Beyond Awareness: Closing the Gap Between Knowing and Doing

Samantha Hawley
  • 5.0 (35)
  • Management
  • Updated Semiweekly

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. 1d ago

    265. Journal With Me: When Your To Do List Starts Defining Who You Are

    Some things stay on your plate long after they've stopped serving you. Not because they have to, but because somewhere along the way they became part of who you believe you need to be. The task isn't just a task anymore. It feels like proof that you're responsible, capable, caring, or enough. Today's journal is about slowing down long enough to notice what you're really carrying and why it still feels so heavy. Journal Prompts What feels heavy on your plate right now?Did you put it there yourself, or did it find its way onto your plate because someone asked you to, because everyone else was doing it, or because it felt like something you should do?Finish this sentence. By having this on my plate, it makes me a better....Then try the opposite.Without doing this, I would be...Now imagine taking it off your plate completely. What could you do with that space? Not what you'd replace it with. Just the space itself. Sometimes going this deep is all the permission you need to put something down. Other times it shows you there's something underneath that's been keeping it there all along. That's exactly what we work through inside Lighter. Work with me: Lighter: finally release the weight attached to your plate www.samanthapenkoff.com/lighterThe 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

  2. 3d ago

    264. What Makes Your Mental Load Heavier Than It Needs to Be (Part 2)

    Some things land on your plate because life asks them of you. Others show up so quietly that you don't even notice you've picked them up. A workout because everyone else is doing it. Saying yes because it feels like the right thing to do. Trying harder to be a better parent, a better boss, a better version of yourself. Before long, your plate feels heavier, but not because life changed. Because somewhere along the way, someone else's expectations became your responsibility. This week we're looking at two patterns that quietly add weight to your mental load. Comparison and "shoulds." Not to get rid of them overnight, but to notice them for what they are. Sometimes the biggest shift isn't taking something off your plate. It's realizing it never belonged there in the first place. Work with me: Lighter: Your life doesn't need to be lighter...your brain does. Join us to take weight off your plate (without changing your to do list) www.samanthapenkoff.com/lighterThe 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

  3. Jul 23

    263. Journal With Me: Peace Isn't Something You Earn

    The hardest part isn't always knowing how you want to feel. It's believing you're allowed to feel that way before everything is finished. Peace can seem like something you have to earn. Once the work is done. Once the house is clean. Once everyone else is okay. Until then, your mind keeps searching for the next thing that needs your attention. This journal entry invites you to slow down and notice the beliefs sitting underneath that pattern. The ones convincing you that letting go of control, responsibility, or productivity would somehow make you less capable or less like yourself. Because often it's not your to do list keeping you stuck. It's what you've attached your sense of safety and identity to. If you've been waiting for permission to feel settled before life feels lighter, this is your space to begin questioning why. Journal PromptsWhat feeling would you most like to experience every day? Choose one specific word that goes beyond happy or good.When you imagine moving through your day feeling that way, what comes up? Does it feel possible, unrealistic, irresponsible, or too good to be true? What beliefs or responsibilities seem to stand in the way?What do you believe you would have to give up in order to feel that way?Is that belief actually true? If it is, what would the impact really be? If it isn't, what else could be true instead?What would become possible if you could access that feeling every day? The goal isn't to carry less. It's to carry your life differently, so peace no longer depends on whether everything gets done. Work with me: Lighter: A 12-Week Live Experience for the woman who has it handled. The one everyone leans on... at work, at home, everywhere.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

  4. Jul 21

    262. How to Stop Feeling Drained Without Doing Less

    You can wake up with the best intentions, move through your day doing all the "right" things, and still find yourself completely wiped out before dinner. For a long time, I thought that meant I was carrying too much. Lately, I've been seeing it differently. Everything has weight. Making breakfast. Getting your kids ready. Saying yes. Reading a book. Sitting on the couch. Even the things that fill you up still take something from you. The problem isn't that life has weight. It's continuing to pile things onto your plate after you've already reached your own capacity. It made me realize exhaustion isn't always a sign that you're doing too much. Sometimes it's a sign you've gone past your own full point. Your body usually knows you've reached your limit before your brain is willing to admit it. Feeling completely depleted isn't something to judge. It's information. A chance to look back at what was on your plate before you automatically added more. Because maybe the answer isn't doing less. Maybe it's learning to stop overriding yourself. Work with me: Lighter: A 12-Week Live Experience for the woman who has it handled. The one everyone leans on... at work, at home, everywhere.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

