Overwhelmed by Big Dreams? How to Stop Shiny Object Syndrome & Imposter Thoughts

🎧 Feeling overwhelmed by your dreams? You’re not broken or alone - your nervous system is overloaded.

In this episode, we explore why high-achieving, heart-led women often get trapped in shiny object syndrome, procrastination, and self-doubt—despite having big goals and a clear calling. This isn’t just about mindset. It’s about overwhelm, nervous system dysregulation, and hidden fear of failure or success.

You’ll learn:

• Why your brilliant creativity becomes chaotic under pressure

• How fear of failure, visibility, and not being good enough keeps you stuck

• The 3-step process to go from doubt and confusion to clarity and action

• How to move from passion to purpose (without burnout)

• The truth about why DIY healing and binge-watching self-help content doesn’t work

✨ You don’t need more information—you need clarity, embodiment, and support.

💛 Grab your free Nervous System RESET Guide to calm the chaos and reconnect to your confidence: 👉 https://samanthajrix.com/reset

 

Episode Transcript

(00:04):
If you are new here, welcome to your somatic life, love, leadership, and legacy.
I'm Sam Ricks and I help high achieving women like you.
Break free from self-sabotage by bridging the self-healing mindset and business success because your mind and body are your strategy.

(00:25):
Let's get into it. 5 00:00:32,885.918367347 --> 00:00:34,475.918367347 so you have big goals. 6 00:00:35,465.918367347 --> 00:00:44,705.918367347 I know you do because you are creative, you are intelligent, you have lots of different things that you wish to do and achieve. 7 00:00:45,650.918367347 --> 00:01:06,470.918367347 But sometimes that can help you feel really overwhelmed and when you feel really overwhelmed, you perhaps end up with something that I have experienced many times over, which is shiny object syndrome and feeling like you are starting all the time and you have lots of things starting, but never really anything finished. 8 00:01:08,30.918367347 --> 00:01:15,200.918367347 Why is that? This is something that comes up in many conversations that we have in our community. 9 00:01:15,200.918367347 --> 00:01:23,900.918367347 we talk about it quite frequently when we just feel really overwhelmed and distract ourselves with all of these amazing things we want to do. 10 00:01:25,100.918367347 --> 00:01:29,160.918367347 And I can talk about this personally because, I'm a coach. 11 00:01:29,160.918367347 --> 00:01:34,260.918367347 I'm also a qualified massage therapist, a qualified coach and hypnotherapist. 12 00:01:34,680.918367347 --> 00:01:36,990.918367347 I love making aromatherapy products. 13 00:01:37,800.918367347 --> 00:01:43,170.91836735 I am writing my book and I love journals and cards. 14 00:01:43,170.91836735 --> 00:01:45,30.91836735 I'm creating my own card deck. 15 00:01:45,750.91836735 --> 00:01:57,660.91836735 One of their biggest issues when they first come to me just a complete overwhelm and then therefore having sat in procrastination for so long because they're not achieving anything. 16 00:01:58,740.91836735 --> 00:02:02,820.91836735 What we really need when we're feeling this way is absolute clarity. 17 00:02:02,870.91836735 --> 00:02:08,980.91836735 We need clarity and to help us get that it's best to break it down into three steps. 18 00:02:08,980.91836735 --> 00:02:19,930.91836735 So we're gonna do that together today, and I'm gonna talk you through the three steps that can help us get from doubt and overwhelm to certainty. 19 00:02:20,780.91836735 --> 00:02:24,920.91836735 Motivation to get this stuff done and get these things completed. 20 00:02:25,450.91836735 --> 00:02:41,200.91836735 So the first question is, what brings you joy? Sometimes when we are struggling and have many different things on the go, we can be doing something, but it isn't actually lighting you up. 21 00:02:42,715.91836735 --> 00:02:51,265.91836735 What brings you joy in your life? What do you want to do? You may end up with quite a long list. 22 00:02:51,265.91836735 --> 00:02:58,665.91836735 If you are creative as I am, you may end up with 10, 15 things on your list At this point, it doesn't matter. 