Beyond Awareness: Closing the Gap Between Knowing and Doing

Samantha Hawley | Inspired by Brene Brown, Glennon Doyle, Marie Forleo, Hillary Kerr, Mel Robbins
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Beyond Awareness (formerly Journal Entries) is for successful women in leadership and business who know exactly what they need to do but can't make themselves do it. You know you need to prioritize yourself, delegate more, set boundaries, stop bringing work home. You've tried therapy, coaching, retreats. You know the solution - but you either can't follow through, or when you DO, it doesn't stick. Host Samantha Hawley helps business owners and executives earning $100k+ excavate the root beliefs underneath the execution gap. Why do you keep not doing the thing? Why doesn't it feel better when you do? Using strategic journaling and emotional excavation, we go beyond awareness into why you're actually stuck in the pattern. This isn't about more tactics or tips. This is about understanding why awareness isn't enough and what actually needs to shift for you to change. You'll hear about: decision fatigue, why you can't prioritize yourself, nervous system regulation, being present with your kids, root cause of overwhelm, why boundaries don't stick, self-sabotage patterns, and how your internal state impacts everything. Perfect for: Female CFOs, VPs, directors, executives, business owners, and women in leadership who are tired of knowing what's wrong but not being able to change it.

  1. 1 day ago

    255. How to Start Delegating Without Feeling Guilty or Out of Control (Part 2)

    The task is sitting there waiting to be handed off. Maybe you've hired support. Maybe your team is capable. Maybe your partner keeps offering to help. But somehow, it still feels easier to keep doing it yourself. Not because you don't want help. Because letting go feels uncomfortable. In this journaling episode, we're taking the work from last week's conversation a step further. Together, we'll explore the belief underneath your resistance to delegating, what that belief is costing you, and whether it's actually as true as it feels. Through a series of guided prompts, you'll question the story that's keeping you stuck, find evidence that a different reality is possible, and explore what could change if you no longer felt responsible for carrying everything on your own. Journal PromptsThink about the belief you uncovered in last week's episode. What is that belief costing you in time, energy, fulfillment, presence with your family, and anything else that comes up for you?Is that belief actually true? The goal isn't to immediately discredit it. The goal is to create some wiggle room. Then find proof that the opposite could be true. When have you asked for help and it went well?What would happen if you let this belief go? What are you afraid you would lose if you stopped believing it? What would you gain if you let it go? Think beyond work. Consider your relationships, your home life, your energy, and your sense of self.Choose one task you'd like to delegate. What is the task? What would help your nervous system feel safe handing it off? What will you do while someone else is working on it so you're not hovering, checking in, or mentally carrying it anyway? The goal isn't to force yourself to let go. It's to create enough space to question the story that's telling you that you can't. Work with me:The Leaders Table: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/leaders-tableBreakthrough Intensive: You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 1 week later. Book your BreakthroughExhale Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 3 open spots: Work with me Connect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

    14 min

  2. 3 days ago

    254. From Self-Doubt to Self-Trust: What Happens After You Finally Choose Yourselfi

    Sometimes the hardest part isn't making the decision. It's staying with it. The initial clarity fades. Doubt gets louder. What once felt obvious suddenly feels uncertain. A decision that was meant to create freedom can quickly become another thing to question. This episode with Maddie Elysse explores why that happens. Why choosing yourself often feels empowering at first and uncomfortable shortly after. Why self-doubt tends to appear when change is real. And why building self-trust has less to do with confidence and more to do with staying present when uncertainty shows up. Because the goal isn't to never doubt yourself. The goal is learning how to trust yourself anyway. Resources Mentioned:Connect with Maddie Elysse: Instagram Website: https://www.maddieelysse.com/ Work with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 1 week later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 3 open spots: Work with me Connect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

