There are seasons where responsibility feels heavy.
Unwanted, even.
Like one more thing added to an already full plate.

But sometimes, responsibility isn’t just something to get through — it’s the very thing that grows us.

In this episode, I’m reflecting on how often growth doesn’t happen in the quiet, prepared, well-rested moments we imagine it will. Instead, it shows up right in the middle of chaos — when someone hands us a job we didn’t exactly volunteer for, and we have no choice but to figure it out.

I share two very real stories from farm life that taught me this in a big way.

The first takes us into the calf shed — back to the very first job I ever properly took on on the farm: feeding calves. What I thought would be the “easy” job quickly became a steep learning curve, especially when we were hit with crypto during calving season, in the middle of COVID, with no staff. Tubing sick calves every three hours was terrifying, overwhelming, and something I didn’t feel ready for — but it was also the moment I realised I was far more capable than I thought.

The second story is about learning to drive the tractor. Something I didn’t grow up doing, didn’t feel confident with, and honestly avoided for a long time because the timing never felt right. It wasn’t until I had space — real space, without pressure or someone watching over my shoulder — that I could learn in my own way and at my own pace. And once again, responsibility quietly turned into confidence.

As I talk through these stories, I also reflect on how closely this mirrors motherhood.

We give our kids small responsibilities every day — feeding the dog, shutting gates, carrying eggs, helping out — and we watch how those moments build their confidence. Yet when it’s us standing on the edge of something new, we’re so much harder on ourselves. We forget that we deserve the same opportunity to learn, to wobble, and to grow.

This episode is a reminder that confidence doesn’t come before responsibility — it comes because of it. That growth rarely feels empowering in the moment. And that many of the things you now do without thinking once felt completely overwhelming.

If you’re in a season where responsibility feels uncomfortable, heavy, or just plain scary, I hope this episode helps you see it a little differently — not as something that’s breaking you, but as something that might be quietly shaping you.

• Why growth so often happens in chaos, not calm
• Feeding calves and learning hard things in high-pressure moments
• The fear and responsibility that comes with tubing sick calves
• Learning to drive the tractor later than I thought I “should”
• Why confidence usually comes after responsibility, not before
• The strong parallels between farm life and motherhood
• How responsibility builds confidence in our kids — and in us
• Why communication matters when we want to learn and grow
• Recognising just how capable you already are

Connect with Jess:

@thejess.knight

Join the Grounded Journey Waitlist

When I first connected with Krysta on Instagram a couple of years ago, I had no idea we’d eventually sit down and record a conversation like this — two women on opposite sides of the world, somehow living through the same questions, tensions, and gut feelings. This episode is all about stepping out of the boxes we’ve put ourselves in, slowing down long enough to hear our own thoughts, and letting change unfold in a way that actually supports us… not burns us out.

Krysta shares how she left the corporate world after just three months, trusting a gut instinct that her purpose would never fit inside a nine-to-five. From there, she built multiple businesses over ten years — social media management, podcast management, and now a new chapter in coaching blended with wellness practices. What I loved most is how she talks about intuition, yoga, and slowing down not as “woo woo,” but as tools that gave her space to breathe, think, and live below that 99% stress line she used to sit at.

We also talk about what it’s like to shift identities in an industry like agriculture, where boxes and expectations can feel tight. Krysta opens up about choosing to become a yoga teacher — something she feared people in her ag community wouldn’t understand — and how that decision has invited deeper connection, curiosity, and honesty in her life and business.

This conversation keeps circling back to one thing: women aren’t meant to carry all of this alone. Whether it’s listening to the quiet, protecting your capacity, saying no, tending to your own “garden of ideas,” or simply finding five minutes to breathe, there is space for all of us to slow down and build lives that actually feel like ours.

• How Krysta knew early on that corporate life wasn’t where her purpose lived.
• The imposter syndrome that still shows up — even ten years into entrepreneurship.
• Listening to your gut and why quiet moments matter more than we admit.
• Becoming a yoga teacher while working in agriculture…and why it felt scary.
• Breaking out of the “boxes” rural women are often placed in.
• Slowing down after years of running at 99% capacity.
• Burnout, boundaries, and the power of saying no.
• Finding what genuinely works for you instead of copying others’ systems.
• Daily rituals, journaling, movement, and supporting your own nervous system.
• Why connection — especially online — matters so deeply for rural women.
• What cultivating contentment looks like in Krysta’s life right now.

If Krysta’s week-long self-care + business series sounds like what your end-of-year soul is craving, the link is waiting for you in the notes.

Resources & Links:

Grounded Farm Wife Journal

Connect with Krysta:

@ruralpodcastnetwork

@krystapaffrath

www.krystapaffrath.com

Connect with Jessica:

@groundedfarmwife

www.groundedfarmwife.com.au

In this episode, Jess shares a heartfelt life update, reflecting on the challenges faced during the calving season, including personal health struggles and the impact of burnout. She discusses the importance of setting boundaries for mental and physical health, the transformative experience of attending retreats, and the journey towards finding clarity and alignment with her values. Jess emphasizes the need for self-care and the importance of community support, especially for rural women, as she looks forward to new beginnings and projects.