Some endings arrive disguised as success, and it can take time to recognize when a season has run its course and it’s time to move on. In this week’s post, I reflect on the uneasy feeling that made me question whether achievement and fulfillment always travel together.

JANUARY 2, 2026

I love themes, and with the arrival of fall, my favorite season, we are also moving to a new theme for the newsletter.

Last month we explored Redefining Productivity and Presence, and this month, we will be exploring Navigating Personal Transitions and Change.

Each theme offers new perspectives and angles for creating embodied impact, which is what this newsletter is all about.

A few years ago, I was part of an exciting new project that promised a revolution in affiliate marketing. Since I came from a financial background, my part in this project was closely linked to accounting.

Although “knowing your numbers” is a crucial part of any business, it is more of a necessity in my business today, rather than something I truly enjoy doing. 

But for this particular project, accounting was something the team needed and I was happy to contribute my expertise.

We connected with visionaries and leaders all over the world, and some days I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real.

As the project progressed, I was asked to come on board for additional projects, again in the accounting space, and again I agreed because I very much enjoyed working with the team.

The Jōrni was growing at the same time and I realized that whenever I worked on the Jōrni, I felt even more energized and aligned. I was excited to create content and programs and felt I could contribute to people’s lives in a meaningful way.

My creativity went wild when it came to things I truly enjoyed and I also noticed how that affected my mental and emotional states.

More and more, accounting became a tedious task that sucked the creativity out of me. Dealing with bills and chasing down clients who had not paid lost its shine, and I felt stuck on the hamster wheel without a way out.

Increasingly, I felt that accounting was something better left to people who actually enjoyed it, and that did not include me.

I became very unhappy and even dreaded opening my computer many of those mornings. At the same time, I was part of something huge and when we hit the one-million revenue mark, we were all ecstatic.

The problem was that the feeling did not last very long.

Despite all the success, I felt a growing sense of disconnect and money was not the thing that could fix it. 

When the time for my Master’s dissertation came, I had to make the difficult choice. I needed to free up time for school and there was no way I wanted to let go of the Jōrni. So, I walked away from the financial projects.

The morning after I had decided to step away, I woke with a lump in my stomach. I could not even eat breakfast or focus on anything. There were a few times I thought I might write an email and take it all back.

As time went on, I felt more and more certain that the decision had been exactly right for me. Someone contacted me a few months later and asked if I could help them with their project, mentioning they heard I was THE accounting person.

Maybe I had taken that identity on a long time ago but that season had definitely and irrevocably passed. 

There are seasons in our lives, and recognizing and honoring those transitions can be one of the most difficult things we do. Fear and uncertainty create obstacles that will hold us back from stepping into our purpose and our joy, but once we take that step, there are really no words to describe how amazing it feels.

Maybe you have let go of an old identity and felt that difference in your body. Maybe you changed jobs or pivoted in your business and noticed the transformation that happened in your mental and physical wellbeing.  

And if you find yourself between what has been and what is just beginning, remember that change rarely arrives with full understanding. It often shows up as that nagging feeling that something no longer belongs even before we can consciously understand why.

That feeling is a signal to pause and listen. To notice where your energy naturally wants to move next. To trust that every time you release what no longer fits, you create space for what is ready to grow and evolve.

In the end, it isn’t about leaving something behind, but rather about aligning your outer world with who you have already become on the inside. 

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