Hey friends 👋🏻
How are you holding up? Really.
November’s teaching me hard lessons about energy.
Not time management. Not productivity hacks. Just… how much capacity I actually have versus how much I think I should have.
The gap between those two? That’s where the burnout lives.
Today in 5 minutes or less, you’ll learn:
✔️ The boundary practice that protects your future self
✔️ How to recognise when you already have enough
✔️ What plateau seasons are really teaching you
Doable ideas 💭
Write down three things you’re NOT doing in December.
Not attending every holiday gathering. Not taking on new projects. Not pretending you have unlimited energy.
Everyone’s making to-do lists for December. You’re making a boundary list.
November is teaching you something about capacity (or lack thereof). Use that intel.
Decide now what you’re saying no to, before December’s momentum makes it harder to choose.
Protect your December self by planning your nos today.
Reflections 🪞
What does “enough” look like in my daily life?
The Stoics practiced moderation and contentment. Reflect on where you might already have enough time, enough effort, enough rest.
Mindfulness 🧘🏻♀️
I’m 32. According to the timeline in my head, I should be further along by now.
Better established. More successful. Clearer about where I’m going.
Instead, I’m sick all the time, falling off my routines, and questioning why progress feels so… slow.
The narrative I’ve been carrying: by your early 30s, you should have it figured out. Career trajectory locked in. Financial stability achieved. Life path clear.
Reality? I’m still figuring it out. And apparently, so is everyone else.
I don’t even know what to call this phase. Somewhere between quarter and midlife plateau.
The comparison spiral I can’t seem to stop
Former classmates are buying houses.
Colleagues are getting promoted.
Friends are getting married, having babies, launching businesses.
I’m just… existing.
The quiet voice underneath: Am I behind? Did I miss something? Why does everyone else seem to have momentum whilst I’m treading water?
I pivoted careers at 27. Got a Master’s degree during the pandemic. Accountant to music therapist. It looked bold from the outside. Internally? Messy, uncertain, slow.
There were years where I felt stuck between identities. Not quite the old me, not yet the new me. Just… in between.
Now I’m 32. Still building my practice. Settled in Sydney but still occasionally fantasising about giving up everything and moving to Europe. My path doesn’t match the template.
And honestly? I’m tired of apologising for that.
What I’m learning about plateaus
I keep thinking about bamboo. How it grows underground for years before shooting up metres in weeks. All that invisible time—building a root system strong enough to support rapid growth.
Maybe that’s what this is. Not stagnation. Consolidation.
The plateau years have taught me things rapid growth never could:
How to show up when motivation disappears. How to maintain standards without external validation. How to trust the process when I can’t see the outcome. How to separate my worth from my achievements.
These aren’t consolation prizes. They’re the actual work.
The timeline that doesn’t exist
Graduate by 22. Career established by 25. Promoted by 28. Senior role by 32. Leadership by 35.
Married by 30. House by 32. Kids by 34.
Whose timeline is that? Who decided these arbitrary markers?
Better to plateau now and build something sustainable than to rush forward and collapse later.
Better to climb the right mountain.
When I compare myself to three years ago instead of three months ago, the growth becomes obvious. I’m not the same person who started this journey. I’m just… still on it.
Here’s what I’m taking from this
The plateau isn’t the problem. The judgement is.
I’m learning to zoom out. Six years ago, I was an accountant wondering if I’d ever have the courage to change. Now I’m a music therapist building a practice, even if it’s slower than I’d like.
That’s not nothing.
I’m documenting the invisible progress. The resilience I’ve built. The clarity I’ve gained about what I actually want. The capacity to sit with uncertainty without panicking.
These things don’t show up on LinkedIn. But they’re the foundation everything else will be built on.
And I’m trying—really trying—to stop apologising for my timeline. Your chapter 12 will look different from mine because we’re writing different books.
If you’re on a plateau too
You’re not behind. You’re not stuck. You’re not failing.
You’re building roots strong enough to support what comes next.
The bamboo doesn’t doubt itself whilst it’s underground.
And maybe we don’t need to either.
Ideas Worth Pondering 🧠
One of the great balancing acts in life is to be cautious and daring at the same time. Cautious enough to avoid stupid mistakes, prevent burnout, and maintain a margin of safety. Daring enough to bet on yourself, to do the things you would regret leaving undone, and to be willing to be uncomfortable in the short term so you can learn and grow in the long term.
– James Clear
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If so, please let me know by either:
- #1: Forwarding this to a friend whom you think would benefit from actionable well-being tips
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Whenever you’re ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:
- Claim your peace of mind with these handpan guided meditation soundtracks.
- Work 1:1 with me to improve your health and wellbeing with music therapy. No waiting list!
Stay awesome x
Venus