    33 min

  3. 18 June

    253. Why You Still Can't Delegate Even Though You're Burnt Out (Part 1)

    Delegation isn't usually a systems problem. Most people already know what they could hand off. They've thought about hiring. They've considered asking for help. They've downloaded the planner, created the SOP, or promised themselves they'll stop carrying so much. Yet somehow, everything ends up back on their plate. In this strategic journaling episode, we're exploring what makes letting go so difficult, even when the workload is unsustainable. Because the thing that's keeping you overwhelmed isn't always a lack of support. Sometimes it's a belief that makes doing more feel safer than letting go. Through a series of journaling prompts, you'll uncover what's keeping you stuck in the cycle of over-responsibility and begin identifying the deeper reason delegation feels so hard. Journal Prompts: What are you currently doing yourself, even though someone else could handle it? How does keeping it on your plate make you feel?Why haven't you handed it off yet? What's the real reason?What do you think you need in order to start delegating, or what are you already trying to help yourself trust and let go?Even though doing everything yourself leaves you exhausted, burnt out, and overwhelmed, how might it also be keeping you safe? A question to sit with after this episode: How has the belief underneath your need to do everything been shaping the way you work, lead, and show up in your life? Work with me:The Leaders Table: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/leaders-tableBreakthrough Intensive: You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 1 week later. Book your BreakthroughExhale Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 3 open spots: Work with me Connect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

    15 min

  4. 16 June

    252. What Actually Helped Me When Something Felt Off & What Happened When I Stopped Fixing It

    Your life looks good on paper. The business is working. The relationships are there. You're doing everything you're supposed to do. But something feels off, and you can't quite explain why. In this episode, I share the story of a night that changed everything for me. A few months after my son was born, I found myself overwhelmed, disconnected, and carrying the feeling that I was dropping the ball in every area of my life. Instead of trying to fix it, I locked myself in a room with a notebook and got honest about what was really going on. I talk about what happened when I stopped performing okay, why awareness was more powerful than problem solving, and how that one moment became the beginning of so many changes that followed. Reflection from this episode: What would change if you stopped trying to fix how you feel and simply let yourself be honest about it? If you've been carrying a feeling that something isn't right, even when life looks fine from the outside, this conversation is for you. Work with me:The Leaders Table: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/leaders-tableBreakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 1 week later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 3 open spots: Work with me Connect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

    11 min

  5. 11 June

    251. The First Question to Ask Yourself When You're Overwhelmed

    You finally sit down for the night, but your mind is already making tomorrow's to do list. You're halfway through a conversation with your partner while mentally drafting an email. You're playing with your child while thinking about the next thing you need to do. In this week's reflection episode, I'm sharing a question I was asked during a recent interview that took me back to a season of my life when work stress followed me everywhere. Even when I was with the people I loved most, my mind was always focused on what was next. I talk about the belief underneath that constant striving and why overwhelm isn't always about your to do list. Sometimes it's about what you're trying not to feel. Today, I invite you to pause before you fix, solve, reframe, or talk yourself out of what you're experiencing. Because you can't move through what you won't let yourself feel. Your reflection for this week: When something feels off, don't rush to fix it, reframe it, or remind yourself what you should be grateful for. Let it be true for a moment. What are you actually feeling before you try to manage it? Most of us are quick to solve what we're feeling. This week, try something different. When something feels off, give yourself a moment before you fix it. Notice what you've been too busy to feel. Work with me:The Leaders Table: https://www.samanthapenkoff.com/leaders-tableBreakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 1 week later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 3 open spots: Work with me Connect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

    9 min

  6. 9 June

    250. From People Pleasing and Perfectionism to Self-Trust: What Ambitious Women Need to Know

    Perfectionism, people pleasing, and pretending you have it all together are often talked about as personality traits. What if they're actually survival strategies? In this conversation, I sit down with clinical psychologist and executive coach Dr. Anne Welsh to explore why so many ambitious women find themselves stuck in these patterns, even when they know they're no longer serving them. We talk about the hidden cost of constantly performing, why success can still feel empty when you're disconnected from yourself, and how years of focusing on everyone else's needs can make it difficult to even know what you want anymore. Dr. Anne shares why people pleasing isn't really about being nice, why perfectionism is often rooted in fear, and how self trust is built through small moments of choosing yourself rather than waiting until you're confident enough to do it. We also explore the difference between fear based striving and healthy ambition, and why the goal isn't to become less ambitious but to become more aligned with what you're actually striving for. This is a conversation about coming home to yourself while still creating the life, work, and impact that matter to you. Resources Mentioned:Connect with Dr. Anne Welsh: Instagram | https://drannwelsh.comAmbitious Mothers book (pre-order, Release Day Aug 6) The Should Session: To Stop you from bringing work stress home! Find out exactly what belief is keeping you stuck in should energy. Only 5 spots available, expiring on 10/6/2026. Work with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 1 week later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 3 open spots: Work with me Connect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