23 00:02:59,205.91836735 --> 00:03:03,75.91836735 The best thing to do is to write down this whole list. 24 00:03:03,235.91836735 --> 00:03:06,745.91836735 So you can see exactly how creative you are. 25 00:03:07,45.91836735 --> 00:03:14,275.91836735 Get your shiny object syndrome version of you out of your head and onto some paper. 26 00:03:15,385.91836735 --> 00:03:26,5.91836735 write this list for yourself, and then look at your list and see if you can find just three to five or just two to three, just a few of them. 27 00:03:26,100.91836735 --> 00:03:28,50.91836735 I always think three is a good number. 28 00:03:29,310.91836735 --> 00:03:33,430.91836735 Find a few that really light you up and give you a hell yes. 29 00:03:34,90.91836735 --> 00:03:38,810.91836735 And you're really excited about, you might be terrified about as well, but that's for another time. 30 00:03:39,470.91836735 --> 00:03:48,890.91836735 For now, what brings you absolute joy? Why is this important? Because. 31 00:03:49,400.91836735 --> 00:04:01,490.91836735 We don't find our real purpose, the thing that's gonna move the needle to get what we want for ourselves in life without first finding our pleasure and passion. 32 00:04:02,780.91836735 --> 00:04:05,630.91836735 Because with all of these things, it started off as a hobby. 33 00:04:05,630.91836735 --> 00:04:09,440.91836735 It started off as a pleasure, something that brought you absolute joy. 34 00:04:10,670.91836735 --> 00:04:15,290.91836735 When it becomes a pleasure, it then amplifies itself to a passion. 35 00:04:15,290.91836735 --> 00:04:20,150.91836735 Maybe it's something you always then talk about when you are with your friends and family, or you're just doing all the time. 36 00:04:20,630.91836735 --> 00:04:29,150.91836735 Even if it's something like painting or knitting, or reading, or writing is usually something that just brings you pleasure and joy. 37 00:04:31,310.91836735 --> 00:04:39,410.91836735 But there's more inside you because you can just keep that for yourself and that be your own personal hobby, which is beautiful. 38 00:04:40,520.91836735 --> 00:04:46,490.91836735 But there's a part of you that feels motivated to turn this into your purpose. 39 00:04:46,490.91836735 --> 00:04:49,820.91836735 You want to share this with other people. 40 00:04:49,880.91836735 --> 00:04:54,560.91836735 Perhaps you wanna start your own course or your own workshops. 41 00:04:54,560.91836735 --> 00:04:56,0.91836735 Set up your own business. 42 00:04:56,830.91836735 --> 00:05:03,310.91836735 Turning this passion into your purpose so that you can walk away from a career or job that you're not enjoying. 43 00:05:03,310.91836735 --> 00:05:05,50.91836735 I have done both of those things. 44 00:05:05,50.91836735 --> 00:05:07,330.91836735 I used to be a teacher and I loved teaching. 45 00:05:08,40.91836735 --> 00:05:13,830.91836735 I'm coaching now, which is about guiding you and helping you find your own answers. 46 00:05:14,110.91836735 --> 00:05:21,900.91836735 some sessions will be teaching you how to do stuff, especially if it's business related, like techie things. 47 00:05:21,950.91836735 --> 00:05:22,665.91836735 as a coach. 48 00:05:24,80.91836735 --> 00:05:45,40.91836735 I create a safe space for you to find your own answers and the clarity and confidence that you know is in there, but has perhaps been trampled on with life experiences, pain, sadness, but also overwhelm. 49 00:05:45,460.91836735 --> 00:05:48,670.91836735 Okay, so we are focusing on overwhelm today. 50 00:05:51,415.91836735 --> 00:06:05,305.91836735 If you find this question hard to answer now, just because you are creative and full of energy and you have all these amazing skills and things that you can and want to do, sometimes it's still hard to answer that question. 51 00:06:05,395.91836735 --> 00:06:20,650.91836735 What brings you joy? Have you ever noticed that out of all of those things, which are the ones that really light you up? Sometimes when you're creative, you can find yourself doing things that you think, eh. 52 00:06:24,285.91836735 --> 00:06:38,925.91836735 If you are finding it hard to answer the question, what brings you joy? Then we can go a step deeper and ask ourselves, what do we want? We don't feel as confident as we wish. 53 00:06:38,925.91836735 --> 00:06:43,815.91836735 We would feel confident in ourselves, rooted in our own self-esteem and self-worth. 