You love your kids, but somehow you keep finding reasons to avoid actually playing with them. The dishes need doing. Emails need answering. That toy bin needs organizing. Sound familiar?

What if the real issue ISN'T that you're too busy or too responsible? What if you're actually using those tasks to avoid something much deeper?

In this 5-minute strategic journaling session, we're digging into why you feel internal resistance when your child asks you to play - even when you desperately want to be that present, patient mom who enjoys these moments.

Strategic Journal Prompts:

1. Identify what you convince yourself is more important than playtime
2. Explore your specific fears about engaging fully with your kids
3. Discover if you're using productivity to avoid deeper feelings

Perfect for working moms who feel guilty about always being half-present during family time but can't seem to break the pattern.

Permission Slips for Ambitious Women hosted at Meraki Beauty in Batavia, NY. In this 90-min strategic journaling workshop, you'll go from daily overwhelm & doing everything for everyone else to peacefully pursuing your true desires (guilt & people-pleasing officially evicted) — without adding more to your already full plate.

You'll experience a guided meditation, strategic journaling prompts, real-time breakthroughs & mimosas!🥂

📌 Sunday, Sept. 21st @ 10am EST, 12 spots only

Register here: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/permissionslipsworkshop

• Calm Mind Blueprint: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/calm-mind-pod
• Permission Slips for Ambitious Women: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/permissionslipsworkshop
• Clarity Reset inside Glow Up Gyrl: https://www.glowupgyrl.com/glow-up-live-events

1:1 coaching: Now accepting applications, 1 spot open. Learn More here: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/privatecoaching

Connect with Sam on IG: https://www.instagram.com/samantha.s.says

DM Sam on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachSamanthaHawley/

Picture this: You're on the living room floor, making robot sound effects while your kid transforms Bumblebee for the 47th time today. But instead of being present, your brain is screaming about the dishes, that work email you forgot to send, and whether you remembered to put the chicken in the crockpot.

If this hits a little too close to home, you're going to love this episode. I'm sharing the exact moment everything clicked for me - when I stopped seeing playtime as another obligation and started actually enjoying those moments with my son.

What You'll Learn:

• The real reason mom guilt creeps in during playtime (hint: it's not because you're selfish)
• Why your brain won't shut off during kid activities - and how to quiet that mental chatter
• The 3-month Transformer saga that taught me everything about being present vs. productive
• How present parenting actually boosts your productivity instead of killing it
• What to do when your kid ignores you after work (this behavior means something specific)
• One simple question that creates instant connection with moody kids

The Truth About Mom Guilt During Playtime: It's not a character flaw - it's your subconscious sabotage patterns (hyperachiever, overthinker, restless energy) hijacking your focus. Once you learn to spot these patterns and disrupt them in real-time, everything changes. The laundry still gets folded, emails still get answered, but now you also get those sweet connection moments that actually energize you.

1. The Clarity Reset with Glow Up, Gyrl community! Feeling stuck? Overthinking everything? Join us to learn my simple, strategic 5-step framework that takes you from mental overload to clear, confident action. Register here: https://www.glowupgyrl.com/glow-up-live-events
2. Permission Slips for Ambitious Women hosted at Meraki Beauty in Batavia, NY. In this 90-min strategic journaling workshop, you'll go from daily overwhelm & doing everything for everyone else to peacefully pursuing your true desires (guilt & people-pleasing officially evicted) — without adding more to your already full plate. Guided meditation + strategic journaling + real-time breakthroughs + mimosas!🥂 12 spots only Register here: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/permissionslipsworkshop

• Calm Mind Blueprint: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/calm-mind-pod
• Permission Slips for Ambitious Women: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/permissionslipsworkshop
• Clarity Reset inside Glow Up Gyrl: https://www.glowupgyrl.com/glow-up-live-events

1:1 coaching: Now accepting applications, 1 spot open. Learn More here: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/privatecoaching

Connect with Sam on IG:

If you've been thinking "I'm doing everything right, so why are my kids so "difficult?" Like the harder you try to be the perfect mom, the more your kids seem to fall apart? I see you!

You're absolutely crushing it at work - managing teams, solving problems, keeping everyone happy. Then you come home with every intention of being present, patient, and fun... only to watch your kids have complete meltdowns over the tiniest things.

In this 5-minute journal session, we'll uncover:

• The hidden reason "good mom" energy actually triggers more meltdowns
• What your kids are really picking up on when you're trying your hardest
• Why perfectionist parenting creates the exact chaos you're trying to prevent
• How to shift from performing motherhood to simply being enough

Today's Journal Prompts:

1. Think about your most stressful parenting moment recently - what were you trying to control or fix?
2. When your kids don't respond how you hoped after you've been trying so hard, what fear comes up?
3. Where else in your life does "trying harder to be good enough" make things fall apart?
4. What if your kids are responding to the pressure they feel from you trying to be perfect?

