What if the way you’ve been setting goals is the exact reason you keep quietly avoiding them?

In this episode, Elyssa breaks down why results-based goals, while logical on the surface, can actually keep high-achieving women stuck, burned out, and disconnected from sustainable momentum. If your motivation spikes around outcomes and then crashes… this isn’t a discipline problem. It’s a nervous system problem.

This conversation will help you understand why outcome fixation keeps your system in fight-or-flight — and how shifting to capacity-based goals creates success that actually lasts.

✔️ Why results-based goals trigger pressure, fear, and burnout ✔️ How outcome fixation ties your worth and safety to performance ✔️ The childhood conditioning that wires high achievers for results-only validation ✔️ Why hustle works… until it doesn’t ✔️ The difference between achieving results and building capacity ✔️ How to create success that’s repeatable, regulated, and sustainable ✔️ What to focus on instead of outcomes to keep momentum alive

00:01 – Why results-based goals quietly block success 01:20 – The hidden cost of outcome fixation 02:15 – How results-based goals keep your nervous system in fight-or-flight 03:45 – Why worth gets tied to performance and perfection 04:34 – Why you’re never “done” when success is results-based 05:40 – Process vs. pressure: who performs better under stress 06:45 – The shift from outcome goals to capacity goals 07:45 – Building your window of tolerance for ease and success 09:00 – Celebrating the journey (even if it feels cheesy) 10:10 – Real-life example: Elyssa’s TEDx journey 11:15 – Who do you need to be to sustain this effort? 12:30 – Measuring effort quality instead of outcomes 13:39 – How to restructure your goals for nervous system safety

✨ 5 Nervous System Hacks You Can Do at Your Desk Quick, science-backed tools to calm your body in under 60 seconds — even in the middle of the workday. 👉 https://elyssasmith.com/reset

Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what’s keeping you stuck and overwhelmed — and get a clear, gentle plan for your next step. 👉 https://elyssasmith.com/focus

A Candid Conversation with Lisa Johnson on Fulfillment, Fear, and Ethical Success

In this episode of Unlock Your Blocks, Elyssa sits down with Lisa Johnson, global business strategist and Sunday Times bestselling author, for a powerful and refreshingly honest conversation about success, nervous system safety, fulfillment, and visibility.

Lisa shares her journey from being $38,000 in debt as a single mom to building a multi–eight-figure business rooted in integrity, simplicity, and impact — without sacrificing her life or values. Together, Elyssa and Lisa unpack why so many high-achieving women still feel unfulfilled even after “making it,” and how comparison, hustle culture, and fear of being seen quietly sabotage growth.

This episode is a must-listen if you’ve ever thought: I have the life I wanted… so why doesn’t it feel good?

✔️ How Lisa went from debt to millions — and why it wasn’t overnight ✔️ Why working harder stops working at higher levels of success ✔️ The hidden self-sabotage that shows up when success starts to feel “too easy” ✔️ How comparison and online noise distort our definition of success ✔️ Why fulfillment matters more than metrics ✔️ What it really takes to build sustainable, ethical wealth ✔️ How to stop fearing visibility, criticism, and being “canceled”

00:00 – Lisa’s underdog story and rise to success 01:48 – From debt, desperation, and the library to business mastery 04:16 – Passive income, breaking income ceilings, and scaling sustainably 08:11 – Self-sabotage when success gets easier 09:31 – Why inner work is the real work of entrepreneurship 13:38 – Fulfillment, grief, and redefining a “life well lived” 17:54 – Fear of visibility, comparison, and internet criticism 20:34 – “Live as if you’ve already been canceled” (mic drop moment) 24:00 – How to define success on your own terms 26:00 – Grounding, regulation, and daily nervous system care 26:49 – What’s next for Lisa and the future of personal brands

✨ 5 Nervous System Tricks You Can Do at Your Desk Designed specifically for high-achieving women who want to calm their body in under 60 seconds — even in the middle of the workday. 👉 Download it here: https://elyssasmith.com/reset

Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what’s keeping you from the balance, clarity, and peace you’ve been craving. This private call is just for women who are ready to stop running on empty and start leading with ease. 👉 https://elyssasmith.com/focus

Let’s stay connected:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/elyssacsmith

💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/elyssacsmith

By the first week of February, 64% of people have already abandoned their goals, and it’s not because they’re lazy, undisciplined, or incapable.

In this episode of Unlock Your Blocks, Elyssa breaks down the real reason consistency falls apart: sprinting instead of building nervous system capacity first.

If you’re tired of going all in, burning out, starting over, and blaming yourself, this episode will change how you approach goals forever.

✔️ Why sprinting is a nervous system survival strategy, not a motivation issue ✔️ How urgency and adrenaline get mistaken for productivity ✔️ Why “go big or go home” guarantees inconsistency ✔️ The real reason high achievers burn out after strong starts ✔️ How results-focused goals trigger nervous system shutdown ✔️ Why falling off the wagon is protection, not failure ✔️ The difference between sympathetic and parasympathetic productivity ✔️ How to build consistency through regulation instead of willpower ✔️ Why slow, gentle progress creates sustained success

✨ 5 Nervous System Tricks You Can Do at Your Desk Designed specifically for high-achieving women who want to calm their body in under 60 seconds — even in the middle of the workday. 👉 Download it here: https://elyssasmith.com/reset

Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what’s keeping you from the balance, clarity, and peace you’ve been craving. This private call is just for women who are ready to stop running on empty and start leading with ease. 👉 https://elyssasmith.com/focus

Let’s stay connected:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/elyssacsmith

💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/elyssacsmith