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 Affirmators! Tarot, written by Suzi Barrett and illustrated by Vikki Chu.
Step 1: Celebrate Your Wins
Pause for a moment:
What’s one thing you accomplished this week—big or small?
Did you finally go to the gym?
Hit your KPIs?
Rested?
This week, I celebrate my parenting because I raised a child who is genuinely thankful for the littlest things. I cranked out four batches of cakes, and I unapologetically rested in jammies, eating chocolate and watching a sappy movie. We harvested our first strawberry!
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: What should you continue in the week ahead?
Two cards came out, the Two of Swords and the Two of Cups. Twos represent choices and balance. Swords are about your mindset, and Cups are about emotions or relationships. What worked well last week for you, especially around these areas? Pausing and asking for clarification when communicating with others stood out last week. For example, my kid asked me to turn out the light, but I heard “good night” and responded “night-ish.” They thought I told them to hush. It would have been easy to get defensive, but they asked for clarification, we figured out the miscommunication, and we had a good laugh.
Challenge: Reflect on the past few days. Did you notice any patterns of misunderstanding or good communication? How can you continue to build trust and understanding with your interactions in the week ahead?
Step 3: Relax, Relate, Release.
This elephant in the Nine of Pentacles looks very happy and is surrounded by abundance. These are volatile and uncertain times. It is okay to be a little scared, but when you make decisions based on fear, you get overwhelmed and lose clarity. I notice that I often think about how things will fail, and I have started intervening by visualizing what would happen when I succeed. What does your self-talk sound like? Do you use loving and compassionate language?
Mini-exercise: Look at the world with child-like awe. Notice all the living things that abound without our intervention. Birds are flying, flowers bloom in sidewalk cracks, and the sun rises without any help. Prime yourself for miracles and practice gratitude.
Step 4: Do it scared!
“Fear is boring – I’d rather be soaring!” – Suzi Barrett. Jiminy Cricket was Pinocchio’s conscience. The Page of Wands is about learning new ways to manage your energy. Last week, I asked you to monitor your energy levels. What did you learn about yourself? I have the most energy early in the morning or after I take a nap. How can you leverage your energy to reduce resistance and make things easier? If you know you get drowsy in the late afternoon, that’s probably not the best time to tackle an in-depth report.
Are your actions aligned with your values? Being misaligned causes stress, leading to burnout and overwhelm. Think before you say “yes” to something. Ask yourself what you are saying “no” to, to do that “yes?”
To recap:
• Reflect on successful actions, especially around communication and interpersonal relationships. Keep doing that.
• Prime yourself for miracles. Practice gratitude and visualize your success.
• Say yes to yourself. Namaste
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!
Picture Descriptions: 4 cards. 1 & 2. Two of Swords: An alligator has its tail wrapped around two swords and is deep in thought. Two of Cups: Two yellow seahorses are holding cups in their tails and have visible hearts, and are surrounded by pink, flowery kelp. 3. Nine of Pentacles: An elephant wearing a top hat is standing on its hind legs playing with all the shiny gold pentacles. 4. A cricket with a bowler hat and black and white dress shoes does a little dance while holding a wand.
