Hello and welcome to The Aligned Achiever podcast.

I’m your host, Siobhan Barnes, and today we’re diving into a conversation that I think is so relevant for many of us as we are navigating our careers, our leadership and life during uncertain times. 

If you’ve been feeling like 2025 has got off to a rocky start, or it hasn’t quite picked up as you had liked, or you’re wondering how to stay motivated when the world feels pretty heavy at this time, then this episode is for you. Today we are going to be talking about navigating uncertain times, and specifically as we are entering the year of the snake, so by the time this goes live, we will well and truly be in the Lunar New Year of the Snake, which is a beautiful opportunity to really have that fresh start. 

And I’m going to share a little bit about how you know the shift in the DEI space is changing leadership and what that looks like for us as women leaders in our organisations and in our own businesses, as well as how to stay resilient and hopeful even when it feels like things perhaps are going against the grain and we feel like we’re going backwards. And also talking about why pausing is a power move, not a sign of failure.

So The Pause Retreat is something that I spoke about briefly at the end of December and into the new year, and it was such a beautiful event. And I thought I would share a little bit about that here, because I was really blown away by the power of the pause for all of the participants who came along. 

And so I wanted to start with that actually, as we’re talking about navigating during uncertain times, and how in the year of the snake, we want to stay resilient. Because I think that when you are able to take a pause, that just gives you an opportunity to step back, to hit reset and to create a plan for what’s next, not just from a I’ve got to get all this stuff done, kind of energy, but from a really grounded and intentional place where you’ve really prioritised what matters. So more on that later, but for now, let’s get on to today’s conversation.

So if you’re listening to this episode in February 2025 you might be feeling like the year is just about getting started. I know, for us here in Hong Kong, we’ve had a few days of the Lunar New Year already, and we’re getting back into work. And in many ways, the Lunar New Year for me at least feels like the real start of the year. You know, the Gregorian calendar kicked things off with the new year on January 1. But you know, with the Lunar New Year, the Chinese traditions, it really follows the cycles of the moon, and we’ve just begun a new lunar cycle, and with it, we are entering into the year of the snake. So I want to pause on that for a moment, because there’s something very powerful here. 

The lunar calendar is based on the moon, which represents feminine energy, intuition, flow, cycles, magnetism. The Gregorian calendar, well, it’s more masculine, and it’s like straight lines, structure, logic. And it was created based on what makes the most logical sense. 

Now, when I talk about feminine and masculine. I’m not talking about female and male. I’m talking about these energetic poles that we can very much have both of within us. So neither is bad. 

You know, we’ve been conditioned to push, rush and force things from a more traditional masculine energy perspective. And what if instead, we allowed ourselves to pause and trust the timing of our path and flowed more into that feminine energy, which is about flow and cycles? For me, I know that I’ve been on my own journey with spirituality, which I haven’t spoken about much on this podcast, because I have very much come from that thinking and conditioning that you know the masculine is the way. And what I will say is that when I have been running my own experiment as to how I work best, I know that when I have structure and a plan to get things done, but allow time for the pauses, work in sync with my cycle and going with the flow, a lot more can happen more quickly without me having to push and hustle. 

So there really is something here in introducing some of that feminine energy into the way we work and the way that we live. 

Now for the Lunar New Year that we’re entering into, it’s the Year of the Snake, and the snake teaches us, you know, wisdom, transformation and shedding old layers. So instead of rushing into this Lunar New Year, this year, at least for me, I know, it’s really about intentional, courageous action. 

So if you’re feeling a little unclear about what’s next, that’s okay. This is your invitation to slow down and to trust your inner knowing. 

And for those of you who attended the retreat, you know that I’m a really big fan of dropping into the body and noticing what’s there, because all of that wisdom truly is inside of you. It’s just sometimes we don’t know how to access that and we don’t know how to pause to really understand where we’re going next. 

