I told you about my need for a break and in relation to last week’s musing, I thought I’d expand a bit more.

As far as taking a break, I had a lot of things to choose from. The abundance of fingers in different pies meant I could pull back a little in a lot of places or a lot in one or two. I chose to pull back a lot in one or two. This meant I really needed to dig deep and plan out how I could achieve success while still prioritizing my own self-care.

One major area happened to be this business. Writing weekly emails, shooting videos, recording podcasts, course content creation, showing up on social media…It was all a lot and I was burning out. I knew I needed a breather and yet I also knew things needed to keep going. So how do I take care of myself while still staying connected and present? I took the challenge to my team. My fabulous, supportive, team. 

Together we came up with a plan. It would be content creation heavy in one month and then super light in the following two. One month to clear my head and find joy and another to address the other responsibilities bearing down upon me.

And yes…I recognize that I chose into these projects. I put them on my own plate. I had been planning some of the heavy projects for quite some time. This also meant I knew they were coming up and the stress of adequately dealing with them and Krystal Jakosky was pushing me past my reserves.

So, what happened? I kicked ass in the preparation stage. I was super proud of myself and Jay was too. I handed everything off to my team and took my month to enjoy life and breathe. And it was great.

Yet, the first meeting back my team was less than happy. There were snags and hiccups. Some I had been present for in meetings and others I was blissfully unaware of. There was fear and concern. Some were above a 3 and others were going with the flow.

It wasn’t supposed to be this difficult and upsetting.It was absolutely an echo of “Biting off more than we could chew.” Agreeing to do something only to find there’s way more to it than initially understood or thought.

So, we had a company chat. People were able to voice fears, frustrations, and concerns. I worked to understand them and they worked to understand me. And you know what came out of it? Compassion and appreciation for the entire situation. We all grew. 

We all agreed to something big. There were bigger hurdles and more challenges than could be anticipated. No one is at fault here. And yet there’s still frustration and upset. Talking about it helped us move that emotion through and out – allowing it to be in motion to release it. 

Recognizing the lack of fault and seeing there was no intention to cause hardship allowed us to release the upset aimed in unhealthy directions. Communication brought clarity. And we were all able to find new solutions to address the problems.

We moved from being stuck in frustration to forward motion through empowerment. The question of,”What can we do?” helped eliminate blockages.

So, perhaps what you agreed to was bigger than you thought it would be. You can absolutely be frustrated and challenged. And then, I encourage you to find a way to progress. Improve. Succeed. 

It may be a difficult conversation for understanding or seeking out additional support. It may be learning a new skill. Regardless, you have the power to navigate your way into smoother, more nurturing waters.

I’m here rooting for you 🙂