54 00:06:45,465.91836735 --> 00:06:50,145.91836735 Sometimes we don't know how to express what we want. 55 00:06:50,685.91836735 --> 00:06:59,275.91836735 We maybe don't know how to ask what we want in the wide world with other people in our relationships, and that is something that we can work on together. 56 00:07:01,165.91836735 --> 00:07:04,375.91836735 speaking from experience, I want to be an author. 57 00:07:05,800.91836735 --> 00:07:09,400.91836735 I have wanted to write books ever since I was a little girl. 58 00:07:09,450.91836735 --> 00:07:22,310.91836735 pretending to be beat Potter in my room with my typewriter back then in the day, and I would just type out her books It was complete copyright, but the point was I was pretending I was in the role of this author. 59 00:07:24,470.91836735 --> 00:07:25,880.91836735 I am writing., 60 00:07:25,880.91836735 --> 00:07:43,660.91836735 I am nearing 40 and it has taken that long to go back to the seven, 8-year-old in that bedroom and allow that creative part of myself that has always wanted to do this because so many other things happened in life in between divorce. 61 00:07:45,805.91836735 --> 00:07:50,965.91836735 Loss grief in a short period of time. 62 00:07:50,965.91836735 --> 00:07:54,355.91836735 There were five years of my life where everything was all happening. 63 00:07:55,690.91836735 --> 00:08:01,200.91836735 Life can get too much and it can completely cloud where our joy and our pleasures are. 64 00:08:02,500.91836735 --> 00:08:07,550.91836735 It's powerful to ask ourselves these questions I want to be an author, write a book. 65 00:08:07,630.91836735 --> 00:08:19,570.91836735 I used to choke when I would even say the words or feel the words, and I wouldn't want to write them down on the page in case it never happened, and the fear of it never happening. 66 00:08:20,185.91836735 --> 00:08:22,345.91836735 And then me feeling like a failure. 67 00:08:23,455.91836735 --> 00:08:35,156.91836735 very often we can have this amazing creativity and energy, but the fear is stopping us from taking ownership of how we truly feel and what we want to do. 68 00:08:36,505.91836735 --> 00:08:39,25.91836735 So just by writing down, I want to. 69 00:08:42,700.91836735 --> 00:08:45,280.91836735 Allowing yourself, give your permission to do that. 70 00:08:45,580.91836735 --> 00:08:48,700.91836735 To answer those questions, I want to write a book. 71 00:08:48,800.91836735 --> 00:08:55,820.91836735 with those two questions and those two lists, we've now got what brings you joy and all of these activities that you love. 72 00:08:56,210.91836735 --> 00:08:58,10.91836735 You've got things you want to do. 73 00:08:59,210.91836735 --> 00:09:12,260.91836735 Is there a close match? Is there something that's really jumping out at you as, yeah, no, I really want to do that thing, and you'll know because that thing you are very passionate about. 74 00:09:12,260.91836735 --> 00:09:19,880.91836735 Now, when you have that clarity on the two to three things you really want to do, you don't just have to do one. 75 00:09:20,420.91836735 --> 00:09:21,740.91836735 Let's face it, we're creative. 76 00:09:21,740.91836735 --> 00:09:22,820.91836735 You can't just do one thing. 77 00:09:23,450.91836735 --> 00:09:26,780.91836735 We are gonna focus on one for now. 78 00:09:27,635.91836735 --> 00:09:34,655.91836735 We don't need to do everything all at once, and that is something that when you have high energy, it's very difficult to reign yourself in. 79 00:09:35,225.91836735 --> 00:09:43,445.91836735 But if we wanna, stop starting all of these things and never having a project finish, we have to take radical responsibility. 80 00:09:44,160.91836735 --> 00:09:47,720.91836735 Ownership over that and let's focus on one. 81 00:09:47,720.91836735 --> 00:10:04,820.91836735 maybe pick one from your list that's jumping out at you as something you are scared of doing, but it's something you know that inner part of you, really wants to do Then that becomes your passion when you amplify it I answered all the questions and I journaled and I wrote everything down. 82 00:10:04,820.91836735 --> 00:10:08,145.91836735 I've really learned, started to understand who I was. 83 00:10:10,880.91836735 --> 00:10:12,260.91836735 I stopped watching television. 