Facebook
Instagram
RSS

Home
About
Books
YouTube
Blog
Contact

Select Page

4

by Joey | Dec 9, 2025 | 0 comments

← Previous Post

4

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating

Recipe Rating

Comment *

Name *

Email *

Website

Δ

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search for:

Let’s talk burnout. I sold my half of a successfu

Let’s talk burnout.
I sold my half of a successful business at the end of 2017 because I burnt out hard.
As a business, we did everything right. Systems. Processes. Policies. Structures. Procedures. YOU NAME IT. My business partner and I (who also happened to be one of my BFFs — and still remains my friend today) were adamant about ensuring we had everything possible in place to safeguard our business.
Know what I didn’t have?
Those same safeguards in place for myself.
I was excited. Eager. The business was working, and it was growing so quickly I was desperate to keep the momentum going. Every moment my eyes were open, I was running full steam ahead.
I told myself our success was because of that drive.
But that drive is what eventually led to my downfall.
I get asked a lot why I do things the way I do these days. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Well, I’m exceptionally structured. My calendar would send a type B person into orbit. Some call it rigid. I call it protection.
I have a lot of my plate these days. I have a traditional job. I have my business. I *mostly* keep my kiddo home. I’m in grad school. And I recently started serving on the board of a local soon-to-be non-profit. Your girl is busy.
That workload could easily send me into an anxious spiral, but it doesn’t because I know my priorities, I know my limits and I protect the heck out of it all with boundaries.
On any given day, a quick glance at my calendar tells me exactly what’s in store. I know what I do and don’t have space for given that clarity. These choices inform whether I doom scroll in pockets of free time or do something more intentional.
What’s that saying? Idol hands are the devil’s workshop.

I'm kind and empathetic but I've also learned to s

I'm kind and empathetic but I've also learned to show that same respect to myself. #boundaries #recoveringpeoplepleaser

Intentional down time. ⏳ It’s not something I mad

Intentional down time. ⏳
It’s not something I made much time for in the past. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely rotted here and there. But the rot would usually be the result of going too hard for too long and then I’d crash and burn.
I started introducing intentional down time into my day-to-day several months ago. It’s hard for me to do. In my mind, there’s always something more that needs to be done — that could be done.
But I’ve also experienced that hard crash of burnout enough times now to know that it’s not up for debate. We need leisure.
It’s not something to earn. It’s not something to prioritize “only if.” It’s non-negotiable.
Introducing this into my day-to-day is one of the hardest things I’ve done. I realize that sounds insane. But if you know who I am at my core, you get it.
It’s made such a difference in how I feel daily. How I sleep. How I show up in my various different roles. And also? Frankly? It changes how I experience my days.
It’s not always much. But it is always there.
I can’t say that’s always been true. In fact, I’d argue, it’s likely untrue for most. We fill dead space with doom scrolling and wonder why we feel so empty.
What are you doing to intentionally pour into yourself daily?
My favorite leisure activity these days is diamond painting! (Obvi reading is always on this list — but I’ll share how I make time to read every day another time).

"You've always had the power, my dear. You just ha

"You've always had the power, my dear. You just had to learn it for yourself."
My big sister, who is also my editor, gifted me a mug with that Wizard of Oz quote on it when my first book became an overnight Amazon Bestseller in 2023.
I say overnight. And while technically, yes -- I went to bed one night and woke up the next day to BOOM: bestseller. It didn't actually *happen* overnight.
But does anything, really?
So much fear, doubt and insecurity circulated my system in the 9 years that filled the space between hitting "publish" and reaching bestseller status.
That gentle little reminder from the one who has been standing in my corner the whole way through, working to help me make this life a reality, were the exact words I needed to hear.
So I share them with you today in hopes they offer you the same comfort they do me. "You have always had the power, my dear. You just had to learn it for yourself." ✨🪄

High school was pretty brutal for me. 🫣 I had som

High school was pretty brutal for me. 🫣
I had some really good friends who have remained lifelong friends. But I also had a gaggle of girls who really enjoyed tormenting me.
I get asked a lot if I put anything real into my books. The party-line has always been no -- but that's not entirely true. There is one scene in "Yeah, maybe" that's almost entirely a moment-by-moment replicate of something I experienced first hand.
I've gotten bolder in owning my stories as I've healed, though. My next manuscript is full of "inspired by" moments. 👀
Anne Lamott said it best: “You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”
I don't think the girl responsible for the moment I retell in "Yeah, maybe" will ever read my books. But if she does, I sure hope she's proud of herself when she gets to that part. 🙃

When your only goal is to survive each day, you’ll

When your only goal is to survive each day, you’ll live your life in survival mode.
I know because that was me.
Don’t get me wrong — there are certainly seasons where survival is all we can manage. But once the threat passes, we have to recalibrate and intentionally move differently or we’ll get stuck there.
You’d be surprised how much difference one seemingly insignificant shift in what you do daily can transform your life.
Let me challenge you today: what’s one small thing you can do today that’ll bring you joy?
(I’ll be making myself a homemade mocha latte here in just a minute — and the rule is I get to read while I’m drinking it before diving back into work. That sounds pretty joyful to me!☕️📖)

Follow on Instagram

Navigate

AFFILIATE LINK DISCLAIMER

MONTHLY PEP TALK

Get monthly pep talks straight to your inbox along with exclusive offers!

Success!

First Name

Email

Categories

JOYFUL BY DESIGN

COPYRIGHT © 2024. JOEY HODGES WRITES | PRIVACY POLICY | DISCLOSURES | THEME BY LOVELY CONFETTI