Playful Planning: Turning Goals into Joyful Rituals with Danielle McGeough

Have you ever hit a big milestone and thought, “Why do I still feel so empty?”

In this episode of Deeply Rested, I’m joined by Danielle McGeough, PhD—award-winning professor, self-leadership coach, and creator of the Rise Ritual Method—for a heartfelt conversation about what happens when you follow the “right” path… and still feel totally disappointed by life.

Danielle shares her story of reaching tenure as a professor—something she’d worked toward for years—only to find herself deeply unfulfilled. That moment became the catalyst for a completely different way of living and working, one centered on creativity, play, and intentional rituals rather than rigid habits and hustle culture.

We explore how small, meaningful practices can help you feel grounded and connected in your daily life—and how designing your own rituals can be a powerful antidote to anxiety and burnout.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

✨ Danielle’s unexpected emptiness after achieving tenure (03:45)

✨ How to overcome anxiety by designing playful rituals (10:20)

✨ The rise of playful planning: how creativity changes productivity (21:00)

✨ From habit to ritual: adding intention to your routines (30:40)

✨ Practical tips for creating rituals that ground and inspire (40:15)

This episode is for anyone tired of chasing goals that don’t feel good—and ready to infuse their life and business with more meaning, magic, and ease.

To watch the video version of this conversation, check us out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bjiTVx5Ptfc 

Connect with Danielle 

Join Danielle’s free Bold & Balanced Mini-Course and learn the art of saying no. https://plangoalplan.thrivecart.com/bold-and-balanced/

Mentioned in this episode:

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