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 Rider Waite Tarot deck by Arthur Edward Waite, illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith, and published by Rider.
Step 1: Celebrate Your Wins
Pause for a moment:
What’s one thing you accomplished this week—big or small?
Did you make your kids' eyes light up?
Make the best Swedish meatballs ever?
Updated your resume?
This week, I completed the homework I mentioned last week. I also made some tweaks to my profile. I walked every day.
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: Discomfort will not kill you
Some days it feels like you are snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, as Charles Fair once wrote. Maybe you are starting the week on a massive mess-up. It’s hard to build your confidence and stay motivated after a setback. I did complete my homework, but I have found every excuse not to complete the next step. Even someone who helps others overcome overwhelm can hit a roadblock.
Challenge: Stretch. You will quickly discover the limits of your muscles or range of motion. I tried out some old ballet moves and was shocked at how quickly my toes cramped. You can lean your head back. If you are frequently on your phone, this may be a little difficult. Hold the stretch for at least thirty seconds. You should feel resistance, but stop if you feel pain. How do you feel after the stretch? Are there other ways that you can stretch emotionally or mentally?
Step 3: Failure is Learning
You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to be perfect. Making mistakes is part of the process. I’m realizing that my perfectionist tendencies are holding me back. This week is Kwanzaa. I don’t have a kinara, but I do reflect on the principles daily. I’m working on my signature offer and am acting as if having an idea will land me in jail.
Mini-exercise: Journal about a recent failure. What did you learn? If you had to do it differently, what would you change? What would a cat do? Understanding our role in the outcome helps empower you to shape your next step.
Step 4: Hold On to Your Vision But Hold it Loosely
Remember your purpose. Avoidance or Rest? It’s a fine line. In Change Management, we help people to reflect on the threats and opportunities that result from change. When you have a mishap, remember your why. I just watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” for the first time. Change does not happen in a vacuum. Our actions ripple outward, impacting our community. We often try to change things that are beyond our control. This results in wasted time and energy.
Are you okay? Imagine running a race with a giant monkey on your back. Now try to carry someone else. You would probably stumble from the weight. We bring our feelings and mindset on our metaphorical shoulders. You don’t notice the load until you stumble. Failure, like pain, informs you. It’s easy to focus on external issues instead of our inner discomfort. I am afraid of failing in front of everyone. Me? The same person who purposely wore their clothes inside out for a presentation. Me? Who dressed up like Mary Poppins for a bit. Sometimes, our perception of the situation is what increases the order of magnitude. What mindsets are you carrying? Do you need to put them down?
Step 5: Get Back on the Horse
So you failed. You care. Maybe if it impacted other people, they would care. And then what? Are you all going to sit around pointing figures? We don’t have a magic wand to bibbity bobbity boo ourselves out of this situation. Get up. If your metaphorical fall resulted in injury, rest. Reflect on what happened and get back on the horse. Maybe you need to check that the saddle is tied correctly. Perhaps you need to stretch to prevent the next fall. The horse is going to move with or without you. Will you be there to guide and shape the change you want to see? The process is not always glamorous. Sometimes you need to “lock in,” as the kids say. Are you ready to saddle up and get back on the horse?
To recap:
• Discomfort is a temporary state
• Practice stretching outside of your comfort zone
• Failure is a teacher
• Remember your why
• Get the monkey off your back
• Get back on the horse
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 Description: A collage of 5 cards. 8 of wands reversed – eight staffs flying together at a diagonal, 9 of wands reversed – A weary man with his injured head wrapped using a staff for support surrounded by upright staffs, Knight of Cups – An armored knight on a pale horse holding a cup, 2 of cups reversed – a couple holding cups with a caduceus above with a lion head, The Emperor Reversed – an armored ruler sitting on a stone throne wearing red robes over the armor and holding an ankh sceptre
