Hey Reader,

It’s been a while since I’ve written to you consistently, and a lot has changed since the last time I was regularly showing up in your inbox.

At the end of April, I found out I was pregnant.

The first few months brought with it a level of exhaustion I wasn’t prepared for, along with nausea and days when my energy and productivity looked nothing like they normally did. Some days, taking care of myself and getting through what absolutely needed to be done was about all I had the capacity for.

So, a lot of things became quieter.

The newsletter. The podcast. Some of the projects and ideas I had planned to bring to life.

At the same time, life wasn’t standing still.

I shared the pregnancy with my family and friends. I married the man who was my boyfriend when this year began. I started thinking much more seriously about what I want my life and work to look like once the baby arrives, and what I want to create, prepare, and put into motion before then.

It's been a beautiful season, but to be completely honest, a very uncertain one too.

And one thing I keep coming back to is how rarely we feel completely ready or prepared for the biggest changes in our lives.

I didn’t feel completely ready to be pregnant when I found out I was. I don’t think anyone can feel completely prepared to become a parent, or know exactly how life will change afterward.

There are some experiences in life you simply can’t prepare for by thinking about them long enough. Or by reading, talking, or even studying about them.

At some point, you just have to enter into the uncertainty of the new experience.

• You make the decision.
• You take the step.
• And then, you trust that you’ll learn, adjust, and become the person the next chapter requires as you live it.

I think that’s true for so many of the things we want in life.

Starting the business. Changing careers. Dating again. Moving somewhere new. Taking better care of our bodies. Creating something meaningful. Starting a family (this is where I currently am right now).

Just finally going after that thing, that goal or dream we’ve been thinking about for years.

We tell ourselves we’re waiting until we feel more "confident" or "certain". But what we may really be waiting for is a guarantee that we won’t make the wrong decision. That we won't struggle, fail, or discover that we aren’t as ready as we hoped.

That guarantee never comes.

Some of the most meaningful things in our lives begin during the periods when we have no idea exactly what’s coming next.

Lately, moving forward has looked different for me than it did before.

It has looked like creating a routine that works with the energy I have now. Taking care of my body. Staying active. Working out when I can. Trying to automate and simplify some of my work tasks for the postpartum period. Preparing for the baby and giving myself permission to move at a different pace.

It has also looked like reconsidering what I want to build through my coaching work, and how I can create something that genuinely helps women who have spent months or even years waiting to feel ready to make a change (because I know that feeling myself, and it's not a good one to have!).

I’ve been working behind the scenes on new coaching experiences, ideas, and resources that I’ll be sharing with you in the coming weeks and months. I want to let you into that process instead of disappearing until everything feels "perfectly finished".

Because that would be another form of waiting to feel ready.

So, this email is my first small step back.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing more about what I’m learning in this season, what I’m creating, and the ways you can be part of what comes next.

But today, I’d seriously love to hear about you.

Is there something changing in your life right now (or something that you know you want to change) but that you still don’t feel completely ready for?

​Hit reply and tell me. And if you don’t know how to answer that yet, you can simply reply with “I’m still here”. I’d genuinely love to know who’s reading and reconnect with you.

I’m glad to be back.

P.S. If you’ve also been quiet, paused, or moving more slowly than you expected, you haven’t missed your chance. You don’t need to return with everything figured out. You can simply take one step from where you are now.

Love creating your mind one day at a time? Forward this to a friend so they can get in on the action and sign up below. Subscribe to The Created Mind Thank you for reading and sharing, Jenny ​​​​

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