Slumps, Cycles & Pouring Into What Matters

I was stuck.

In a slump.

I’d have these bursts of, “Oh my gosh yes - I’m writing about this next.”

One of those topics being: Own Less. Do More.

Inspired by a tag on the mans yoga mat next to me in class one day, that said exactly that, “Own Less. Do More.”

But here’s the thing.

Until I’m fully living that way, through and through, I can’t honestly and credibly write about it. Not yet and not while in a slump. But don’t worry, it’s coming sooner rather than later.

What I can write about right now with honesty and credibility?

The female cycle.

Because part of my slump wasn’t failure.

It wasn’t lack of discipline.

It wasn’t losing my spark.

It was biology.

We Are Not Linear

We’re taught to perform linearly:

Steady. Consistent. Productive.

But women are cyclical

Linear →
Steady. Predictable. Same output daily.

Cyclical →
Build. Peak. Slow. Reset. Repeat.

Women are Cyclical

Each month we move through four different leadership modes:

One week I was right at the end of my Luteal phase about to be in my Menstrual phase.

The weather also happened to be Cold. Rainy. Just all around a concoction for Low energy.

The slump made sense.

Then my cycle shifted. The sun came out.

And just like that - inspiration sparked again.

Same woman. Different phase.

That awareness grounded me. It reminded me that not every dip is a crisis.

But This Slump Wasn’t Only Hormones

Even after my cycle shifted, something still felt off.

And I’ve learned this about myself over the years:

Adventure fuels me.

Nature fuels me.

People fuel me.

Music fuels me.

When those things combine, especially through travel, something in me comes alive again.

Breaking out of my day-to-day surroundings resets my nervous system in a way nothing else can. A lot of people are like this, especially creatives, entrepreneurs, visionaries, high achievers, leaders.

I realized…

This wasn’t just about hormones.

It was about one of my buckets running low.

The Buckets That Matter

I preach often about not letting your life buckets run dry. For me, one of the most important has always been my relationship bucket.

That includes:

I have never - not once - heard someone at the end of their life say,

“I regret spending too much time with the people I love.”

If anything, I hear the opposite.

“I wish I had more time.”

That perspective shapes how I live.

I am beyond blessed in this season.

Living with my parents while raising my son as a single mother means I see them daily. That is a gift I don’t take lightly. (Don’t get me wrong it comes with challenges as you can imagine.) But overall I focus on the blessing it truly is.

But I miss my siblings. Especially my sister who I see much less than my brother.

She’s far away. Across the country.

And while in this current season of life, my son and I have the time and the means to go see her and my brother-in-law while also immersing ourselves in nature and adventure

Why wouldn’t I?

Why would I delay pouring into a bucket that I know will matter most at the end of my life?

Own Less. Do More.

This month, I caught myself about to put money into cosmetic upgrades on my car.

Things that would change how it looks (dent in the front, busted side mirror luckily not the mirror part, etc.)

But not any changes to its overall functionality.

And I paused.

Because that same money could be a flight.

A flight to sunny San Diego.

To the ocean.

To nature.

To connection.

To companionship.

To energy.

(Keep in mind this IS a this or that scenario, because as a single mom rebuilding, I don’t and sometimes can’t choose both the car repairs AND the plane ticket)

So I booked the trip. Not because I was escaping a slump, not because I was avoiding the responsibility of repairing my car. But because I was honoring what actually fuels me. For life, for leadership, for purpose.

“Own less, do more” isn’t about minimalism for aesthetics.

It’s about choosing experiences over optics.

Connection over cosmetic upgrades.

Fuel over image.

Less polishing what already works.

More investing in what gives life. What life is about.

The Leadership Layer

Understanding my cycle helps me regulate my reactions.

It stops me from spiraling during low-energy weeks.

It helps me know when to push and when to reflect.

But understanding myself - beyond my hormones - matters too.

Leadership begins with self-awareness.

Awareness of your biology.

Awareness of your emotional rhythms.

Awareness of where your energy is coming from and where it’s quietly draining.

Grace Over Force

Sometimes a slump is hormonal.

Sometimes it’s seasonal.

Sometimes it’s a signal.

Grace-based living means discerning which is which.

This month, it meant honoring my cycle.

And it meant acknowledging that one of my life buckets needed intentional refilling.:

Because here’s what I’ve come to believe in my 30s:

It’s not about perfectly balancing every area of life at all times.

It’s about making sure the buckets that matter most to you, are never left unattended long enough to run dry.

Your relationship bucket.

Your adventure bucket.

Your health bucket.

Your purpose bucket.

Your faith bucket.

Your creativity bucket.

Whatever yours are.

Burnout rarely happens overnight.

It happens when we ignore empty buckets for too long.

And fulfillment?

Fulfillment comes from intentionally refilling them before they hit empty.

Lately, I’ve been living in a way where when I lay my head down at night, I can honestly say:

I poured into what mattered today.

That doesn’t mean I did everything.

It means I was attentive.

Intentional.

Aligned.

If I left this earth tomorrow, I wouldn’t measure my life by what I owned.

I would measure it by what I filled.

And my goal isn’t perfection.

It’s simply this

To never let the buckets that give my life meaning sit empty long enough to forget who I am and what life is truly about.

-With Grace & Grit, Kenzie