  5. Jul 16

    261. Journal With Me: Why a Finished To Do List Still Has Your Brain in Overdrive

    One of the hardest parts about carrying a full mental load is that finishing everything rarely feels the way you imagined it would. The emails are sent. The laundry is folded. The boxes are checked. Yet your mind is already racing toward the next thing. Rest still feels out of reach. This journaling practice is an invitation to pause long enough to notice what might actually be keeping your brain in overdrive. Maybe it isn't your to do list at all. Maybe staying busy has become a way of avoiding something that feels harder to sit with. As you move through these prompts, there is nothing to solve or fix. Just a chance to become curious about the beliefs driving your productivity and whether doing more has ever truly given you the peace you've been chasing. Journal PromptsThink about today or yesterday. What is one thing you accomplished that was productive, but you weren't really present for while you were doing it?What feeling could you have been avoiding by staying busy in that moment? If you stopped and allowed yourself to fully feel that emotion instead of pushing through, what are you afraid would happen?If your entire to do list was completely finished, how would you actually feel? What would you do next?What if the belief behind that fear didn't have to be true? What if the opposite could be true instead? What comes up for you when you consider that possibility? Sometimes the thing keeping us from feeling settled isn't another unfinished task. Sometimes it's the emotion we've been running from all along. The moment we're willing to slow down and meet it with honesty, everything begins to feel a little lighter. Work with me: Lighter: A 12-Week Live Experience for the woman who has it handled. The one everyone leans on... at work, at home, everywhere.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

  6. Jul 14

    260. The Real Reason You Can't Make the Change You Already Know You Need

    Making a big change rarely comes down to not knowing what to do. More often, the answer is already there. It's been sitting quietly underneath the overthinking, the people pleasing, the endless pros and cons, and the hope that one day confidence will magically arrive first. Laura Aura shares the moment life forced her to stop ignoring herself after years of building a successful business while running on overachievement, burnout and the need to keep everyone else happy. What followed wasn't a perfect reinvention. It was a series of honest conversations, uncomfortable decisions and learning to trust herself in ways she never had before. One part of our conversation that stayed with me was the simple question, What do I actually want? It sounds easy until you're the one trying to answer it. We also talk about starting with what you don't want when the answer feels out of reach, why white space can feel surprisingly uncomfortable, and how so many of us fill every spare moment because slowing down doesn't feel safe. Laura shares a beautiful way to reconnect with your intuition by noticing how your body responds before your mind starts making up stories. She explains the difference between a genuine yes and a genuine no, and why learning that language can change the way every future decision feels. Nothing about making a bold move requires having everything figured out first. Sometimes the next step becomes obvious the moment you stop abandoning yourself long enough to listen. Resources Mentioned:Connect with LauraAura on Instagram: LauraAura Laura's podcast: The Gutsy Podcast | Website Work with me: Lighter: A 12-Week Live Experience for the woman who has it handled. The one everyone leans on... at work, at home, everywhere.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

  7. Jul 9 ·  Video

    259. Girls Just Want to Exhale: Why Connection Matters More Than Self Care

    Your to do list gets shorter, but something still feels heavy. The work gets done. The laundry gets folded. Everyone else seems taken care of, yet your body never really settles. Maybe what you're craving isn't another self care routine. Maybe you just need somewhere to exhale. A random thought on an airplane turned into a much bigger question. Do women really just want to have fun, or are we actually longing for something deeper? Connection isn't just nice to have. It's what helps us put down the invisible weight we've been carrying. It's what reminds us who we are outside of work, motherhood, leadership and everything everyone else needs from us. When we're surrounded by women who truly understand us, our nervous system gets a chance to soften, our minds become clearer and carrying everything doesn't feel quite so lonely. Doing more isn't always what brings relief. Sometimes the thing that's missing isn't another free hour or another box checked off the list. Sometimes it's a conversation, a shared laugh, a play date that actually happens or a friend who makes you feel like you can finally breathe again. Maybe filling your cup has less to do with escaping your life and more to do with finding the people who help you exhale. Work with me: Lighter: A 12-Week Live Experience for the woman who has it handled. The one everyone leans on... at work, at home, everywhere.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

  8. Jul 7 ·  Video

    258. Are You Exercising Out of People Pleasing?

    You skip a workout and the guilt shows up almost immediately. It feels like you've failed before the day has even started. Somewhere along the way, exercise stopped feeling like a choice and became another thing you should do. What if that's not about discipline at all? A simple realization after returning to strength training led me to question something I'd never considered before. Maybe exercising isn't always about health. Maybe, for some of us, it's another form of people pleasing. That question opened the door to something much bigger. People pleasing doesn't only show up when you say yes instead of no. It can quietly shape the routines you follow, the expectations you carry, and even the identity you've built around being the person who always does the "right" thing. Sometimes the most freeing thing you can do isn't becoming more disciplined. It's giving yourself permission to question the things you've always believed you should do. You might discover that what you've been calling discipline was never really yours to begin with. 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

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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.

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