When What Used to Work Stops Working

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Episode Description:

Have you ever found yourself wondering why the things that used to light you up suddenly feel heavy? In this episode, Jama opens up about her own season of shift, that uncomfortable but necessary space between who you were and who you’re becoming.

She shares how even the routines, passions, and business strategies that once worked can stop feeling aligned as we evolve. It’s not burnout. It’s growth.

If you’ve been feeling off, unmotivated, or disconnected from what used to feel like “you,” this episode is your reminder that change doesn’t mean failure. It means evolution. Jama talks about how to recognize those signs, stop forcing old systems, and make space for the next version of yourself to emerge.

Tune in if you’re ready to:

• Stop beating yourself up for feeling “off”
• Recognize the signs that you’re outgrowing a season
• Learn how to listen when your body, business, or creativity starts to shift
• Give yourself permission to evolve

Because sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is stop trying to fit into what no longer feels right.

Timestamps:

- When what used to work… doesn’t
- Real talk about burnout vs. evolution
– The moment Jama realized she was shifting directions
 – Why your old routines might not fit anymore
– Letting go without guilt
 – Closing reflection: It’s not failure, it’s growth

Key Takeaways:

• When something that used to bring joy starts feeling heavy, it’s a signal, not a setback.
• Growth often feels like confusion before it feels like clarity.
• Your old systems aren’t wrong — they just served their purpose.
• Evolution requires space, not shame.

https://www.jamapantel.com

Episode Transcript

Jama Pantel (00:00):
You ever wake up one day and realize the things
that used to light you up justdon't hit the same anymore?
Yeah, that's what I want totalk about today.
Because sometimes it's notburnout like I've talked about
in the past, it's somethingdifferent.
Maybe evolution?
I don't know.
Hey y'all, it's your podcastBestie Jma, and today we're

(00:20):
talking about something that'sbeen sitting heavy on my mind a
lot lately.
Those seasons when what used towork stops working.
Whether that's in yourbusiness, your habits, your
routines that used to make youfeel unstoppable, and suddenly
you stop and they don't.
And if you're like me, yourfirst instinct is to try harder,
more strategies, more hustle,more caffeine, more checklists,

(00:44):
more go go go.
But what if the answer isn't indoing more?
It's in letting go.
I'll be honest, for a while nowI felt like I'm standing at a
crossroads.
I don't know.
I still love photography, butlately the fire I used to feel
when I'm talking about marketingor posting or launching

(01:05):
something, it's just not in meanymore.
And I've had theseconversations in person, but
here I am sharing with you guysbecause I think some of y'all
can relate.
I keep thinking to myself,what's wrong with me?
Did I lose my drive?
Am I burning out?
Am I just tired?
And that's when it hit me.
I'm not losing motivation.

(01:27):
I'm shifting direction, andthat's a big difference.
See, there's a point in everycreative journey, or really in
any season of growth, where youstart to outgrow your old
systems.
The things that got you heremight not take you to where
you're going next, but thatdoesn't mean they were wrong.
It just means it's time toevolve.

(01:48):
Even if you don't know whatthat evolution is just yet.
Leave it to me to use shoes asan analogy because everything
relates to running in my worldin my mind, but sometimes our
routines, our branding, ourdaily habits, they're like shoes
that used to fit perfectly, butthen one day they start to not
feel as good.
And you try to squeeze in themfor a while, but eventually they

(02:10):
hurt your feet when you go outand run.
And that's where I've foundmyself recently, trying to keep
pace with who I used to beinstead of giving space for
myself to figure out who I'mbecoming.
And I've talked about it in thepast on here, burnout or
something not right, but that'swhere I'm at if I'm being
honest.
For me, that shift looks likestepping into more conversations

(02:34):
about wellness and midlife andstrength and identity because
that's the world I'm living inright now, and it's what I talk
about a lot in real life.
But maybe for you, it'ssomething different.
A job that doesn't feel likeyour purpose anymore, a business
model that's not inspiring you,a routine that feels more like
pressure than peace.

(02:54):
The old version of you isn'tbad.
She just took it as far as shecould, and now it's time to hand
the baton over to the newversion of you.
So if you've been feeling thatnudge, that weird in-between
where things feel off, but youcan't explain why, you're not
broken, you're just in a seasonof shift.
And here's the thing aboutseasons, they always change.

(03:17):
Maybe not in Texas with thesummertime, but things do always
change.
So you have to let one endbefore the next can begin.
You don't need to force it, fixit, or find a new five-step
plan.
You just need to pause and takea breath long enough to listen
to what's trying to get yourattention.
That's kind of where I'm atright now.

(03:38):
So I know this isn't one ofthose polished, here's how to
fix it episodes where I give youstep by step.
It's more of a mirror, a littlereminder that if something
feels different, maybe that'sbecause you're becoming
something different.
And honestly, that's not a badthing.
So I'll see y'all next Tuesdayfor another conversation about
growth or shifts or what itlooks like to evolve out loud

(03:59):
without having it all figuredout.
Because, like I said, I'm justhere to be real and to live the
whole picture.
And that's all I got for now.
Not much else.
So I'll see you next week.
Thanks for tuning in.
Bye y'all.