Part 1: The Role of Resistance in Our Growth
Have you ever felt the need to slow down a bit in your business—whether to re-evaluate your strategy, resources, or team direction—but instantly rejected the idea?
Maybe you heard a protective voice tell you that you couldn’t possibly risk slowing down?
That place between knowing what needs to be done and actually making the change to get there is resistance.
Resistance is the tension we feel between where we are and where we are going.
Many of us interpret this resistance as force or pain, something we need to push through to get to the other side.
But pushing through without purpose is not a sustainable strategy.
It often leads to burnout, frustration, and lost time.
Much like resistance training in fitness, it’s much more effective to understand the benefits of this tension in our overall journey.
Remember, our definition of transformation is simple:
Transformation = greater access to choice.
More choice = more freedom.
Working through our resistance is a part of our growth—when we recognize it for what it is, it starts to loosen its grip.
Part 2: The Many Forms of Resistance
So, how do you recognize your own resistance?
Resistance often disguises itself as logic, fear, or physical discomfort.
Here are the four most common types of resistance we see:
- Cognitive Resistance: Rationalizing why change isn’t necessary or possible (“If I slow down, I’ll fall behind.”)
- Emotional Resistance: Fear, self-doubt, or overwhelm keeping you in familiar patterns (“What if I lose my drive?”)
- Somatic Resistance: Physical sensations like restlessness, fatigue, pressure, or hyperactivity that prevent slowing down.
- Social Resistance: Concern about how others will perceive your changes (“Will I still be seen as a leader in the space?”)
Part 3: ‘Losing My Grip’ vs. Gaining Capacity—A Client Story
We have a high-performing client who feared that slowing down meant losing his edge. He had built success on speed and grit—pushing harder than his peers, making fast decisions—equating speed with achievement.
This client also had trouble sleeping at night, waking up with repetitive looping thoughts about the state of his business. This was the double-edged sword to his ‘edge.’
He decided to have the Stellate Ganglion Block, a procedure that provides a hard reset to the nervous system to provide relief from anxiety.
The result? He was slower, less reactive. And that terrified him.
First, he overrode the procedure, believing that slowing down was not an option (cognitive resistance).
Then, as his somatic resistance (restlessness, fatigue) loosened with the physiological effects of the procedure, his body felt rest—but his stories clung on for dear life.
“What if I’m out of work for a whole month?”
“This is making me LESS productive.”
“I can’t grow my business if I’m constantly asleep.”
He actually felt more anxiety than less—until he recognized these stories as emotional resistance.
We worked on shifting his perceptions to recognize the benefits of working from a rested state:
- Less burnout
- Fewer impulsive decisions
- Greater access to divergent thinking
The creativity that comes from dreaming. 😊
Ultimately, he learned that rest can also be productive.
This greatly expanded his capacity to show up as a leader.
And the resistance he initially felt wasn’t a threat—it was the natural tension of stepping into a new way of operating.
Part 4: How to Work Through Resistance
Not everyone has the luxury of a hard reset to the nervous system—but we all have the ability to recognize and work through our own resistance.
Ask yourself the following questions to get started:
1. Where am I experiencing resistance right now?
Identify a place in your business where you feel tension between where you are and where you want to be.
2. What kind of resistance am I experiencing?
(One or many may apply)
- Cognitive: What story am I telling myself about why this change isn’t possible?
- Emotional: What fear or feeling is keeping me from moving forward?
- Somatic: How is my body reacting to this change? Where do I feel tension, pressure, fatigue, or restlessness?
- Social: How might my concerns about others’ perceptions be influencing my choices?
3. What would happen if I leaned into it?
If I trusted that resistance was guiding me toward growth, how would I engage with it differently?
4. Can I recognize that I am safe?
(Regulate your nervous system)
🧘 Pause and breathe: Try a vagus nerve technique to shift into a calm state.
🔍 Re-assess: Does my resistance still feel as strong? Do I have any new clarity?
Up Next: The Shift & The Grace
I hope this note helps you recognize when you are in a place of resistance—and to treat it as a natural part of your journey.
Next time, we will talk about how to meet this process with patience and grace.
That’s all for now. 😊