    37 min

  7. 4 June

    249. Journal With Me: What Feels Unsafe About Slowing Down

    You have a list. Maybe it's on paper. Maybe it's in your phone. Maybe it's running through your head right now. And if someone told you to put that list away for a week, no planning, no organising, no keeping track of every little thing, something in you would probably feel uncomfortable. Not because you need the list. Because of what the list helps you avoid feeling. Today's journaling prompts are designed to help you get underneath the overwhelm and uncover the belief that's keeping you busy. Journal Prompts When I picture a day with nothing on my list and nothing that needs to get done, what is my first feeling? Not the first thought. The first feeling. When I’m busy and productive, what does that say about me? You can expand this beyond productivity if it feels more true for you. When you’re helping, achieving, showing up, or staying involved, what does that mean about who you are?When I’m still and unproductive, what does that say about me? On the days when you’re resting more, doing less, or not going above and beyond, what story do you make that mean about yourself?If you had to stop writing to-do lists for one week, what are you actually afraid would happen? Keep going deeper than the obvious answer. Then go one layer deeper again.What would it mean about me if I let myself rest before I earned it? Take the fear or belief that came up in the previous prompt and place it into this question. Notice what comes up without trying to change it. The goal isn't to stop making lists. It's to notice what happens when there isn't something to organise, fix, achieve, or cross off. Pay attention to what came up as you wrote today. Because the belief underneath your overwhelm is often easier to see in moments of stillness than it is in the middle of a busy day. Resources Mentioned:The Should Session: To Stop you from bringing work stress home! Find out exactly what belief is keeping you stuck in should energy. Only 5 spots available, expiring on 10/6/2026. Work with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 1 week later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 3 open spots: Work with me Connect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

    9 min

  8. 2 June

    248. What If Your To-Do List Is Keeping You Overwhelmed?

    Your desk is covered in sticky notes. There are reminders on your phone, notes in a notebook somewhere, and a running mental list that never seems to stop. Crossing things off feels productive. It feels responsible. It feels like you're staying on top of everything. But what if your to do list is helping create the very overwhelm you're trying to escape? This conversation looks at the hidden comfort of staying busy, why empty space can feel surprisingly uncomfortable, and what might actually be underneath the constant need to keep doing. If you've been telling yourself things will finally calm down once the list is shorter, this episode invites you to consider a different possibility. Maybe the list isn't the problem. Maybe it's what the list is helping you avoid. Resources Mentioned:The Should Session: To Stop you from bringing work stress home! Find out exactly what belief is keeping you stuck in should energy. Only 5 spots available, expiring on 10/6/2026. Work with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 1 week later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 3 open spots: Work with me Connect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

    15 min
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About

Beyond Awareness (formerly Journal Entries) is for successful women in leadership and business who know exactly what they need to do but can't make themselves do it. You know you need to prioritize yourself, delegate more, set boundaries, stop bringing work home. You've tried therapy, coaching, retreats. You know the solution - but you either can't follow through, or when you DO, it doesn't stick. Host Samantha Hawley helps business owners and executives earning $100k+ excavate the root beliefs underneath the execution gap. Why do you keep not doing the thing? Why doesn't it feel better when you do? Using strategic journaling and emotional excavation, we go beyond awareness into why you're actually stuck in the pattern. This isn't about more tactics or tips. This is about understanding why awareness isn't enough and what actually needs to shift for you to change. You'll hear about: decision fatigue, why you can't prioritize yourself, nervous system regulation, being present with your kids, root cause of overwhelm, why boundaries don't stick, self-sabotage patterns, and how your internal state impacts everything. Perfect for: Female CFOs, VPs, directors, executives, business owners, and women in leadership who are tired of knowing what's wrong but not being able to change it.

Information

  • Creator
    Samantha Hawley | Inspired by Brene Brown, Glennon Doyle, Marie Forleo, Hillary Kerr, Mel Robbins
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    255
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Samantha Hawley | Inspired by Brene Brown, Glennon Doyle, Marie Forleo, Hillary Kerr, Mel Robbins
  • Show Website
    Beyond Awareness: Closing the Gap Between Knowing and Doing

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