84 00:10:12,260.91836735 --> 00:10:25,40.91836735 stopped watching East Enders, I haven't watched a soap in all those years because those things that I really want to do, became so passionate. 85 00:10:26,375.91836735 --> 00:11:10,695.91836735 Which is exactly the process that I help guide you through, all the steps that I have been through to get from where I was single employed, unhappy in a career that was toxic And losing mom sadly very quickly, when I had my first child and going through that huge transformation to now, which is being a certified and qualified therapist and coach, running my own business in my beautiful home, An amazing new relationship and partner and our baby who's now 15 months old, that has all happened literally within, if you followed me for the last few years, you have seen that change. 86 00:11:11,425.91836735 --> 00:11:13,665.91836735 that is all because I stopped and put in the work. 87 00:11:14,45.91836735 --> 00:11:19,35.91836735 I put in the inner work and went for it, and it was so worth it. 88 00:11:19,955.91836735 --> 00:11:22,265.91836735 other women who I've worked with will tell you the same. 89 00:11:22,435.91836735 --> 00:11:25,415.91836735 I remember, an amazing client of mine. 90 00:11:26,165.91836735 --> 00:11:30,515.91836735 I was recently talking to her and she absolutely turned her life around as well. 91 00:11:30,515.91836735 --> 00:11:35,915.91836735 Within a year, she had found her boundaries, self-esteem and worth. 92 00:11:37,85.91836735 --> 00:11:43,475.91836735 She stopped a situation that was causing her harm and completely turned her life around. 93 00:11:44,375.91836735 --> 00:11:51,725.91836735 new partner, Top job, top position in her career, managed to get that top job. 94 00:11:52,325.91836735 --> 00:11:58,955.91836735 Moved area, moved house, new man and everything because she went all in on her. 95 00:12:00,635.91836735 --> 00:12:12,300.91836735 So if you are feeling doubt and you want to get from doubt to certainty and you're feeling overwhelmed because you're just starting, you have all these ideas, but. 96 00:12:13,230.91836735 --> 00:12:20,460.91836735 The needle isn't moving and you are not finishing something, and you're just feeling a bit confused and it's all a bit too much, and you're overwhelmed. 97 00:12:21,630.91836735 --> 00:12:23,640.91836735 Go through this process. 98 00:12:23,640.91836735 --> 00:12:26,550.91836735 It's simple, but it isn't easy. 99 00:12:27,885.91836735 --> 00:12:29,355.91836735 It might sound simple. 100 00:12:29,955.91836735 --> 00:12:34,155.91836735 I fell in a trap of believing I can do all this myself. 101 00:12:34,155.91836735 --> 00:12:34,965.91836735 I don't need a coach. 102 00:12:34,965.91836735 --> 00:12:36,530.91836735 I can just watch videos on YouTube and learn. 103 00:12:37,585.91836735 --> 00:12:44,405.91836735 I was learning from lots of different pieces of content and trying to piece it all together I was a single mom. 104 00:12:44,405.91836735 --> 00:12:45,935.91836735 I didn't have the finances. 105 00:12:47,570.91836735 --> 00:12:55,40.91836735 I was wasting money in other areas in my life that I could have afforded the support if I had got to grips with that as well. 106 00:12:55,970.91836735 --> 00:12:59,630.91836735 I was piecing all of this stuff together and adding overwhelm. 107 00:12:59,630.91836735 --> 00:13:00,530.91836735 On top of overwhelm. 108 00:13:01,430.91836735 --> 00:13:07,520.91836735 So not only was I overwhelmed with my energy, my creativity with not knowing where to focus. 109 00:13:08,865.91836735 --> 00:13:21,535.91836735 I was stuck in pain and trauma and things I had experienced where I hadn't gone through my own stuff to be able to heal from that self-esteem and self-worth. 110 00:13:23,395.91836735 --> 00:13:44,5.91836735 So no matter what I learned, I wasn't putting anything into action because I was scared to do it, I was overwhelming myself with all of this different content and hearing all of these different tips and messages and words of advice from people, I was taking in too much information and that wasn't helping. 