Why Taking a Pause Can Lead to Growth You Didn’t Expect

Giving yourself permission to slow down and listen again.

Jan 12, 2026

Could it be that you are meant to pause?
To step away from the noise and really listen to your inner world. To your inner guidance. To that small voice that knows what is best for you.

Maybe you are meant to pause.

I started this year with a comment from one of my all-time favourite people on the internet Jenna Kutcher on one of my posts. If you know her, you know her. If you do not, Jenna has built an incredible business doing what she loves and what she is good at. Her comment came the day after I listened to her podcast about the decision to pause a very successful podcast. It was one of those moments that reminded me how powerful taking a pause can be.

Little did i know that .. somehow our worlds will connect. Before you think this was coincidence, it did not feel that way to me…. but let me tell you why.

Lets talk about the pause

More and more creatives are choosing to pause. I keep seeing the headlines arrive in my inbox, one after another.

Ghosted. Retired. Closing. Slowing down. Pausing.

These are the headlines you are going to be seeing more and more.

This is not an unusual move. In many ways, it is expected. Pausing is part of the entrepreneurial journey and part of being human.

My own journey led me there too. A couple of months ago, I took a pause in my consultancy. It was not an easy choice. At the time, I could not clearly explain what that pause meant or where it was leading. I did not have a plan, a timeline, or a reason that would make sense to anyone else. I only knew that continuing as I was no longer felt right.

On the very last day of the year, when I listened to Jenna’s podcast, it took me straight back to that moment. The moment I sensed I was about to do something different.

I remember clicking send on an email to the partner I was working with, sharing that I was going to pause. In that moment, I felt both freedom and overwhelm. Relief, followed quickly by the question: what am I doing next?

I had no idea. I only knew I was stepping away from something that looked good on paper, without a clear plan or direction. That familiar place where you know you are making the right decision, even when there is very little external evidence to support it. An intuitive choice that often leads somewhere unexpected.

Back to Jenna

On the podcast, Jenna mentioned that she “might” start a Substack. She did not say when. She did not say if.

But when she said, I knew she would. I had this inner knowing that it was about time.

What happened next was not something I expected.

The following morning, on the first of January, I opened my phone and saw a comment on one of my posts.

It was Jenna.

I could hardly believe it. Jenna was on Substack. Not only that — she had written a comment on one of my posts about pausing.

What made it even more meaningful is that I had written that post during another pause — one I was forced to take. Earlier in December, I got sick and didn’t post much for almost a month. During that time, I felt guilty for sharing so little. Still, I chose to trust that whatever was meant to reach people would. That the growth for that season would unfold in its own way.

That is exactly what happened.

That single post brought 150 new subscribers and became one of the most shared pieces I have ever written. It connected me with Jenna, and unexpectedly, she subscribed to my newsletter. Jenna Kutcher — someone I have admired from afar for years — chose to read my work. That moment felt like pure serendipity and a quiet reminder that you can take a pause and still be found.
Growth does not always require constant movement.

It did more than make me smile. It reassured me that pauses are powerful. That even when we step back, growth can still happen. That our words can reach people exactly when they need them, offering confirmation for their own decisions and paths.

When we pause, when we step back, when we loosen our grip on control, something else takes care of the timing. Somehow, the right worlds find each other.

Why Taking a Pause Matters for Creators

It matters because, as writers and creators, pausing often feels uncomfortable. We worry that our work will disappear. That if we are not visible, we will lose momentum. That stepping back means falling behind.

But what if pausing is not a risk?
What if taking a pause is part of how creative work actually grows?

As this new year begins, while many are setting goals and pushing forward, you may feel drawn to pause. You might be considering stepping back from something. You might be questioning whether to continue, to exit, or to take a different path altogether.

Whatever that looks like for you, pausing can be a wise and necessary choice. One that creates space for clarity to arrive in its own time.

Pausing is rarely simple. Yet when you feel led to pause — or when a pause is placed in front of you — trust that you will be okay.

If you feel that pull, it is worth listening. A pause is an inner calling, asking something of you. It creates space to change, to grow, to become who you were always meant to be. During a pause, you are shaped in ways that are hard to see in the moment. The right people can find you there, even when you are not actively trying.

Trust your inner voice when it asks you to pause. Taking a pause does not mean stepping away from growth… it is exactly how growth begins.

And if you need support in recognising what that pause is asking of you or how to move through it, I am offering 1:1 clarity and strategy sessions.