I have a friend who LOVES April Fool’s jokes…so much so that I have an annual calendar reminder that says, “Don’t trust anything Nadine says today.”

Yep, that’s her real name. I’m calling you out, Nadine! 😉

But this past week the trickster wasn’t Nadine.

So, it was…me.

Or more specifically, my subconscious.

Last week, I wrote a whole love letter to the Universe about wanting to meet my dream business bestie (remember Maeve?). I was high on strawberry matcha, pink velvet chairs, and the magic of “as if” journaling.

And then, two days later, the Universe casually dropped a little invitation in my lap.

I met a woman entrepreneur.

She lives in my city.
She has three kids, similar in ages to mine. JUST like I’d journaled about. 🤯

She even asked to get coffee.

And I haven’t followed up yet. 🙈

Why?

It would be easy to blame my endless to-do list, but if I’m being honest, that’s not the whole story.

I felt it creeping in, the familiar mix of:
“You should be working on your business. The time you spend at coffee could be spent bringing in income to support your family.”

“You should focus on the friends you already have and love instead of only seeing them every 6-8 weeks.”

And just like that, I was busy “should-ing” myself out of what I had asked for.

This is the exact pattern I help women name and gently untangle. I teach workshops and lead coaching sessions on how to spot and shift limiting beliefs—the same tricky thoughts I found myself bumping into.

But knowing doesn’t make me immune.

And once I caught it, I did the thing I’m always encouraging my clients to do first—I paused and peeked under the hood.

Because maybe you’re doing this too, without even realizing it.

You can’t change a limiting belief if you don’t even know it’s there.

So today, I just want to help you catch it in the act: the sneaky little April Fool’s jokes your subconscious pulls all year long. Below are seven signs to keep an eye out for.

And next week, I’ll share what to do once you’ve spotted them. 

But first, I’m going to go schedule that coffee meet-up! #thankyouuniverse

– Nicole

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7 Signs Your Subconscious Might Be Running the Show

1. You stall or delay, even when you (think you) actually want it.
You say you want the thing—a life partner, a promotion, a luxury girls’ trip—and then you ghost it. Suddenly you need to “think about it more” or “wait until things slow down.” You’ll “circle back” after this quarter. This is your subconscious quietly hitting the brakes.

2. You rationalize the resistance.
You hear thoughts like, “You should be grateful for what you have,” or “It’s selfish to spend this on yourself when you could spend it on the family, the kids, or even charity.” It sounds noble. But often, what’s really happening is you’re waiting for someone to hand you permission to want more. (Hint: you don’t need it.)

3. You anticipate disappointment.
Before you even say yes, you find yourself thinking, “What if this coffee date, networking event, interview, or retreat ends up being a waste of time?” Without even noticing, you start pulling back, disengaging, or not even showing up. Avoiding it feels safer than risking letdown.

4. You predict overwhelm before you even begin.
You dream of launching your side project, taking that pottery class, or going on a women’s retreat, but the thought of adding even one more thing feels like too much. Overwhelm shows up before you even take the first step.

5. You downgrade the dream.
You catch yourself saying, “Maybe I don’t need to grow the business this year,” or “It’s fine if I stay in this role another year.” You convince yourself to want less than you actually do. I’ve seen this happen in vision board workshops when women realize they edited their dreams before they even let themselves name them.

6. You fear disappointing people.
“What if I step up for that speaking opportunity and people realize I’m not as smart or capable as they thought?”

“What if I get the promotion and then can’t actually handle it?”

“What if I get the pay raise and my family starts asking to borrow money?”

“What if I finally take time for myself and others see me as selfish?”

Without meaning to, you opt out before giving yourself the chance.

7. You try to control the outcome.
“If I can’t guarantee this turns into my business bestie, dream job, or love of my life, is it even worth the effort?”

Perfectionism loves to dress up as practicality, but spoiler: most of the best things in life don’t come with guarantees.