June 19, 2025 ⢠14 mins
đ Mentioned on this Episode: Show Notes đ
Have you ever felt like the universe hit pause right when things were finally gaining momentum in your business?
In this episode Iâm sharing what happened when life slowed me downâright in the middle of a big pushâand why I now see that interruption as one of the best things that couldâve happened.
Youâll hear the simple reflection ritual that saved me 40+ hours of rework, the White-Space Day strategy that my high-level clients now swear by, and a few clarity questions to help you use rest as a powerful toolânot a setback.
If you're building something meaningful and you want it to feel sustainable, this oneâs for you. Tap playâand if you want more honest behind-the-scenes reflections, head to the link in the show notes and join my weekly email list. Itâs where I share the deeper stuff I donât always post publicly.
Text us! What landed for you from this episode?
đ Subscribe & Get the Seasons Success Method & Meditation
đ§ Listen, Subscribe & Rate this podcast
đ˛ Follow me for more insights: Instagram | LinkedIn
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sheila (00:02):
If you're staring at half-finished projects and
wondering why life keeps hittingpause, listen up.
Those forced slowdowns you hate.
Well, they can actually saveyou from costly rework and
deliver a sharper, more alignedresult than sprinting ever could
.
In this episode, I'll show youhow the space you didn't ask for
might be the very thing thatmoves you forward faster.
(00:24):
You didn't ask for might be thevery thing that moves you
forward faster.
Hi, welcome to the Connect withSheila Botelho podcast.
I'm committed to helping youreconnect to your purpose,
elevate your wellbeing and buildyour version of a happy,
successful life.
And on today's solo chat, weare going to talk about the
strange magic of life slowingyou down even when you don't
(00:49):
want it to.
This is for those of us wholove to move fast, create fast
and get things done.
And this is for you, especiallyif you've been feeling like
things aren't moving at the paceyou'd like right now or you're
feeling behind.
So recently I recorded amini-sode called what If You're
(01:10):
Not Behind?
And wouldn't you know it?
Life soon after decided to giveme the real-time experience of
that exact message.
I find that happens a lot.
I had a pile of tasks sittingin various projects, some just
needing my final touches andsome needing to be delegated.
(01:30):
And yet other things in my lifestarted demanding my attention,
personal things that have takenmore time and emotional energy
than expected, which I'll share.
More about that behind thescenes stuff in a future episode
.
But for now, just to know this,it has been one of those
seasons and because of it I'vehad to really double down on
(01:54):
rest and I've had to look atwhat's actually doable and
prioritize the highest valuethings, pushing a few things to
a later date.
And as someone who loves toideate fast, to execute fast and
bring things to life quickly,this has been really humbling.
Slowing down when you want tosprint not easy, and here's what
(02:20):
I've come to know.
Some of the most pivotal shiftsin my life came from the
unexpected pause buttons thatjust happened to show up out of
nowhere.
Now, I say that intentionallypause buttons, because that's
exactly what they feel likeAnnoying, yes, but also really
(02:44):
powerful, because when we'reforced to slow down, we begin to
see things we would have missed.
We notice what's actuallyaligned and what we're doing,
perhaps just out of habit orpressure.
Now, lately I've been doing theessentials.
Now, lately I've been doing theessentials, getting the main
(03:05):
priorities taken care of.
And behind it all, there's beenthis voice in my head saying
just finish this project, justget it done, because we all know
how much mental bandwidthunfinished decisions take up.
Have you ever felt like that,that constant spinning in your
(03:26):
mind, those questions that weask ourselves like should I name
it this or should maybe thisname would be better?
Is this the right format, orwhat's the right timeline?
And then finally deciding.
It feels so freeing Becauseuntil decisions are made, it's
like you're in a holding pattern, and yet rushing the decision
(03:49):
can double your work if it endsup being out of alignment.
So it really is a dance.
It's like don't wait foreverfor perfection, but don't rush
through something your futureself will need to untangle,
either through something yourfuture self will need to
untangle either.
And then there are the momentswhere you're just ready to go,
(04:11):
but the timing, the logistics,the people, maybe even the
resources just are not ready.
And that is where I foundmyself lately, and I've decided
to see this forced slowdown as agift, because the moment I
leaned into it, a new piece ofinformation came to light about
(04:34):
one of my projects that made meso grateful that I hadn't pushed
forward too quickly, I wouldhave had to backtrack and redo
so many different things, andnow I get to move forward with
more clarity.
It really reminded me ofsomething I experienced when my
kids were little.
Life was slower, life feltsmaller, more spacious, and I
(05:00):
didn't realize it at the time,but that pace gave me insight
and real presence into who theywere becoming and into who I was
becoming.
We need space for things likethis, and our businesses are no
different.
