You don’t have to do it all right now

TL;DR:
I swapped pressure for presence.
Put my “not now” children’s book idea back on the table.
And remembered you don’t have to do it all today, leave space for what matters (and sometimes for “just because”).

It’s just after nine in the morning.
I’m at the pool, sun on my skin, watching my kids jump in and out, diving for sinkies.

And I’m writing this email right here; just my phone, the Notes app, and the occasional voice note when my thumbs get tired. Honestly, I get more done this way sometimes than when I’m sitting in front of my computer with twelve tabs open.

Lately, I’ve been making more of these kinds of choices.
Ya know… the simple, intentional ones.
Like choosing the pool over my inbox on a Tuesday morning.
Like actually watching my kids play instead of keeping half an eye on them while my brain is ten tabs deep somewhere else.

The interesting thing is… the more intentional I’ve been with my time and presence, the more I’ve noticed their behavior shift too.
I’m not jumping in to fix every mood or reaction.
I’m not reading their every emotion as a reflection of me.
I’m just… here.

And somewhere in all of that stillness, this idea that’s been sitting in my “not now” file for three years started tugging at me again.

It’s a children’s book series that I originally thought would just be a single book. I put it away because I figured, when the timing is right, I’ll pull it back out.
But if I’m honest, I also buried it under pressure.

For the past year, I had all my focus wrapped around retreats, specifically, veteran retreats. I was trying to push a mountain I didn’t need to be climbing yet. And the weight of that pressure? It was suffocating my creativity.

So I moved things around. I gave myself permission to not force the retreats right now, not because I don’t care. But because I care enough to do them when they can actually flow.

And I reminded myself of something we forget way too often:
If it’s not now, it doesn’t mean it’s never. (tell this to your subconscious NOW).

That one sentence calmed my whole body.
Because when something is truly meant to happen, it will, and you won’t have to break yourself to make it real.

Once I cleared that mental space, the books practically walked themselves back into my mind. The vision came rushing in, a series that teaches kids about the messy, in‑between feelings no one ever explains. Not the usual “be courageous” or “stop being jealous” stuff… the real, middle‑ground human experiences that end up shaping how we see ourselves and others. 🫶🏼

And this time, instead of filing it away again, I said yes.
Because the timing feels like it’s choosing me, not the other way around.

Now, before you picture me floating through some blissed‑out flow state, let me tell you about last night.

I stayed up until 2 a.m. binge‑watching a show.
I knew my hormones would’ve preferred I went to bed earlier.
I knew my nervous system would thank me for it.

And I still stayed up. (woops)

Not in self‑sabotage or some type of “poor mindset.”
Just because I wanted to.

I woke up, went to the pool, and kept going with my day.
Because I can hold myself accountable without turning every choice into a morality test.

That’s the balance I’m finding lately…
Being intentional without making it another rigid rule to live under.
Letting “not now” be a decision instead of a death sentence.
Choosing what matters… and sometimes choosing just because.

Maybe you need that reminder too. 😉

Somewhere between the 2 a.m. TV binges and the sun‑soaked mornings at the pool, I’ve realized, life doesn’t live in the perfectly planned days.
It’s not hiding in your most optimized, productive moments.

It’s in the space you leave for yourself to just be here.

👽 💚
Danielle

When you’re ready, here’s where we can go deeper together:

1. Authentic Evolution — The starting point. My full lifetime program for awakening your truest self and seeing life through a whole new lens: https://authenticevolution.net/authentic-evolution-program/