Trust the Timing: Why the Lull Is Actually the Gift
In this episode, I talk about:
Why my recent season of "waiting" turned out to be exactly what I needed
The surfing analogy that completely shifted my perspective
The surprising lesson I've been learning around devotion
I'm recording this episode from what will eventually be my office. Boxes are stacked behind me. I'm not dressed up. I'm not in my usual podcast setup.
But I felt so called to get this one out that I didn't want to wait.
Because sometimes the most honest thing you can do is show up exactly where you are, not where you planned to be.
And that, more than anything, is what this episode is about.
We Are Finally In Our New Home
If you listened to last week's episode, you know that I shared a bonus lesson at the end about trusting the timing. I promised I would go deeper this week, and here we are.
We officially moved into our home. Not fully set up. Not perfectly organized. But ours.
And what's been so interesting is that the timeline of getting out of my grandmother's house completely shifted. What was supposed to take the entire month of June got compressed into about ten days. There was a moment where I had a genuine freak-out. Where I felt the pressure of the timeline, the emotions of closing that chapter, all of it at once.
But when I stepped back… I could feel it. There was a reason.
Leaving that door slightly open, even just having our things still there, was keeping something in me from fully moving forward. And the universe, in its own way, said: close it. Now. Completely.
And so we did.
The Lull Between the Waves
Here's what May actually looked like from the inside, because from the outside it probably looked like a lot of momentum.
I had three or four consulting projects that were supposed to kick off. I hosted the Immersion. It was my birthday. We went to Disney. We found out we're having a baby girl. IME kicked off. We closed on our house. And then we moved.
And somewhere in the middle of all of that, I hit a wall.
The consulting projects that were supposed to start in May… hadn't. And that's my financial foundation. With everything else happening, the financial pressure started to creep in. Hard.
I had a session with my hypnotherapist, Kelsey, and she led me through this visualization of surfing. She asked if I'd ever surfed before. I told her just once, when I was eleven or twelve. But I understood the concept.
So we went there. And what she helped me see was this:
I had just finished riding a really incredible wave. And now I was in the lull between waves, waiting for the next one.
Not stuck. Not failing. Just in between.
And when I really sat with that… I realized something. Physically, mentally, emotionally? I was not in a place to take on new projects. I had so much happening that if those consulting commitments had landed on me in the middle of all of it, I would not have been able to show up the way I needed to.
For the Immersion. For IME's kickoff. For my birthday. For finding out we're having a girl. For my body, which eventually screamed at me to slow down after I overdid it.
The lull wasn't a punishment. It was protection.
The Word That Kept Showing Up: Devotion
About ten days after that session with Kelsey, the word devotion came up in our call. And it wasn't a word I typically use. But then something interesting happened.
I was listening to the Jasmine Star Show and clicked on an episode I almost scrolled past, something about high achievers. She had a guest on, Coach Karen, who has a new book out about stepping out of the high-achieving identity and into something more embodied and sustainable.
And inside Coach Karen's framework, one of the letters stood for: devotion.
She talked about how when you devote yourself fully to one thing, it is completely different than splitting yourself across two things at 50%, or three things at 33%.
And I sat there thinking… that's exactly what I'm navigating right now.
I also want to mention: I felt really called to go back and re-read two books that have been coming up for me. The Universe Has Your Back by Gabby Bernstein and The Big Leap. Both of which I've read before, but this season feels like the right time to revisit them. If you haven't read either, I highly recommend them both.
Where I'm Actually Spreading Myself Too Thin
When I sat down and made a list of everything I'm currently doing, I got to eight things.
Now, none of them are massive individual time commitments. But here's what I've learned, and what I teach my clients constantly:
It's not just the hours. It’s the…..
decision fatigue
mental energy of marketing different things
Talking about different things
Seeking people for different things
And when you spread your devotion across eight things, none of them get your whole self.
So I'm doing the work. The same work I do with my IME clients. The same framework I walk the Immersion women through. I'm assessing where I'm actually spending my energy, and I'm simplifying.
Because with four and a half months until Baby Girl arrives, and with a consulting business that needs to be solid and stable for my family, that's where my devotion needs to go. Not equally across everything. Intentionally toward what actually matters most right now.
Trusting the Timing, Even When It's Hard
Here's what I want you to take from all of this:
If you are in a lull right now, that lull might be a gift you haven't recognized yet.
If things are moving slower than you planned, ask yourself: Am I actually in a place to hold what I'm asking for?
Because sometimes the timing isn't late. It's just waiting until you're really ready.
I will share more in a future episode about the actual process I'm walking myself through right now, which is honestly very similar to what I do with my own clients. 30 to 60 days from now, I'll give you an update on where I landed, what I let go of, and what happened when I did.
For now? I'm trusting the timing. I'm in my new home. The door to the last chapter is closing. And I can already feel what's coming next.
Trust that the universe, God, or whatever you believe in has your back. Release the stress of why. Release the frustration of when. And devote yourself fully to what is most important right now, including yourself.
A Quick Update on the Next Immersion
I have some news to share, and honestly? It's the best kind of news, even if it means a change in plans.
The July Immersion has been rescheduled. And it's been rescheduled for the best reason.
The next Immersion will now be happening in May 2027.
I am so excited for what this next one is going to be and I cannot wait to share more as we get closer. In the meantime, the waitlist is officially open.
If you are a woman in business who has been curious about the Immersion experience, who wants to step out of the day-to-day, get clear on your priorities, and be supported by an incredible group of women, get on the waitlist now so you are the first to know when details drop.
Cat Roten
Intuitive Leader & Mentor
If you're in a season where things feel delayed, uncertain, or slower than you'd like, this conversation is your reminder that not everything is meant to happen on your timeline.
Sometimes the pause is part of the plan.
Resources:
Connect on Instagram – @cat.roten
Prefer Video?- Checkout our Youtube channel
Jasmine Star podcast episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jasmine-star-show/id1479619320?i=1000769608341
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks- https://a.co/d/0f3TRWHz
Stay in the Know- https://www.catroten.com/keep-in-touch