Most executives come home from vacation heavier, more tired, and further from who they want to be—then call it "earned." This episode dismantles that logic with the actual behavioral science on travel and habit change, and lays out the three-shift framework for using your next trip as the highest-leverage performance week of your year. If you've ever booked a flight to escape your life instead of build it, this one's for you.

• Why the habit discontinuity hypothesis gives you a roughly three-month window to rewrite your defaults—and why almost nobody uses it
• The difference between escape-based travel and build-based travel, and why one gains you weight while the other gains you compound returns
• The three-shift framework: travel toward a metric, install one new behavior, stage your re-entry before you leave
• Why "the scale always goes up after vacation" isn't a discipline problem—it's an operating system problem

This episode is grounded in the habit discontinuity hypothesis, originally developed by behavioral psychologist Bas Verplanken and colleagues. Their work shows that major context-altering life transitions—moving, starting a new job, traveling—temporarily decouple environmental cues from automatic behavior, opening a window where new habits can be installed.

Key findings referenced:

• Verplanken & Roy (2016) — Field experiment with 800 households showing behavior change interventions are significantly more effective when delivered during life transitions, with a window of opportunity lasting up to three months post-relocation
• Walker, Thomas & Verplanken (2015) — Foundational work establishing that habit discontinuity precedes habit change
• Research on cue-dependent memory and routine reactivation explaining why old habits reassert themselves the moment you return to the original environment

CONNECT WITH JESSICA

If you're navigating transitions and need support redefining what progress actually looks like, follow Dr. Jessica Herbert on LinkedIn or Substack to learn about masterminds, group coaching workshops, and one-on-one programs. We don't just talk about patience—we set micro-milestones, experiment, and build tolerance for the timeline without the guilt.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjessicaherbert

Substack: https://asbatracoaching.substack.com/- Join the community for deeper discussions and downloadable worksheets

Leave feedback: Use the thumbs up/down button in your podcast app or comment on Substack

EPISODE CREDITS

Host & Producer: Asbatra Coaching

Episode Length: 16 minutes

EPISODE OVERVIEW

After a two-month break from the podcast, we're back—and not with an apology. This episode unpacks why strategic pauses aren't a detour from leadership but a function of it, what Brené Brown's "Day 2" framework reveals about the messy middle of building anything meaningful, and the calibration that's reshaping this entire show going forward.

If you've been performing leadership instead of practicing it, this one's for you.

What You'll Hear

• Why 77% of workers are running on burnout fumes—and what the research actually says about strategic pauses
• The 52/17 productivity pattern that separates peak performers from the perpetually exhausted
• How "Day 2" thinking explains why so many leaders quit right before the breakthrough
• The difference between visibility and value (and why we keep confusing them)
• Why engagement matters more than algorithms—and what's changing here because of it

Research or Other Content Referenced

• American Psychological Association — Stress in America survey on workplace burnout
• Draugiem Group productivity research — The 52/17 work-rest pattern of peak performers
• INSEAD studies on executive sabbaticals and strategic vision
• Tony Schwartz and The Energy Project — Wave-based performance frameworks
• Brené Brown — "FFTs" and "Day 2" concepts from Dare to Lead

IF THIS EPISODE RESONATED

Share it with one leader who's stuck in their own Day 2 and needs permission to pause.

Subscribe so you don't miss the AMA announcement and the next round of conversations on what authentic, sustainable leadership actually looks like.

CONNECT WITH JESSICA

If you're navigating transitions and need support redefining what progress actually looks like, follow Dr. Jessica Herbert on LinkedIn or Substack to learn about masterminds, group coaching workshops, and one-on-one programs. We don't just talk about patience—we set micro-milestones, experiment, and build tolerance for the timeline without the guilt.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjessicaherbert

Substack: https://asbatracoaching.substack.com/- Join the community for deeper discussions and downloadable worksheets

Leave feedback: Use the thumbs up/down button in your podcast app or comment on Substack

EPISODE CREDITS

Host & Producer: Asbatra Coaching

Episode Length: 14 minutes

EPISODE SUMMARY

You're in the messy middle of transition. You've applied to 50 jobs with no offers. You've tried multiple activities and nothing has clicked yet. You're learning a new role but still feel behind. And it feels like nothing is happening.

But here's the truth: Progress isn't always visible. That doesn't mean it's not happening.

This episode is about recognizing the small wins you've been dismissing. Because small wins aren't consolation prizes—they're how real progress happens. They rebuild confidence. They create momentum. They sustain you when the big win hasn't come yet.

Jessica shares her story of cleaning out a garage in 115-degree Phoenix heat—where some days, getting one bin sorted was a win. After the tenth trip to donation, she finally saw the progress. But if she'd waited for the "after" to feel good about it, she would have missed the small wins that kept her going.

You've been building capacity this whole time. You've navigated extended transitions, rebuilt routine, addressed financial anxiety, broken the comparison noise, and shown up day after day even when nothing felt like it was working. That's not nothing. That's everything.

And now you're ready for Phase 3: Designing What's Next.

RESEARCH & RESOURCES MENTIONED

1. Teresa Amabile (Harvard Business School): The Progress Principle - Single most powerful motivator is progress (even small, incremental). When people feel they're making progress (even small ways), motivation/creativity/engagement increase. When stuck, everything declines. To sustain motivation during difficult uncertain work, make progress visible—notice it, name it, celebrate it.
2. BJ Fogg: Tiny Habits - Small actions compound over time. Success breeds success. Small wins create momentum. Make it easy to win early and often—every small win builds belief (self-efficacy) that you CAN do this. That belief carries you through hard middle.
3. Albert Bandura: Self-Efficacy Research - Self-efficacy = belief in your ability to succeed. Most powerful way to build it: mastery experiences (small successes proving you're capable). In transition, self-efficacy takes hit. Only way to rebuild: small wins—noticing small actions where you showed up, tried, learned, did something hard.
4. The Momentum Principle (Physics) - Objects in motion stay in motion. When stuck, even small movement matters. Small actions break paralysis. Once in motion, staying in motion easier than starting from stillness. Small wins create momentum that carries you forward when motivation fails.

THIS WEEK'S REFLECTION ACTIVITY

Download the Small Wins Tracker & Progress Recognition worksheet

CONNECT WITH JESSICA

If you're navigating an extended transition and need support redefining what progress actually looks like, visit Asbatra.com to learn about one-on-one coaching. We don't just talk about patience—we set micro-milestones, experiment, and build tolerance for the timeline without the guilt.

Website: https://www.asbatra.com/

Substack: https://asbatracoaching.substack.com/- Join the community for deeper discussions and downloadable worksheets

Leave feedback: Use the thumbs up/down button in your podcast app or comment on Substack

EPISODE CREDITS

Host & Producer: Asbatra Coaching

Episode Length: 26 minutes