We can get so busy doingplanning, producing, that we
(05:25):
lose touch with what's reallyhappening.
Space lets us reflect, reflecton all of those different things
that we've been putting ourattention on, that perhaps we
may have started out believingthey were the right things for
us, but it's only when wereflect that we might find out
(05:49):
the truth that maybe it's notthe best thing for us.
Space lets us adjust and coursecorrect and, most importantly,
it helps us reconnect with whowe really are and the truth of
what we're doing.
So, yes, based on Monday'sepisode, I had been feeling a
(06:13):
bit behind, but I also realizeI've been given a pause and that
pause gave me the time to seesome things that I missed, to
avoid wasting time on the wrongdirection and to create
something I'm actually evenprouder of, and so I really feel
(06:34):
there's like a wisdom to thespaciousness that sometimes is
dropped in our lap.
And now there's something thatI only recently realized about
myself like recently, the lastfew years is I tend to make the
most of things.
I tend to find the growth, theinsight, the good, and I feel
(06:55):
like it's a really beautifultrait, but sometimes it can also
lead me to overextend, totolerate too much or to carry
more than I need to.
And while that's anotherconversation for another day, I
wanted to say it here becausemaybe you feel like that too,
(07:16):
and this is why we need space Toreflect, recalibrate and to
receive.
So if you're in a season thatfeels slower than you'd like, I
invite you to trust it.
You might not be behind.
Actually, you might just beexactly where you're meant to be
(07:40):
.
Let me share another story withyou.
Last year, I was gearing up fora collaboration that had the
potential to elevate my brand ina big way.
I was excited, the timing feltright and I had mentally carved
out the space for it in mycalendar.
And then nothing.
(08:00):
The other party went quiet,their timeline shifted and the
momentum stalled and at first Iwas frustrated.
I kept thinking what a missedopportunity.
But in the unexpected spacethat opened up, something else
happened had the opportunity totake a trip where I met some
(08:26):
people who I otherwise neverwould have met, and I had the
space to actually create a wholenew arm of work inside of my
brand.
So this is something I totallywould have missed had I been in
(08:46):
this collaboration, because Iwould have put so much energy
into it and collaborations arereally wonderful.
But I realized looking back,that had that gone forward, a
lot of my bandwidth would havebeen taken up.
And because it's acollaboration, you have a lot
(09:07):
more waiting in between thingsat times because you're wanting
to get consensus on ideas.
So it all worked out.
This unexpected space, reallythis pause, made room for
something better, something Iwouldn't have known to ask for,
(09:29):
and you know it has reallyshaped the way this year has
gone in a way that I never wouldhave expected.
It really is a reminder that Ireturn to often.
Trust the delays, trust thedetours.
They often carry the answers wedidn't know we were looking for
(09:49):
.
So here are some questions foryou to reflect on this week.
Where are you feeling behind inyour life or business?
Think about that.
What is the last thing that youthought about?
Where you're like, oh, this isjust not moving fast enough.
And then, when you think aboutthat, perhaps there's something
(10:18):
on the other side of that.
If you were like to flip itover, what is the gift of where
you're at right now in yourbusiness?
If you feel like things aremoving slower?
Maybe it gives you time to testthings more than you would if
things were moving faster.
Maybe you actually have theopportunity to connect more with
(10:40):
your clients or your customers,because things aren't moving at
the speed of light and this caninform on where you go next.
Another question what wouldhappen if you trusted the timing
instead of resisting it?
Sometimes I look back and think, oh, the time I spent trying to
(11:04):
push through, push through,push through.
I could have actually just goneon a vacation.
I could have just like,completely stepped away from my
technology and done somethingcompletely different, and
everything just would haveworked out.
We don't always know that inthe moment, but sometimes it's
worthy of considering.
Always know that in the moment,but sometimes it's worthy of
(11:26):
considering.
Another question what claritymight be available to you right
now that you're too busy tonotice?
Do you ever have those momentswhere you're in the middle of
doing something and you kind ofhave a thought forming in the
back of your mind and you knewthat if you just shut everything
(11:48):
down so you could really followthe breadcrumbs of that thought
, you could have a really bigaha moment.
That's what I'm talking about.
Right, if you weren't too busyto notice, if you weren't too
busy to do that, maybe the ideawould land and it could shift
(12:09):
everything for you.
Sometimes it's those smallthings that can shift everything
.
Another question where have pastpauses in your life led to
something unexpectedly good?
Always look back for evidencethat you've been taking care of
(12:50):
and I ask questions like thisone a lot because it helps you
really consider is this thingI'm pursuing, mine to pursue, or
was it just a good idea someonethrew out there?
Or maybe it was just a goodidea you threw out there, but it
wasn't totally aligned withwhere you want to be.
