Ep.94 New Year, Same You, Less Panic, More Quiet Rebellion!

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Endings don’t need noise to matter. They need honesty, time, and the courage to pause when the calendar demands motion. I'm sharing a rare behind‑the‑scenes moment: why the podcast is heading toward its final chapters, and how I'm letting the ending arrive on its own schedule rather than forcing a finish for the sake of a date.

Together we unpack the difference between finishing and ending well, and how cultural pressure—deadlines, year‑end goals, “new year, new you”—can push us to rush what deserves care. You’ll hear personal stories of exits done too fast, the hollowness that follows, and the subtle relief of stepping back to notice what’s truly complete. We explore the quiet mechanics of clarity: waiting longer than is comfortable, following energy instead of a plan, and allowing direction to surface in small, steady signals. Think seasonally, not just strategically; winter is for rest and nature works in cycles.

I also share two practical anchors. First, the podcast will rest over the holidays so the final episodes can land with integrity, not obligation. Second, for anyone stuck between fatigue and possibility, the Rebel Reset offers a focused 90‑minute session to cut through fog and choose a next step that actually feels like you.

If this speaks to you, follow along or share with a friend who needs permission to rest, thoughtful endings and brave new beginnings...

By the way, Here's that full article from Kim @ Clementine

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Intentions
• 1:30 Announcing The Podcast Wind‑Down
• 3:20 Finishing Versus Ending Well
• 6:10 Noticing Pressure From Calendars
• 8:40 Waiting For Clarity
• 10:45 Introducing The Rebel Reset
• 12:20 Rethinking Year‑End Urgency
• 14:10 Winter, Rest, And Small Pauses

Transcript

Zoe Greenhalf: 0:00

Today's episode is partly to let you know what's happening with the podcast and partly to invite you into a different way of thinking about endings, pauses, and that space in between. Hey there! Welcome or welcome back to the Mischief Movement Podcast. I'm Zoe, your guide on this journey to shake up the status quo and design a life that truly makes you feel alive. If you've ever felt disconnected, stuck on autopilot, or trapped in a life that feels more like a treadmill than an adventure, you're in the right place. I know the change can feel scary, so let's turn down the fear and crank up the fears as we transform your life from the inside out. Whether it's solo episodes packed with actionable advice or interviews with some absolute ballass human beings who've dared to defy the norm by leaving life their way, we're here to inspire, activate, empower and challenge you each week. My mission is simple: to help you reawaken your rebel spirit, break free from mediocrity, and design a life that's anything but dull. You only get one wild life, so what are you planning to do with yours? If you're ready to stop settling, start living boldly and create a positive impact along the way. Let's dive in and stir up some mischief together. Now buckle up and let's go. Hey mischief maker. If you follow me on Instagram or subscribe to my newsletter, you'll know already that last week I announced something a bit left field, and that is that I'm wrapping up the Mischief Movement podcast. So I wanted to start this episode by saying something clearly. Nothing is wrong. The podcast isn't in trouble. I'm not burnt out, and I haven't lost faith in what I'm doing. What is happening is that we are approaching the final stretch of this podcast, and I've realized I don't want to rush the ending just to satisfy a date on a calendar. Um, I have a personal goal to get to a hundred episodes before I say goodbye to this podcast. Um, but yeah, like I said, I don't want to rush the ending. And even saying that out loud feels a little rebellious because we live in a world that doesn't really trust pauses and breaks from things. We are taught to wrap things in wrap things up neatly, you know, finish strong, close the loop, start the new year clear, um certain and sorted. But I'm not convinced that clarity always comes from pressure. And I'm definitely not convinced that endings need to be forced to be meaningful. So today's episode is partly to let you know what's happening with the podcast and partly to invite you into a different way of thinking about endings, pauses, and that space in between. Because this isn't just about a podcast, it's about how we move through change in our lives. Now I've been thinking a lot about the difference between finishing something and actually ending it well. I think finishing is often about compliance, like a deadline, a rule, or an expectation. But ending well is about honesty. It's about noticing when something has done what it came here to do. Even if it doesn't fit the timeline that you imagined at the start. And I'll be honest, this hasn't always been easy for me. There have been times in my life where I've rushed endings just to get relief. Um jobs I stayed in too long and then left abruptly because I couldn't stand the kind of limbo anymore. Or projects I pushed out before they were ready because I wanted the discomfort to stop. Every time I rushed, the ending felt hollow. Not wrong, but like I'd skip the moment where something actually lands. So here's the question I want to leave you with What patterns are showing up for you at the end of this year? Where do you find yourself rushing or perhaps holding back? Now, in case you hadn't realized, this podcast matters to me. It's had a life of its own, it's shaped conversations, ideas, relationships, including my own relationship with my work. And because it matters, I don't want to drag it past its natural uh aliveness, I guess. But I also don't want to rush it out of obligation. I remember sitting at my desk one Monday morning looking at the calendar and feeling this strange tightness, deadlines, schedules, the end-of-year push, all of it pressing in. And then I realized the urgency I was feeling wasn't coming from the work itself. It was coming from the calendar. And that tiny realization shifted everything. So let me ask you, where in your life have you been following schedules, deadlines, or expectations that don't actually belong to you? Or where are you letting someone else's timing drive your decisions?

SPEAKER_01: 6:13

When we can recognize that pressure, we can choose differently.

