement and grief at the same time * How to create more ease, even when things feel uncertain Mentioned in this episode: If decision-making has ever felt exhausting or overwhelming during a transition, this episode will support you: How Decision Fatigue Drains Creatives (and What to Do) [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-decision-fatigue-drains-creatives-and-what-to-do/id1811507073?i=1000745337587] If you’re curious about the framework I reference in this episode: The Gene Keys by Richard Rudd [https://genekeys.com/] Connect With Me * If you’d like to continue this conversation: Join me on Substack where I share more writing and ideas around creativity and business: https://thecompletecreative.substack.com [https://thecompletecreative.substack.com/] You can also connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/creativemindscoach [https://instagram.com/creativemindscoach] Work With Me If you're ready for deeper clarity in your creative life or business, you can start with a Clarity Call, [https://link.creativemindscoach.com/widget/bookings/free-clarity-call-brie] the first step inside my Creative Compass framework, where we begin shaping your personal vision and direction.

This Framework Changed My Life (And Can Change Yours Too)

There’s a framework I use every single day—and now it’s so integrated into how I think and live that I sometimes forget to even talk about it. But this one changed everything for me. In this episode, I’m walking you through the simple but powerful framework of Think, Feel, Do—a concept I learned during my life coach certification that completely shifted how I understand my emotions, my actions, and the results I create in my life and creative work. If you’ve ever felt stuck in your reactions, overwhelmed by your emotions, or unsure why you keep getting the same results, this is going to bring a whole new level of clarity. Because here’s where the power is: You’re not reacting to your life—you’re responding to your thinking about your life. And when you start to see that, everything changes. In this episode, I share: * Why your thoughts are not facts—and how they shape your entire experience * The real source of your emotions (hint: it’s not your circumstances) * How your feelings drive your actions—and ultimately your results * A simple way to start identifying the thoughts behind how you feel * How to use this framework to create more intention in your creative work * A practical journaling tool (“thought downloads”) to bring awareness to your thinking * How this work directly connects to imposter syndrome and self-doubt This framework is the foundation of everything I teach—and once you start seeing it, you won’t be able to unsee it. Want to go deeper? I hosted a free workshop called The Imposter Syndrome Fix, where I walk you through this framework in action—specifically for creatives navigating self-doubt. You can watch the free replay here: https://studio.creativemindscoach.com/imposter-syndrome-fix [https://studio.creativemindscoach.com/imposter-syndrome-fix] Connect With Me If you’d like to continue this conversation: Join me on Substack where I share more writing and ideas around creativity and business: https://thecompletecreative.substack.com [https://thecompletecreative.substack.com/] You can also connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/creativemindscoach [https://instagram.com/creativemindscoach] Work With Me If you're ready for deeper clarity in your creative life or business, you can start with a Clarity Call, [https://link.creativemindscoach.com/widget/bookings/free-clarity-call-brie] the first step inside my Creative Compass framework, where we begin shaping your personal vision and direction.