This is the book for people who are done with their own BS — and done pretending that manifesting is a plan. If you’re at the age where “fine” isn’t cutting it anymore, this is what’s next.
9 Shifts That Make Your Brain Shut Up and Move
Have you ever noticed how life has a weird little talent for handing you the same lesson wearing different pants? I put together 9 of the most practical, no-fluff shifts I’ve used with clients, and on myself, to break that loop. No chanting required.
You’ll also get straight talk, brain-based insights you can use, and the occasional well-timed kick in the ass from Joyce.
A Little About Me
I’m a TEDx speaker, author, and coach (aka “business therapist”) who helps people navigate midlife change when life doesn’t care about their plan. Since 2008, I’ve been teaching brain-based insights behind why smart, capable people stay stuck — and what it actually takes to move.
That TEDx talk challenged thousands to rethink the stories in their heads — and eventually became the first version of Just Another Leap in 2014. This version is what happens when you add a decade of client breakthroughs, hard-won personal clarity, and 61 years of not being done yet — 357 pages of more neuroscience in Layman’s terms, more insight, and zero filter.
I’m known for making the complicated stuff simple… straight talk and humor that helps overthinkers get unstuck without toxic positivity, hustle culture, or pretending that mindset alone fixes everything.
Eventually, your brain stops asking ‘What’s the right choice?’ and starts screaming ‘I can’t keep doing this.’ That’s your sign.
What This Book Is (and Isn’t)
This book isn’t another pep talk (you’ve had enough of those). It’s a permission slip.
You’ve read the books, said the affirmations, burned the sage, filled the journals — and you still knew exactly what you needed to do and didn’t do it. That’s not a willpower problem. That’s a brain problem… damn it.
Just Another Leap is a smart, unfiltered, no-fluff guide for high-achievers, overthinkers, and anyone who feels stuck even though they’ve “done the work.” It’s equal parts brain science and real talk… the kind that explains why you keep getting in your own way, and what to do about it.
You won’t learn about manifesting harder or finding your passion. But you will walk away understanding how your subconscious mind works — the loops, the noise, the habits running quietly in the background — and learning to shift them so you can stop overthinking and start moving.
If your brain won’t shut up, burnout keeps hijacking your momentum, or you’re quietly wondering is this really it? — this book was written for you.
Life Blew Up. Now What?
Are you tired of knowing you need to do something… but every time you sit down to figure out what, you suddenly decide now is the perfect time to reorganize a junk drawer, scroll Instagram, or Google whether mushrooms feel emotions?
Imagine one focused hour to pinpoint what’s keeping you stalled, untangle your next move, and walk away knowing exactly what to do next.
This format exists for one reason: to help you get unstuck quickly… without committing to long-term coaching or a multi-month program.
While You’re Here
Getting unstuck should come with merch. The Midlife Molt and Midlife Rage lines include t-shirts, mugs, unfiltered journals, planners, and affirmation cards if you’re in that weird, beautiful phase of life where everything is changing, and your tolerance for BS is gone.
When the Brain Bus Gets Hijacked
When you’re neck-deep in life—43 group texts, a surprise poster board project, a client with “just one more thing,” and a sink full of dishes you swore you already did—guess which part of your brain is driving the bus? Yep. The amygdala. And what’s not driving? Your prefrontal cortex—the part of your brain that dreams, plans, creates, and imagines new possibilities.
Your prefrontal cortex is the vision-builder. But it needs breathing room. When your nervous system is on high alert, it’s like trying to plan a vacation while standing in the middle of a burning building. Not gonna happen. That’s why we get stuck in the loop. We tell ourselves it’s a productivity issue, or a discipline issue, or that we “just need the right planner”—as if a $38 pastel notebook is going to fix an overcaffeinated, under-supported nervous system. But this is the part we miss… we’re stuck in survival mode.
If you don’t know it’s happening? You can live your whole damn life chasing alligators instead of chasing your dreams.
“Joyce doesn’t just inspire; she bridges the gap between motivation and meaningful action.”
“With sharp humor, grounded neuroscience, and stories that hit close to home, this book feels like a trusted friend telling you the hard truths with love.”
— Rebel Brown, author & CEO of Mind Mastery