Resistance & The New Year | The Real with Sally Luehman
If you’re listening to this episode as it releases, it’s the last week of January 2026—and if January already felt heavy this year, you’re not alone.
Every new year comes with an unspoken pressure: New year. New you. Fix everything. New goals. New habits. New routines. And for many people—new self-doubt.
In this episode of The Real with Sally Luehman, Sally breaks down why resistance shows up so strongly at the beginning of the year and why it has nothing to do with laziness, lack of motivation, or failure. Resistance is part of being human—and if you understand it, it stops running your life.
Sally shares her own experience as a Wisconsin real estate broker-owner, entrepreneur, and coach. After selling over $22 million in real estate in one year, managing a high-performing office, and coaching women in business, she openly talks about the exhaustion that can come after success. You can be proud and still feel uninspired. You can be grateful and still overwhelmed.
Drawing from Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art and Brooke Castillo’s thought model, Sally explains how resistance shows up right before growth:
- When you’re about to change
- When you’re being asked to grow
- When you’re starting to take yourself seriously
Resistance doesn’t shout. It whispers: “I’ll start Monday.” “I need to learn more first.” “Now’s not the right time.”
This isn’t a motivation problem—it’s an untrained brain trying to keep you safe.
Sally challenges the idea that motivation is required to move forward. Motivation is emotional and unreliable—especially in January. Habits, on the other hand, don’t ask how you feel. They move your body first and let your brain catch up.
You’ll hear why small actions beat big declarations, and how momentum comes after action—not before. This episode offers practical examples of what movement really looks like:
- Putting your shoes on
- Sitting at your desk even when you don’t feel ready
- Opening the notebook
- Reading a few pages instead of scrolling
- Taking one step before your brain talks you out of it
Sally also shares personal stories from running a business while sick, navigating burnout, and learning that consistency—not intensity—is what actually changes lives.
The takeaway is simple but powerful: Just knowing resistance exists changes everything.
When you catch yourself avoiding, scrolling, or delaying, you can name it without shame: “Oh—this is resistance.” Then you take one small step anyway.
If January feels heavy, you’re not broken. If you feel resistance, you’re not failing. If you’re moving—even quietly—you’re doing the work.
If you’re ready for support, structure, and real mindset work, Sally invites you to schedule a free coaching session at CoachingWorks.net. Coaching is done via Zoom and designed for women in business, real estate professionals, and entrepreneurs who are ready to stop fighting themselves and start building momentum.
📍 Based in Wisconsin, serving clients nationwide 🎧 Coaching • Mindset • Business • Personal Growth
Listen. Reflect. Take one step. Keep going.
