443. “Rituals are routines with soul.” | Transforming Habits Into Meaningful Change with Dr. Danielle McGeough

Professor, speaker, and transformation strategist Dr. Danielle McGeough joins us to explore a powerful reframe that can reshape the way we plan, work, and show up in our lives. Known for her Rise Ritual Method and her podcast “Plan Goal Plan”, Danielle helps high performers reconnect with their core identities, navigate transitions with clarity, and build intentional practices that support real, sustained growth.

Danielle shares how she spent years building the career she thought she wanted—earning her PhD, securing her dream job, and achieving tenure—only to feel unexpectedly flat and disconnected once she arrived. That realization led her to revisit the research she’d been teaching for years on identity and ritual. By infusing her daily life with intentional sensory-driven rituals rather than automated habits, she rediscovered presence, joy, and meaning in the everyday moments.

She breaks down the full Rise Ritual Method:Reflect, Intentionally Plan, Sensory Activation, and Embody the Story—showing us how to use rituals to enter the states we want to inhabit, whether that’s calm, focus, creativity, or presence with our families. Danielle also shares common pitfalls, the importance of designing multiple “versions” of a ritual, and why flexibility and curiosity matter more than perfection.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway
“What is your current state and what’s your desired state—and what is one small thing you could do, ideally through sensory activation, to move you closer to that desired state?

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more about Dr. Danielle McGeough
• Listen to the Plan Goal Plan podcast
• Connect with Danielle on LinkedIn

Produced by NOVA