This month we're talking about creativity and play, and today's conversation completely changed the way I think about both.

I'm joined by Tasha Golden. She is a former touring songwriter turned public health researcher whose work explores how creativity shapes our wellbeing, identity, and ability to navigate change.

What started as a conversation about creativity quickly became a conversation about burnout, life transitions, identity, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are.

We explore:

• why creativity is about more than art or self-expression
• how burnout can become an invitation to reimagine your life
• the connection between creativity and behavior change
• why difficult emotions can act as guides instead of obstacles
• Tasha's concept of "The Art of Refusal"
• how limiting stories shape our choices and identities
• and why creativity may be one of the most important skills we have for navigating uncertainty

One of my favorite moments in this conversation is the idea that sometimes we haven't reached the limits of reality. We've simply reached the limits of the story we're telling ourselves.

If you've ever felt stuck, burnt out, uncertain, or like you're standing in the middle of a life transition wondering what's next, this episode offers a powerful reminder:

The end of one story doesn't mean it's the end of your story.

It may simply be the beginning of a new one

Connect with Tasha

• Website: Tasha Golden
• Free Resources: Plan Goal Plan Listener Page

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

Last week, we talked about whether play can be productive. This week, we're digging into different questions:

If play is important... why is it so hard to actually let ourselves do it? Why does rest feel uncomfortable? Why does fun feel like something we have to earn? And why do so many high-achieving women find themselves waiting for permission to stop, even when no one is asking them to keep going?

In this episode, I'm exploring:

• why guilt around rest is often a learned response
• how productivity culture shapes our relationship with play
• the invisible ways women are socialized to earn rest and fun
• why so many of us wait for external permission before taking care of ourselves
• the "put on your shoes" principle and why action often comes before feeling ready
• how over-functioning becomes a pattern we don't even notice
• and why play is deeply connected to identity, self-trust, and knowing what you actually want

One of the biggest takeaways?

Permission isn't a feeling you wait for. It's a decision you make. The goal isn't just to make more time for play. The goal is to stop outsourcing your choices and start trusting yourself enough to honor what you need.

And maybe the next step isn't waiting until things slow down. Maybe it's putting on your shoes anyway.

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

This month on Plan Goal Plan, we’re talking about play, and honestly, I think a lot of us have forgotten how to do it.

Somewhere along the way, many high-achieving women learned that if something is serious, meaningful, or important… play has no business being there. That joy is earned. That rest has to be justified. That fun should come after the work is done.

But what if play isn’t the opposite of ambition?

What if it’s part of how we sustain it?

In this episode, I’m exploring:

• whether play can actually support productivity and creativity
• why so many women struggle to access play without guilt
• the connection between play, nervous system regulation, and burnout
• how achievement culture teaches us to treat play like a reward instead of a necessity
• why planning your play may actually help you enjoy it more
• and how play helps us stay connected to ourselves outside of our roles and responsibilities

I also share stories from teaching, motherhood, amusement parks, public speaking “play days,” and the ways play can become a form of resistance in a culture obsessed with output and proving yourself.

One of the biggest takeaways?

The women doing the biggest things long-term are not necessarily the ones sacrificing the most. They’re often the ones who have learned how to refuel.

And maybe play isn’t a distraction from your life.

Maybe it’s part of how you stay found inside of it.

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