So my question for you, as we’re entering into this Lunar New Year of the Snake is to ask yourself, what old patterns or beliefs are you ready to release this year? If you embody that energy of the snake and that symbology of the snake and shedding skin, what do you want to let go of? What do you no longer want to do anymore? Do you want to let go of rushing, stressing, prioritising everybody else? What is it that you want to let go of, and underneath that, maybe you want to let go of those fears, those beliefs of, I’m not good enough, I have to help people and like looking after myself as selfish, etc.

I invite you to take a moment to really think about what you’re releasing as we enter this new Lunar New Year. Now, this idea of trusting cycles, instead of forcing outcomes ties into something that I feel really deeply about, which is a more balanced sense of leadership, which encompasses more of these feminine qualities. And again, I want to be really clear feminine leadership isn’t about gender. It’s about a way of leading and some of the qualities that you can bring to your leadership. 

So I believe that leadership can have many different flavours, right, and many different archetypes. And we’ve been taught that leadership looks like, well, at least like this is from my background and my understanding, you know, pushing through, being the loudest in the room, achieving at all costs, dictating what needs to be done. But I believe that true leadership, which actually has some of these more feminine qualities, includes things like intuition, listening before acting, collaboration, actually getting a sense of who’s in the room, hearing these diverse perspectives instead of competing and having to be right. And also about adaptability, so flowing with change rather than resisting it. 

In today’s world, embracing both these masculine and feminine energies is key. Again, I’m not saying we want to throw everything out and just you know, see how we feel and feel our way into how we’re going to move forward. No, what I’m saying is that we need to bring some feminine energy into leadership, and that will make such a big difference.

And for those of you who are really interested in this particular topic, I did a wonderful interview with Dr Bonnie Hayden Cheng on her book The Return on Kindness and I’ll pop a link to that in the show notes, because I think in her book, she really breaks down the perception of what kind leadership is and how it’s weaker and not as strong, not as powerful, not as productive, right? Like less ROI, but she really makes a case for it in her book. So I will link to that in the show notes, which you can come on over to siobhanbarnes.com/123, to access. 

So going forward this year, I invite you to think about those feminine leadership qualities and how perhaps, if they feel true to you, you might start to incorporate that into how you show up at work and how you decide to show up for yourself. So those qualities, just a quick reminder, are listening before acting, collaboration instead of competing, adaptability, flowing with change rather than resisting it. 

Now, obviously, at the time of recording, we are into the new era of, you know, Trump and DEI is getting quite a hit in the press, in terms of its importance. And companies are changing how they approach DEI. Some are doubling down and making systemic change, while others are pulling back massively, whether that’s due to political pushback or just wanting to do that. 

So if you work in an organisation, you might have felt this first hand, and I just want to say, I see you, that’s challenging.

And the question is, how do we keep pushing for change without the burnout? 

So for me, I am a big proponent of DEI initiatives. I think there’s certainly some ways that we can improve how we go about it within organisations. For me, I feel really passionate about it because I’ve been working with women individually, to be able to shatter their own glass ceilings at work or have the courage to follow their own paths. And sometimes the culture and the stories I hear of the environment that they’re in is just not conducive to allow them to progress. And so that’s why I have a real heart for ensuring that corporate culture moves in that direction of inclusion, not just for women, but for everyone.

And I truly believe, deep down in my bones, that a more inclusive culture makes for a healthier workplace, which makes for more productivity, which allows greater innovation and a lot of good things. 

So how do we keep pushing for inclusivity when things seem to be going in the wrong direction? 

Well, there are three things that I recommend to keep you going. 

So the first is, play the long game. Change doesn’t happen overnight. Small, consistent actions matter. So okay, company policies may change, or, you know, you might find that your organisation is going backwards. You do what you can do in a small, consistent manner, and just know that, you know it’s small is better than nothing.

And the second point I’ll say is like, find your lane. So what is your unique role in creating a more inclusive world? Maybe it’s harder to do at work, but maybe you can do something with your kids in terms of how you educate and teach them and parent them. Maybe there’s a talk you can do at your kid’s school which really embodies these principles of inclusivity and at the same time. 

