Have you ever felt like you’re doing everything right—journaling, planning, goal-setting - yet still feel stuck?

In this episode of Work in Progress, performance psychologist and mountain leader Sarah Huntley explores why real growth often doesn’t come from another productivity tool, but from changing your environment and stepping into adventure.

Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, and personal experience, Sarah explains how adventure accelerates clarity, confidence, focus, and performance - especially for busy, ambitious professionals who feel flat, disconnected or stagnant.

If you’re craving momentum, energy, and a genuine reset, this episode will show you why the breakthrough you’re looking for may be just outside your comfort zone.

Key Takeaways:

• Why journaling and planning alone often fail to create real change

• How adventure and time in nature reduce stress and improve mental clarity

• The neuroscience behind novelty, challenge and peak performance

• Why stepping outside your comfort zone builds resilience and confidence

• How shared adventure deepens connection and trust

• Practical ways to use micro-adventures to reset your nervous system

• Why reflection works best after experience - not instead of it

• Adventure calms the nervous system and boosts emotional regulation

• Novel experiences stimulate creativity, motivation, and learning

• Discomfort—when chosen intentionally—drives growth

• You don’t need extreme travel; powerful adventures exist close to home

• Shared challenge builds deeper, more authentic relationships

If 2026 feels like the year you want to go deeper, Sarah is hosting a brand-new adventure and wellbeing retreat in the Cairngorm National Park, Scotland from 28th November -4th December.

Expect:

• Guided hiking in stunning Scottish landscapes

• Cold water immersion in remote lochs and waterfalls

• Breath work and mindset sessions

• Time for reflection, connection, and clarity

• Nourishing, home-cooked food

This retreat is designed for active, curious professionals who want more than a spa break - it’s about wellbeing, adventure and perspective. Spaces are limited and previous retreats have sold out.

Check out the retreat brochure

Join the early-bird booking list (Booking opens 10am on Wednesday 28th January!)

Subscribe to the Work in Progress podcast for weekly conversations on growth, adventure, wellbeing and high performance - and join Sarah next week for a behind-the-scenes look at how to design experiences that create real transformation.

Stay curious. Stay adventurous.