Contemplating Life’s Choices

Welcome, friends.

My name is Heather Motogawa-MacDonald (she/her) and Contemplating Life’s Choices is a community for women who feel stuck doing “all the things” and want to change but are afraid of how the change will impact others. We curate shared experiences so we can stop overthinking and start delegating or declining things until we feel grounded, supported, and not alone.

Don’t let 2026 end without making time for you.

I went through burnout once at the end of 2024 and found myself in it again in 2026. The things I discovered along the way have helped me continue to work through but sometimes knowing the information isn’t enough.

Burnout, making a career pivot, or realizing you’re tired of doing “all the things” all alone don’t always require more information or contemplation. Sometimes we know the next action we want to take but we get stuck in fear of what the change will mean for us and for those we love and care for.

What if I change careers and I fail or don’t make enough money? Will my kids quality of life suffer or will they have to give up because I needed a change?
What if I change companies/departments/managers and I’m still burned out? Does that mean it really is me and that I’m the failure?
What if I ask for help and people refuse to help me or assume I’m just not capable of handling what others can? Will my team and peers roll their eyes and think I’m trying to get them to do my job?
Will my kids feel I love them less if I ask them to do more around the house or for themselves?
Will my spouse/partner not help if I ask or will they do a bad job leaving me to do the work anyway?

If you, like me, are an over-thinker I know you’ve already played out the scenarios in your head.

You’ve thought about all the options about how YOU could change, do something different, or just take on more.
You’ve told yourself I’ll change jobs when we have more savings or after this next review cycle because you might as well stay for that bonus you’ve earned even if it’s always disappointing.
You’ve chose to keep doing “all the things” for your kids because acts of service is your love language and a part of you doesn’t mind being the one they depend on.
You’ve stoped asking for help because the job done was never “good enough” but was it really not good enough or was it ok if it was done differently from how you would do it?

In life, sometimes we do need more information to make better decisions. If we don’t know something, haven’t experienced it, or no one in our circle has gone through it sometimes picking up the book, listening to the podcast, or running the pros/cons list is exactly what you need.

But what if you’re the person who knows how to make a strategy and a plan. What if you’ve done hours of research and know what the science says? What if you’ve ran the pros and cons, the budget, consulted your friends, and even invested in a coach or therapist for professional support? Maybe you even have permission from your partner and your kids to pursue your dream but you’re still stuck in your head…

For some women the answer isn’t more info it’s how to navigate the change from where you are to where you want to be in a way that works for both you AND the people you love and care for that may be impacted by your actions.

The conscientiousness many women develop that brings the most beautiful empathy, nurturing, and care for others into the world can be the exact thing that keeps us stuck in toxic jobs/relationships, that keep us putting off our dreams for the future when the kids are grown, or that allows us to deprioritize ourselves for the sake of keeping the peace or ensuring you’ve done “all the things” for everyone else first.

If you’re tired of feeling stuck in over-thinking, putting yourself last, or waiting for a “better” time the community we’re building is for you.

This isn’t a “new year/new me” approach where you flip your life over and center yourself in everything, always.
This isn’t a “lean in” and keep trying to fit yourself into the systems that were never designed for you
This isn’t giving up the beautiful parts of you that want to continue to nurture, care for, and support others so you can “girl boss” your way to financial freedom or “rise and grind” yourself to millions.

None of those things are inherently bad. If that’s what you want.

For the women I talk to, we want to continue to be our best selves for our kids, our families and friends, and in our work AND we know that we can’t keep saying no to ourselves and make it to retirement or the kids moving out to nurture ourselves.

We’re co-creating this community for:

high-achieving women and mothers who are ready to stop doing “all the things” all alone
women who want to feel grounded, supported, and connected both to themselves and within a community
mid/senior leaders who want to stop being the bandaid to their companies disfunction
folks who live in ways that acknowledge equity, collaboration, and interconnectedness

Our community will provide experiences to learn from and be supported by other women just like you. You’ll also have space for creativity, yoga practices, and finding your way back to yourself.

Sometimes you need more information. Other times you need to learn how to use your inner wisdom and take action so you can move forward. This community is purpose built for the woman who deep down knows her next steps but wants the support and space to take action to change her life in the ways that work for her and those she loves.

If this is you, connect with me on LinkedIn and subscribe to my newsletter for actionable career insights, contemplation tips, and accessible yoga practices you can integrate into your day without having to dedicate hours to a practice.

If you are someone with the ability to bring in paid speakers or workshops at your company or you host a podcast and are looking for guests like me check out my Media page for more details and to book for 2027.

Pieces of me…

Aquarius Sun | Pisces Moon | Virgo Rising
wife | mom | pet parent

My family centers my work and brings me joy

I was part of the inaugural cohort of the Embrace Change Coaching Certification program

💖 ICF certified coach training program facilitated by ICF certified BIPOC coaches for BIPOC folks

🪷 Bringing our unique strengths, perspectives, and lived experiences to the practice of coaching

🧘🏻‍♀️ Creating inclusive, supportive, and empowering spaces that center people of color to foster growth

🕉 I chose this program to ensure my coaching practice would have a foundation in inclusion and equity for the clients I serve

Dog: Cookie (German Shepherd)
Cats: Minx – RIP 2025 (Siamese), Marshmallow, and S’mores (Calico)

I am 200-hour yoga instructor certified through the Bodhi Yoga Center in Provo, UT. The comprehensive training includes:

💪 BodhiFlow (vinyasa/power yoga styles & sequencing)

💖 BodhiYin (restorative styles & sequencing)

🧘‍♀️ BodhiSpin (chakra styles with kundalini style sequencing)

🕉 12 systems of the body, anatomy/emotions of yoga movement, sanskrit, yoga chant, ayurveda, body awareness (Bodhi Yoga’s Natural Progression), hands-on-adjusting (Thai Partner Yoga techniques), pre-natal/kids yoga, therapeutic yoga, and private sessions.