Give yourself space to reflectand see what surfaces, when
(13:16):
you're not trying to force itand not trying to make it all
make sense right away If youwant to follow along more
closely with the behind thescenes of what I'm building and
share in some of the deeperreflections that I don't always
post publicly.
Make sure that you subscribe tomy weekly email.
(13:38):
You can find the link in theshow notes to sign up for that.
I so appreciate you being here.
Have an exquisite rest of yourweek.
Big blessings, thank you.
If you're staring at half-finished projects and
wondering why life keeps hittingpause, listen up.
Those forced slowdowns you hate.
Well, they can actually saveyou from costly rework and
deliver a sharper, more alignedresult than sprinting ever could
.
In this episode, I'll show youhow the space you didn't ask for
might be the very thing thatmoves you forward faster.
(00:24):
You didn't ask for might be thevery thing that moves you
forward faster.
Hi, welcome to the Connect withSheila Botelho podcast.
I'm committed to helping youreconnect to your purpose,
elevate your wellbeing and buildyour version of a happy,
successful life.
And on today's solo chat, weare going to talk about the
strange magic of life slowingyou down even when you don't
(00:49):
want it to.
This is for those of us wholove to move fast, create fast
and get things done.
And this is for you, especiallyif you've been feeling like
things aren't moving at the paceyou'd like right now or you're
feeling behind.
So recently I recorded amini-sode called what If You're
(01:10):
Not Behind?
And wouldn't you know it?
Life soon after decided to giveme the real-time experience of
that exact message.
I find that happens a lot.
I had a pile of tasks sittingin various projects, some just
needing my final touches andsome needing to be delegated.
(01:30):
And yet other things in my lifestarted demanding my attention,
personal things that have takenmore time and emotional energy
than expected, which I'll share.
More about that behind thescenes stuff in a future episode
.
But for now, just to know this,it has been one of those
seasons and because of it I'vehad to really double down on
(01:54):
rest and I've had to look atwhat's actually doable and
prioritize the highest valuethings, pushing a few things to
a later date.
And as someone who loves toideate fast, to execute fast and
bring things to life quickly,this has been really humbling.
Slowing down when you want tosprint not easy, and here's what
(02:20):
I've come to know.
Some of the most pivotal shiftsin my life came from the
unexpected pause buttons thatjust happened to show up out of
nowhere.
Now, I say that intentionallypause buttons, because that's
exactly what they feel likeAnnoying, yes, but also really
(02:44):
powerful, because when we'reforced to slow down, we begin to
see things we would have missed.
We notice what's actuallyaligned and what we're doing,
perhaps just out of habit orpressure.
Now, lately I've been doing theessentials.
Now, lately I've been doing theessentials, getting the main
(03:05):
priorities taken care of.
And behind it all, there's beenthis voice in my head saying
just finish this project, justget it done, because we all know
how much mental bandwidthunfinished decisions take up.
Have you ever felt like that,that constant spinning in your
(03:26):
mind, those questions that weask ourselves like should I name
it this or should maybe thisname would be better?
Is this the right format, orwhat's the right timeline?
And then finally deciding.
It feels so freeing Becauseuntil decisions are made, it's
like you're in a holding pattern, and yet rushing the decision
(03:49):
can double your work if it endsup being out of alignment.
So it really is a dance.
It's like don't wait foreverfor perfection, but don't rush
through something your futureself will need to untangle,
either through something yourfuture self will need to
untangle either.
And then there are the momentswhere you're just ready to go,
(04:11):
but the timing, the logistics,the people, maybe even the
resources just are not ready.
And that is where I foundmyself lately, and I've decided
to see this forced slowdown as agift, because the moment I
leaned into it, a new piece ofinformation came to light about
(04:34):
one of my projects that made meso grateful that I hadn't pushed
forward too quickly, I wouldhave had to backtrack and redo
so many different things, andnow I get to move forward with
more clarity.
It really reminded me ofsomething I experienced when my
kids were little.
Life was slower, life feltsmaller, more spacious, and I
(05:00):
didn't realize it at the time,but that pace gave me insight
and real presence into who theywere becoming and into who I was
becoming.
We need space for things likethis, and our businesses are no
different.
We can get so busy doingplanning, producing, that we
(05:25):
lose touch with what's reallyhappening.
Space lets us reflect, reflecton all of those different things
that we've been putting ourattention on, that perhaps we
may have started out believingthey were the right things for
us, but it's only when wereflect that we might find out
(05:49):
the truth that maybe it's notthe best thing for us.
Space lets us adjust and coursecorrect and, most importantly,
it helps us reconnect with whowe really are and the truth of
what we're doing.