111 00:13:44,5.91836735 --> 00:13:47,395.91836735 So when I actually finally went all in on an amazing coach. 112 00:13:49,345.91836735 --> 00:14:00,580.91836735 Your coach helps you drop the bullshit Once you learn those skills and those tools to help you do that, the tools to help the mind, body, and spirit. 113 00:14:00,580.91836735 --> 00:14:02,260.91836735 you will forever keep those tools. 114 00:14:02,310.91836735 --> 00:14:03,360.91836735 You don't forget them. 115 00:14:04,110.91836735 --> 00:14:17,400.91836735 And Because I work very closely with the somatic exercises and practice to help with the healing aspects We focus on those things together. 116 00:14:20,40.91836735 --> 00:14:23,670.91836735 the only result is success. 117 00:14:24,210.91836735 --> 00:14:26,730.91836735 And in this community we've created a safe space. 118 00:14:28,845.91836735 --> 00:14:41,605.91836735 what I didn't have were the right people around me because that was another key point to my success, having the right people around me in a safe space away from toxicity what I wanted. 119 00:14:42,270.91836735 --> 00:14:43,320.91836735 Was connection. 120 00:14:43,320.91836735 --> 00:14:50,10.91836735 I didn't want to be on this journey alone because this self-discovery journey is very lonely. 121 00:14:50,520.91836735 --> 00:14:53,790.91836735 You may be the only person in your family doing it. 122 00:14:54,690.91836735 --> 00:14:56,670.91836735 The stats are quite unbelievable. 123 00:14:57,120.91836735 --> 00:15:01,590.91836735 I believe it's only 2% of the population actually do the inner work. 124 00:15:02,970.91836735 --> 00:15:05,910.91836735 So you may be the only one in your entire village. 125 00:15:07,220.91836735 --> 00:15:08,810.91836735 your friendship circle, your family. 126 00:15:08,810.91836735 --> 00:15:12,950.91836735 You may be the only one that's decided to go all in on themselves. 127 00:15:13,875.91836735 --> 00:15:28,895.91836735 joining a community of women where we are all doing that is important because one of the biggest benefits and what will help you get there faster is not just the clarity and the support from your coach, but the accountability and support from the women around you. 128 00:15:29,855.91836735 --> 00:15:34,625.91836735 We wanna share those moments because this journey is hard. 129 00:15:34,835.91836735 --> 00:15:37,965.91836735 It is hard, but it is so worth it. 130 00:15:38,595.91836735 --> 00:15:41,115.91836735 So go through these questions with yourself. 131 00:15:41,115.91836735 --> 00:15:48,825.91836735 Ask yourself what brings you joy? What do you want? Get radically honest with yourself. 132 00:15:49,845.91836735 --> 00:15:57,150.91836735 If you feel scared to say and write those things down because they are scary you can go and look at my previous tapping video. 133 00:15:57,510.91836735 --> 00:16:00,640.91836735 Tap your positive affirmations, tap your body. 134 00:16:01,925.91836735 --> 00:16:05,585.91836735 do one of those exercises to help move that energy out of your body. 135 00:16:06,755.91836735 --> 00:16:10,445.91836735 Because it is an emotion and it's energy that needs to be moved. 136 00:16:11,405.91836735 --> 00:16:17,285.91836735 You can move that energy so that you can find your pleasure, passion, and purpose. 137 00:16:19,565.91836735 --> 00:16:25,255.91836735 So enjoyed talking about this today and can't wait for our next episode take care. 138 00:16:25,495.91836735 --> 00:16:30,715.91836735 If today's episode resonated with you, don't let that insight stop here. 139 00:16:31,75.91836735 --> 00:16:35,365.91836735 Transformation happens when we take action. 140 00:16:35,905.91836735 --> 00:16:43,585.9183673 I've put together some of my best tools and resources to help you break free from self sabotage and step into aligned success. 141 00:16:44,65.9183673 --> 00:16:49,465.9183673 You can get instant access just by [e-mail] 142 00:16:49,765.9183673 --> 00:16:50,935.9183673 slash subscribe. 143 00:16:51,310.9183673 --> 00:16:57,490.9183673 And if you love this episode, make sure to hit follow so you don't miss what's coming next, and I'll see you soon. 144 00:16:57,490.9183673 --> 00:16:58,115.9183673 Take care.