Those two little words - what if - can stop us in our tracks.

What if I've left it too late? What if I do all the work and it still never happens for me?

In this episode, I'm digging into the what-ifs that seem to show up more insistently as we move into midlife and beyond, and why they're not actually messages from your soul, they're your brain's attempt to keep you safely exactly where you are.

Here's what I'm exploring this week:

~ Why your brain registers change as danger, and how it "future-paces the scary" to keep you from moving toward what you really want

~ The two unhelpful responses most women fall into: either surrendering to the fear and giving up on the dream, or bulldozing through and dysregulating their nervous system in the process

~ A third way: working with your brain and body rather than against them

~ Why identity work matters more than strategy when you're reaching for something new, and how to hold the duality of loving who you are now while protecting the vision of who you're becoming

~ The power of baby steps (and my two non-negotiable criteria for what actually qualifies as one)

How to reframe the what ifs from contractions into expansions - what if this is the year everything starts to change for me?

This one was recorded a little off-the-cuff because the topic wouldn't wait. If you've been circling a dream and wondering whether it's too late, or whether it'll ever land, this episode is for you.

Mentioned in this episode:

Free journaling prompts to work through your own what-ifs - email the word 'CALLING' to info@gillmoakes.com and we'll send you the workbook.

Come and find me:

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Tune into the replay of the LIVE here on Substack today with me and Deb D | The Intuitive HERoine

This is Part Two of our Legacy and Leadership Series…

In part one, we talked about why NOW is the time for THIS conversation with women - catch the part one replay HERE.

In this replay of part two we’re talking about permission… why we feel we need it, why we withhold it, and what it feels like to grant it to ourselves.

We share stories of what this looks like for us in our businesses - no sugar coating here - you get the raw, honest take of what Deb and I have both navigated over the years to give ourselves permission to land where we are now.

At the end of this video we make a genuine invitation - if you know you’re holding back from giving yourself the permission to go all in on what you want - whatever ‘legacy & leadership’ might mean for you, then we invite you to reach out to either or both of us - DM / email / via Deb’s website or my website - or simply comment on this post - whatever works for you.

Also if this topic has stirred something in you, check out Deb’s The Be HER Podcast - I KNOW you’ll bloody love it like I do.

Join us for the next live video in the series - part 3 will be at 1pm UK / 8am EST on Tuesday 28th April - stay tuned!

If you've ever rolled your eyes at the idea of journalling, this one's for you. I used to be exactly the same, I resisted it for years, couldn't get into it, didn't really see the point. Until I made it work for me, and now I genuinely can't live without it.

In this episode I'm unpacking why so many of us resist journalling, what it actually is when you strip away the pretty notebooks and the Pinterest prompts, and how to start writing freely, even if you swear you're not a writer. I'm also sharing what's changed for me since I embedded this as a daily ritual, including the fact that most of my podcast episodes and content ideas now spark from my journal.

If you've been searching for answers about your next move, your offers, your direction, what if those answers are already inside you, and the only thing missing is a practice that lets them surface?

The resistance - why "I'm not a writer," "I don't have time," and "it feels self-indulgent" are all worth questioning. And the deeper one: resistance to journalling is often resistance to hearing what you already know.

The difference between journalling to something and journalling from something - prompts and gratitude lists are fine but limited. The real transformation happens when you let the writing move through you without knowing where it's going.

How to actually do it - start with the hand, not the head. Keep the pen moving. Follow the thread, not the topic. Write past the surface stuff. And don't read it back straight away.

What it unlocks for business owners - clarity on direction, better decision-making, more powerful content, and a release valve for the emotional weight of running a business.

The five-day challenge - five minutes, five days, pen on paper, keep the pen moving. Treat it as an experiment, not a lifestyle change.

Want me to keep you accountable? Email the word CHALLENGE to info@gillmoakes.com

ReWild Your Business is a global top 3% podcast. If this episode resonated, a review goes a long way - thank you SO much.