The third thing I want to share is like, you’ve got to take care of yourself in the process, you cannot pour from an empty cup. So looking after yourself and making sure you’re taken care of is really important. Because what I see is that these heart centered women who want to make a difference, and men as well, they can burn themselves out. And there can be a feeling of depletion, a feeling of like I’m doing this and nobody listens, which can ultimately lead to feeling angry and very bitter and feeling like a martyr, and that’s not what you want. 

So full permission to pause, reflect, recharge. 

Know that actually maybe opting out for a little while to regain your energy, that’s okay, too. So those are the three tips that I have as we are navigating, you know, DEI in a post Trump era. And it really does speak to the next point that I want to make, which is the power of the pause, taking a moment to reset for what’s next. 

The pause is so important in a world that glorifies hustle culture, we’re not taught how to pause and reset. But here’s the truth. Clarity comes after the pause, not before. When you slow down, you can actually speed up in the right direction, and pausing allows you to shed what no longer serves you and create space for what’s next. 

That’s why my partner, Elaine Champion and I created The Pause Retreat here in Hong Kong, which, by the way, we will be running again in the middle of the year. So if you are in Hong Kong, or you’re in the vicinity, or you want to come and fly out, I’ll pop a link to that in the show notes, and you can put your name on our retreat waitlist, so that you can really plan and experience this first hand, like how powerful a pause is, because this really is an opportunity for professional women like you to step back, reflect and realign with what truly matters. 

And taking a break isn’t a weakness, it’s wisdom. And for those of you listening are like, yep, I went to the retreat already, this isn’t one and done, right? Like we need to keep coming back and keep doing this and hitting reset, so you are more than welcome to rejoin us. 

So I will pop a link, as I said, into the waitlist, and you can pop your name there, so you can get access to all the early bird juiciness when we’re ready to go live. 

So the power of the pause is really, really important. And I want you to know that as you enter into the ear of the snake, this is something I encourage you to lean into as you’re beginning to shift into this Lunar New Year. Take a moment to think about, as I said, that question, what are you letting go of? 

And secondly, I invite you to think about how you are viewing these current times, perhaps this uncertainty, as for many of us, I think we can see it as a threat, but what if we see this as an opportunity? So staying open, adopting that growth mindset, to see it as an opportunity, and then from there, taking micro actions like small tangible steps, rather than fixing everything at once. 

And the final thing I’ll say is, please remember as you go into this Lunar New Year and you’re dealing with uncertainty, unknown, and you need to build your resilience, remember the practices that can support you. 

I’m a huge proponent of embodiment work, which is what I weave in with my clients, where we can actually do some of that regulation work together, but find what helps you move your body. It might be breath work, it might be dance, it might be a walk, just to help you process emotions and regain clarity and resilience as we move into 2025. 

It isn’t about ignoring reality. It’s about navigating it with intention. And if you feel like you need personal support on that, then again, come on over to the show notes siobhanbarnes.com/au/123 and you’re very welcome to book a call with me to see how I might be able to support you in navigating that going forward. 

All right, let’s bring this to a wrap as we move into this new Lunar New Year, the year of the snake, let’s embrace the energy of letting go of what no longer serves you, trusting your inner wisdom and taking intentional, strategic steps forward and remembering that whilst the world can be doing its own thing, you can show up to what’s in front of you and do what’s in your lane. 

Thank you so much for tuning in. 

If this episode resonated with you, I invite you to please share it with a friend. If you’re connected with me on Instagram or LinkedIn, send me your thoughts. Send me a DM. I’m always happy to connect over there. And if you want to learn more about The Pause Retreat or get one on one, support, like I said, come on over to the show notes at siobhanbarnes.com.au/123 , to have all the links and the information to do that.

 So thank you so much for being here. I appreciate you. I will see you in the next episode, and before we wrap, please remember you are here for a reason beyond merely hustling, grinding and merely surviving. 

You matter.