So, yes, based on Monday'sepisode, I had been feeling a
(06:13):
bit behind, but I also realizeI've been given a pause and that
pause gave me the time to seesome things that I missed, to
avoid wasting time on the wrongdirection and to create
something I'm actually evenprouder of, and so I really feel
(06:34):
there's like a wisdom to thespaciousness that sometimes is
dropped in our lap.
And now there's something thatI only recently realized about
myself like recently, the lastfew years is I tend to make the
most of things.
I tend to find the growth, theinsight, the good, and I feel
(06:55):
like it's a really beautifultrait, but sometimes it can also
lead me to overextend, totolerate too much or to carry
more than I need to.
And while that's anotherconversation for another day, I
wanted to say it here becausemaybe you feel like that too,
(07:16):
and this is why we need space Toreflect, recalibrate and to
receive.
So if you're in a season thatfeels slower than you'd like, I
invite you to trust it.
You might not be behind.
Actually, you might just beexactly where you're meant to be
(07:40):
.
Let me share another story withyou.
Last year, I was gearing up fora collaboration that had the
potential to elevate my brand ina big way.
I was excited, the timing feltright and I had mentally carved
out the space for it in mycalendar.
And then nothing.
(08:00):
The other party went quiet,their timeline shifted and the
momentum stalled and at first Iwas frustrated.
I kept thinking what a missedopportunity.
But in the unexpected spacethat opened up, something else
happened had the opportunity totake a trip where I met some
(08:26):
people who I otherwise neverwould have met, and I had the
space to actually create a wholenew arm of work inside of my
brand.
So this is something I totallywould have missed had I been in
(08:46):
this collaboration, because Iwould have put so much energy
into it and collaborations arereally wonderful.
But I realized looking back,that had that gone forward, a
lot of my bandwidth would havebeen taken up.
And because it's acollaboration, you have a lot
(09:07):
more waiting in between thingsat times because you're wanting
to get consensus on ideas.
So it all worked out.
This unexpected space, reallythis pause, made room for
something better, something Iwouldn't have known to ask for,
(09:29):
and you know it has reallyshaped the way this year has
gone in a way that I never wouldhave expected.
It really is a reminder that Ireturn to often.
Trust the delays, trust thedetours.
They often carry the answers wedidn't know we were looking for
(09:49):
.
So here are some questions foryou to reflect on this week.
Where are you feeling behind inyour life or business?
Think about that.
What is the last thing that youthought about?
Where you're like, oh, this isjust not moving fast enough.
And then, when you think aboutthat, perhaps there's something
(10:18):
on the other side of that.
If you were like to flip itover, what is the gift of where
you're at right now in yourbusiness?
If you feel like things aremoving slower?
Maybe it gives you time to testthings more than you would if
things were moving faster.
Maybe you actually have theopportunity to connect more with
(10:40):
your clients or your customers,because things aren't moving at
the speed of light and this caninform on where you go next.
Another question what wouldhappen if you trusted the timing
instead of resisting it?
Sometimes I look back and think, oh, the time I spent trying to
(11:04):
push through, push through,push through.
I could have actually just goneon a vacation.
I could have just like,completely stepped away from my
technology and done somethingcompletely different, and
everything just would haveworked out.
We don't always know that inthe moment, but sometimes it's
worthy of considering.
Always know that in the moment,but sometimes it's worthy of
(11:26):
considering.
Another question what claritymight be available to you right
now that you're too busy tonotice?
Do you ever have those momentswhere you're in the middle of
doing something and you kind ofhave a thought forming in the
back of your mind and you knewthat if you just shut everything
(11:48):
down so you could really followthe breadcrumbs of that thought
, you could have a really bigaha moment.
That's what I'm talking about.
Right, if you weren't too busyto notice, if you weren't too
busy to do that, maybe the ideawould land and it could shift
(12:09):
everything for you.
Sometimes it's those smallthings that can shift everything
.
Another question where have pastpauses in your life led to
something unexpectedly good?
Always look back for evidencethat you've been taking care of
(12:50):
and I ask questions like thisone a lot because it helps you
really consider is this thingI'm pursuing, mine to pursue, or
was it just a good idea someonethrew out there?
Or maybe it was just a goodidea you threw out there, but it
wasn't totally aligned withwhere you want to be.
Give yourself space to reflectand see what surfaces, when
(13:16):
you're not trying to force itand not trying to make it all
make sense right away If youwant to follow along more
closely with the behind thescenes of what I'm building and
share in some of the deeperreflections that I don't always
post publicly.
Make sure that you subscribe tomy weekly email.
(13:38):
You can find the link in theshow notes to sign up for that.
I so appreciate you being here.
Have an exquisite rest of yourweek.
Big blessings, thank you.
Popular Podcasts
United States of Kennedy
United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com