Zoe Greenhalf: 6:19

We can pause, we can sit with that attention. And we can let clarity emerge from attention, not from force. We also live in a culture that's obsessed with what's next, right? What's next for your work, your relationships, what's next for your body, your purpose, your platform, blah blah blah. And if you don't know the answer, it's very easy to assume that something's gone wrong. But some of the clearest moments in my life didn't come from deciding, they actually came from waiting. I can think of one big life moment where I didn't know what was next, and instead of forcing a plan, I let myself sit in the unknown for longer than felt comfortable, if I'm honest. No announcement, no strategy, just giving it my attention. And slowly something began to take shape, not as a full answer, but as a direction.

SPEAKER_01: 7:22

That's what real clarity often looks like. Quiet, incremental, unimpressive from the outside.

Zoe Greenhalf: 7:32

I think that's also where I'm at right now, if I'm honest. Not broken or lost, but just caught in that weird in-between where you know that you're meant for more, but you just can't seem to get yourself moving. Um, and honestly, I get it because I've been there too. That's actually why I created something new called the Rebel Reset. It's a 90-minute session where we shake things up, we cut through the fog, and we get you moving again in a way that actually feels like you. So if you've been waiting for a sign or you're tired of ending the year feeling frustrated, this might be exactly what you need. You can just message me reset on Instagram, or you can reply directly via text through the show notes if you're curious. All right, back to the episode. So if you're feeling pressure to figure things out before the year ends, hear this. Not knowing doesn't mean you're behind.

SPEAKER_01: 8:48

Sometimes it means you're listening.

Zoe Greenhalf: 8:54

There's something about this time of year that amplifies the noise. I don't know if you feel it, but certainly for me, before Christmas, it's everywhere. There's reflection prompts, goal setting, year-in-review posts. No, none of that's wrong. But it's not the only way to end the year. Winter isn't a season of expansion, it's a season of digestion. I mean, think about nature. Nothing is rushing to declare its next form. Things rest, they conserve energy and they just trust the cycle. We forget that we're also part of that too, I think. Rest isn't a reward that you earn for working hard enough.

SPEAKER_01: 9:37

It should be part of the process.

Zoe Greenhalf: 9:41

And here's a thought where could you pause this holiday season? In your work, your habits, your thinking, without guilt and without pressure. I've been experimenting with that a little myself. Letting myself slow down in small ways over the last few weeks, noticing what rises naturally without pushing for it. Even tiny pauses have felt surprisingly revealing.

SPEAKER_01: 10:14

So, what's happening next?

Zoe Greenhalf: 10:16

Well, here's what to expect. We're heading towards the final episodes of this podcast, but I'm not gonna rush them out before Christmas. Over the holidays, the podcast will take a small rest, and I'll take that space to listen for how the ending wants to land, not to disappear or to abandon the story, but to let it complete itself honestly. And when I come back, it will be from clarity and not pressure. I want to leave you with a different kind of end-of-year invitation. Not to reflect on everything, not to make big decisions, and definitely not to tie things up neatly in a bow. But simply to notice what's unfinished and ask whether that's actually a problem. What in your life feels complete, even if it isn't officially done? What are you trying to force an answer to when it might just need more time?

SPEAKER_01: 11:20

And what would soften if you gave yourself permission not to decide just yet?

Zoe Greenhalf: 11:29

Over Christmas, this podcast will pause, and maybe you can too, without panic, without pressure, without any performance. This morning I read a fantastic article by Kim Palmer, who is founder of the Clementine app. This is not a sponsored podcast, by the way, but I am a big fan of the app and of Kim. She said, Because when January rolls around, we're surrounded by momentum. New year, new you, fresh starts, goals, plans, the sense that you should be deciding something about who you're going to be for the next 12 months. And there I was with a blank page and no desire to fill it. For a while I worried that I was doing something wrong, that maybe I was missing an opportunity, that not choosing an intention meant drifting or lacking direction or somehow wasting the fresh start that January is supposed to offer. But eventually I did something I haven't done in years. I didn't force it. I stopped trying to manufacture clarity and decided to see what would happen if I didn't decide anything at all. That choice felt odd at first, almost like I was breaking an unspoken rule. But slowly something shifted. Instead of looking ahead all the time, I paid more attention to what was right in front of me. I followed my energy rather than a plan. I noticed what I was drawn to, what I had capacity for, what I was quietly resisting. Without realizing it, I started making decisions based on what felt alive rather than what fitted a list I'd written in January. So as we head into the holiday break, I hope you are able to rest and reset a little, create a pause, a chance to breathe, notice, um, let things settle a bit. Think of it as a quiet space between chapters where things can land in their own way on their own schedule. The final episodes of the podcast will come, but for now it's a moment to just step back and trust the timing of what's next. If during that time you arrive at a breakthrough or a new idea, please feel free to share it with me. You can text me directly through the show notes accompanying this episode. Similarly, if there are any themes that you'd like me to explore in these last few episodes, I'd love your suggestions so that we can shape them together. Thank you for allowing me into your ears and lives this past year, and I will be back with you again after the festivities. Wait, hang on. Before I go, a quick note. As this podcast moves towards its final chapters, the best place to stay connected is my mailing list. That's where I'll share what's unfolding next when it's ready to be shared. Without noise and without rushing. You can also find me on LinkedIn, where I'm still very much around and thinking out loud in public. There is something new taking shape behind the scenes, but I'm giving it the space to fully form before I speak about it properly. If you're curious, patient, and happy to sit in the in-between with me, you'll be in the right place. Thanks for being here, and I will speak to you again soon.