Hi, friends 👋🏽. I’m Stacy Casson, Chief Play Officer at Things to Think About, LLC. With over twenty years of continuous improvement experience, I’ve learned to stay calm in a crisis—unless you’re that jerk in the white Tesla who doesn’t understand how indicators work. Get ready with me!
Is your calendar packed to the gills? Are you constantly double or triple-booked? Do you groan when your alarm goes off? You don’t have to face the overwhelm alone. I write this blog to help us get ready for the week ahead. As Dan Martell says, “A problem well defined is a problem half-solved.”
This week, we will seek inspiration from The Light Seer’s Tarot by Chris-Anne.
Step 1: Celebrate Your Wins
Pause for a moment:
What’s one thing you accomplished this week—big or small?
Did you make the winning play?
Catch up with a friend?
Beat your personal best?
This week, I conducted a successful Overwhelm Session. I also finalized a project and got out of my comfort zone by networking.
Drop your win in the comments or share it with a friend! Now, let’s proactively plan for the week ahead to set ourselves up for success and reduce overwhelm.
Step 2: Nothing Changes Until You Change
Do you struggle with team dynamics? Do you find it easier to do it yourself? You may be missing out on growth. Working with others can be challenging, and there may be bumps in the road, but it can increase your perspective. Going it alone increases your chances of being in an echo chamber. What are you afraid of? Facing your discomfort can expand your horizons.
Challenge: Interact with others. You can join a group or comment on a post. Speak to someone with a different viewpoint. What did you learn from this exercise?
Step 3: New Attitude
My kids and I tried a variation of this game we like to play. I did not immediately grasp it. If I don’t try it again, I will not learn this new skill. It will help me improve my spatial perception. We played the next round the old way, mainly because we did not want to have to think. However, we all want to grow, so we plan to try the variation again. Playing it safe can also prevent your team from developing. It’s like using a checkers strategy to play chess.
Mini-exercise: Increase the difficulty of something you do regularly. You can set a time limit or engage in a friendly competition. I’m going to challenge one of my LinkedIn connections who regularly does better on the games.
Step 4: Embrace change
Change can be scary. Full disclosure, I am avoiding something that makes me nervous. I haven’t started it, and I feel that I’m under attack. Part of the reason is that it's outside my comfort zone. I need to build new relationships and am envisioning the worst-case scenarios.
Overcoming resistance. A few weeks ago, I planted a garden in the dark during one of my bouts of insomnia. Now I am enjoying strawberries, basil, and the peppers are already as tall as their support system. It wasn’t a case of “Just Do It.” I had the soil for about a month. If I didn’t plant my crops, they would die. If I don’t do this exercise, I will not die, but I may very well kill my dreams. There is a season for everything. Nothing will change, unless I change. Help me hold myself accountable. Ask me if I did my homework. Find something that scares you more than the change.
To recap:
• You go further with others than alone.
• Challenging yourself helps you to grow.
• Try new things.
• Do it scared.
Need a Little Extra Support?
If you’re finding it tough to carve out time for yourself or need a reset, I offer Calm Down Sessions designed to help you get the headspace you deserve. Sometimes, a quick chat is all it takes to get back on track.
Ready to tackle your overwhelm? Let me know what’s happening, and we can schedule a brief call to brainstorm solutions together. Book Now: https://calendly.com/thingstothinkabout/calm-down
What did you learn this week? What is one thing you need to release? Drop your thoughts in the comments or send me a message—I’d love to cheer you on!
Cards used: 5 of Wands, The Moon Reversed, the Emperor, 8 of Wands, 3 of Cups, Knight of Pentacles. You can view them on the author’s site: https://lightseerstarot.com/