Your kids don't need a "good mom" - they need a mom who believes she's already enough, so they can feel safe being themselves too.

1. The Clarity Reset with Glow Up, Gyrl community! Feeling stuck? Overthinking everything? Join us to learn my simple, strategic 5-step framework that takes you from mental overload to clear, confident action. Register here: https://www.glowupgyrl.com/glow-up-live-events
2. Permission Slips for Ambitious Women hosted at Meraki Beauty in Batavia, NY. In this 90-min strategic journaling workshop, you'll go from daily overwhelm & doing everything for everyone else to peacefully pursuing your true desires (guilt & people-pleasing officially evicted) — without adding more to your already full plate. Guided meditation + strategic journaling + real-time breakthroughs + mimosas!🥂 12 spots only Register here: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/permissionslipsworkshop

• Calm Mind Blueprint: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/calm-mind-pod
• Permission Slips for Ambitious Women: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/permissionslipsworkshop
• Clarity Reset inside Glow Up Gyrl: https://www.glowupgyrl.com/glow-up-live-events

1:1 coaching: Now accepting applications, 1 spot open. Learn More here: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/privatecoaching

Connect with Sam on IG: https://www.instagram.com/samantha.s.says

DM Sam on Facebook:

You know that thing where you're working past bedtime because you convinced yourself "if I just finish this one thing, tomorrow will be so much easier"? Then you wake up and somehow there's even more waiting for you?

That cycle used to drive me absolutely nuts. And after working with hundreds of ambitious moms, I've realized we're all chasing the wrong thing. 😂

🧠 Why your to-do list will never make you feel balanced (and what actually will)

⏸️ The 2-second reset technique that stops overwhelm in its tracks without slowing you down

🎯 How hyperachievers can detach from outcomes and actually enjoy their work again

After this episode, you'll catch yourself in those scattered moments and know exactly how to bring yourself back to center. No more mental chaos. No more feeling like you're drowning in tasks that multiply faster than you can cross them off.

You'll walk away knowing how to feel accomplished and proud of yourself - without needing anyone else to tell you "good job." Because let's be honest, when's the last time your partner noticed you reorganized the entire pantry or your boss acknowledged you stayed late to prep for that client meeting?

This is about feeling peaceful in the middle of your busy life, not waiting for busy to end.

Calm Mind Blueprint: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/calm-mind-pod

Permission Slips for Ambitious Women: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/permissionslipsworkshop

Clarity Reset inside Glow Up Gyrl: https://www.glowupgyrl.com/glow-up-live-events

1:1 coaching: Now accepting applications, 1 spot open. Learn More here: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/privatecoaching

Connect with Sam on IG: https://www.instagram.com/samantha.s.says

DM Sam on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachSamanthaHawley/

Exhausted but still organizing drawers at 10pm? Staying up for "one more episode" when you should sleep? This isn't about discipline - it's about the hidden beliefs keeping you from resting.

This 8-minute strategic journaling session reveals why you can't give yourself permission to rest, even when your body is begging for it. We'll uncover the hidden beliefs keeping you running on empty and give you four powerful prompts to shift your relationship with rest.

You'll get to know;

• Why "I'll sleep when the kids are older" is actually fear in disguise
• The real reason you feel guilty sitting still when there's stuff to be done
• What you're really afraid it means about you if you rest
• How to stop believing rest has to be "earned" through exhaustion

Strategic Journaling Prompts:

1. What thoughts go through your head when you try to rest but there are still things to be done?
2. Who in your life would judge you for resting? What would they say or think?
3. What do you believe you have to accomplish before you're "allowed" to rest?
4. What would change if you believed rest was productive, not lazy?

Perfect for the mom who works through lunch breaks, volunteers for one more committee, and checks emails on vacation. Your worth isn't measured by your productivity.

Resources Mentioned:

• Episode 15: The 7 Types of Rest to Avoid Burnout
• Calm Mind Blueprint: www.samanthapenkoff.com/calm-mind-pod

1:1 coaching: Now accepting applications, 1 spot open. Learn More here: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/privatecoaching

Get on the Waitlist: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/assessments/2148353310

Connect with Sam on IG: https://www.instagram.com/samantha.s.says

DM Sam on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachSamanthaHawley/

You know that moment when you've asked your kid to get off the couch for the fifth time, and suddenly you're yelling way louder than you meant to? Then you spend the rest of the day feeling like the worst mom in the world?

Yeah, me too. And apparently, so does literally every mom I talk to.

Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

🎯 The real reason you keep losing it (hint: it's not because you're a bad mom - there's actually something deeper happening that nobody talks about)

🎯 How to bounce back after you've already yelled - including the exact words to say that actually rebuild connection instead of making everyone feel worse

🎯 The one thing you MUST do before trying to help your kids with their emotions (this was a total lightbulb moment for me)

My guest Talia Anderson literally wrote the book on emotions (she's a self-published author), and she breaks down why understanding comes before expressing - for both you AND your kids.

At the end of this episode, you'll finally:

• Stop beating yourself up every time you have a "mom moment"
• Know exactly what to do in those 30 seconds before you're about to lose it
• Have actual words to use when you need to repair with your kids
• Feel way less alone in this whole parenting thing

Talia's Book: The Tools Within

Connect with Talia: Instagram @talia_anderson__

Calm Mind Blueprint: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/calm-mind-pod

1:1 coaching: Now accepting applications, 1 spot open. Learn More here: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/privatecoaching

Connect with Sam on IG: https://www.instagram.com/samantha.s.says

What if pursuing your goals felt free, aligned, and way easier than you've been making it? You start with all this motivation, then suddenly your dreams feel more like burdens than possibilities.

I was talking with someone inside Emotionally Empowered recently who's working full-time AND starting her master's program. She described her brain as "a ball of yarn" and said she felt like the clock was ticking on her dreams. After we journaled through it together, that tangled mess became clear direction and relief.

This happens way more than you think. Our goals become sources of chaos instead of clarity because we've been taught that worthwhile dreams require struggle.

What we're journaling through today:

• Why your goals might feel scarier to achieve than you realize
• The sneaky beliefs that make success feel impossible
• How overwhelm actually protects you from getting what you want
• A completely different way to think about pursuing your dreams

Prompt 1: Write down a goal you're currently working toward. Describe how you want to feel when you achieve it, then write how you actually feel right now while pursuing it.

Prompt 2: Get brutally honest—what are you afraid would happen if you achieved this goal easily, without all the struggle? What if it didn't require sacrificing everything else you care about?

Prompt 3: Complete this sentence: "I make my goals overwhelming because if I don't struggle enough, then..." (Whatever comes up first is usually the most honest answer.)

Most of us unconsciously use overwhelm to prove we deserve our dreams. But what if Oprah was right when she said you'd never have a dream if you didn't already have everything needed to pursue it?

Resources Mentioned:

• Calm Mind Blueprint: www.samanthapenkoff.com/calm-mind-pod

1:1 coaching: Now accepting applications, 1 spot open. Learn More here: www.samanthapenkoff.com/working-together

Get on the Waitlist: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/assessments/2148353310

Connect with Sam on IG: https://www.instagram.com/samantha.s.says

Have you been told to write down your goals? That doing so would help you stay focused or actually achieve them? There's a BIG difference between regular journaling & strategically journaling towards your goals.

Maybe you've been there - writing down the same goals week after week, checking all the productivity boxes everyone talks about, but still feeling like you're running in circles. Or maybe you're that person who sets a goal, works yourself into the ground trying to achieve it, then barely has energy to celebrate before jumping to the next thing.

🎯 Three Game-Changing Takeaways:

• Stop ignoring your body's warning signals – Those headaches and that pit in your stomach during certain projects? That's not stress you need to push through. It's your intuition telling you something needs to shift.
• Catch your sabotage patterns in real-time – Working past 10 PM "just this once" and refusing to delegate because "it's faster if I do it" aren't signs of dedication. They're self-sabotage patterns keeping you stuck in overwhelm.
• Master the art of post-goal reflection – Most women celebrate for five minutes then jump to the next goal. Strategic journalers dig deeper to spot patterns like stress-eating during projects so they don't repeat the same cycles.

How Strategic Journaling Changes Everything:

Instead of muscling through goals that drain you, you'll start setting goals that actually excite you. Your goals will stop feeling like burdens and start feeling like adventures. You'll complete projects faster because you're not overthinking every decision. Most importantly, you'll wake up excited about your day instead of already feeling behind before your feet hit the floor.

When you learn to journal strategically, you become free to do things your way – and trust that your way is the right way for you. You'll make quicker decisions because you're actually connected to yourself instead of operating on autopilot.

Your 5-Minute Challenge:

Write down your current goals, then ask yourself one question: "Do I actually want this, or am I just doing what I think I should do?" The answer might surprise you.

Resources Mentioned:

Calm Mind Blueprint: www.samanthapenkoff.com/calm-mind-pod

1:1 coaching: Now accepting applications, 1 spot open. Learn More here: www.samanthapenkoff.com/working-together

Connect with Sam on IG: https://www.instagram.com/samantha.s.says

DM Sam on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/CoachSamanthaHawley/