I went iceskating yesterday and it's been years! I had the best time!! But, as I was observing others, it was interesting to see the different reactions that people had to falling, trying something new, and the overall experience. This made me think about 'failure' and giving up and how often people put themselves in smaller and smaller confinements due to not excelling at something right away. 🌱 Overcoming Failure (When “I’m Not Good at This” Makes You Want to Quit) What’s really happening:When we fail early, the brain often interprets it as evidence rather than information. Psychologically, this is fixed mindset thinking which is the belief that ability is static instead of built. Add in negativity bias (we weigh failure more heavily than success), and quitting can feel like self-protection rather than avoidance. We've talked about both of these principles in the past. Why quitting feels so tempting: -Early attempts are supposed to be awkward, but we mistake that discomfort for incompetence and apply negative labels to ourselves. -Comparison kicks in, ignoring the invisible practice behind others’ skill (this is so hard not to do when we see others--instead of feeling encouraged and inspired, we feel defeated) -Our brains crave certainty, and quitting gives fast relief from frustration (a little dopamine hit and we reinforce a cylce of avoidance--we talked about this in the past in relation to avoidance before) How to keep going anyway: **Reframe failure as data → ask “What did this teach me?” instead of “What does this say about me?” Engage from a place of curiosity! **Expect the learning curve → struggle can be a sign of growth--discomfort/growing pain is different than pain that is damaging--start learning the difference. **Decouple identity from performance → doing poorly does not mean being incapable. Start embracing "imposter syndrome"....we're all imposters when we're doing something new/something different; when we're learning **Commit to reps, not results → we improve our skill through repeated exposure...this is how confidence is built as well-->waiting for confidence to build up to take action is usually not the way to go. Do it and do it scared. :)

@Emil Moldovan did a post in his own group about this very topic a while back and I thought it would be a neat way to learn more about the individuals in this community :) Names are often the first thing given to us before we have any say in who we are--they're chosen by family, culture, traditions, hope. Sometimes they carry expectation, history, or a meaning that we later grow into. They can reflect lineage, faith, resilience, or values.They can also hold stories that were never ours to choose. Then, we live. And the name ends up being a reflection of our own experiences, how we show up in the world..They can hold a power that we don't anticipate. Some questions: 1. How did you obtain your name--what's the history behind it? 2. Does your name mean something? 3. Do you have a nickname and how did you get it? 4. What do you want your name to stand for? Poll:

This post is a repeat from my early days here, but I needed the ease and the push to get going aaaaand most of you guys haven't seen it, so here you go! :) Productivity is the measure of how effectively we use our time, energy, and resources to achieve desired outcomes. It’s not just about doing more,it’s about doing what matters most with efficiency and balance. It's also about cutting off energy leaks.. (though.....we tend to think that it IS about doing more and often feel "not good enough" when we are not). I would like to get A LOT of stuff done over this weekened but iI have some mental energy leaks getting in the way. Types of Productivity - Economic / Workplace Productivity - Personal Productivity - Employee Productivity - Creative Productivity - Knowledge Productivity - Social Productivity Productivity Insights from Research (and it's not just about discipline) - 🧠Studies show that short, focused work interval (like the 25-minute Pomodoro Technique) boost task completion, sustain focus, and help prevent burnout. This method aligns with our brain’s attention rhythms and even leverages motivation through “small wins”. Yay dopamine!!!! - 🕑Timing breaks strategically matter: taking breaks every ~90 minutes or using patterns like the “75/33” work-rest cycle helps maintain peak performance and combat screen fatigue. BUT, play around with thi - Consider micro-breaks of under 10 minutes (a quick stretch, walk, or just stepping away) can uplift energy levels by around 60% and improve overall well-being. I agree with this BUT at the same time someitmes a work flow interruption really ends up being just that and it can be hard to return. Make this break something that won't completely distract you from your flow. - ******The problem often isn’t discipline----->it’s cognitive overload. Modern productivity tools and multitasking demands can exhaust our brains, making rest and intentionality the smartest productivity strategy... It's not about pushing harder, it's about working smarter.

A lot of stress can come from putting energy in the wrong places--in places that either don't require our presence or in places that we don't /can't control and not really manage. We think about the future (which isn't here yet, btw) and we try to control it. Controlling something that doesn't yet exist is fascinating. Maybe we can try influencing instead or responding when it's here. What's in your control? Your choices, effort, boundaries, words, and how you respond. (but even these can be influenced by other factors outside of your 'control') Outside your control:Other people’s reactions, past events, timing, and outcomes (We fool ourselves into thinking that outcomes are in our control, but, again, there are other variables that can play a role in this) Within your influence:The tone you bring, the environment you help shape, how clearly you communicate, and the consistency of your actions. Growth happens when we stop trying to control outcomes and start taking responsibility for our responses. Questions to ponder: Where might your energy work better if it shifted from control to influence? Where have I had a difficult time letting go? What did you feel like when you finally accepted something and let go? Poll: How do I approach control?How do I respond when things feel uncertain?

Caught myself doing some 'should'ing this morning and it got me in a mildly frustrated and disappointed state. To the point where I said, "The bar is in hell and people still can't clear it" (cue in spotify playlist of 'the bar is in hell'. haha) BUT, this time it was more as a joke whereas in the past, this would have sunk me for quite some time. I'm chillin' today. Aaaaaaaanyways, lot of unnecessary stress comes from one small word: should (and it's close relatives-musts and oughts). These sound productive but the "tyranny of the shoulds" is just that. Tyrannical. It's language that creates negative pressure, shame, resentment, and chronic disappointment. Leads to a 'should'y life. Why “should” backfires Psychologically, “shoulds” turn preferences into rigid demands. When reality does not match the demand, the result is frustration, resentment, or criticism. When we “should” ourselves, we imply that our current state is unacceptable and we demand perfection..When we “should” others, we create expectations without consent, expect mindreading and for them to be the exact same as you. Both almost always guarantee disappointment when reality fails to comply to our subjective rules. Over time, this mindset activates threat based stress responses rather than growth based motivation. **We stop responding to what is actually happening and start reacting to what we believe ought to be happening. Reality loses every time and it sucks the life out of us** Some shoulds are good though!!! beecause, some shoulds are values based and actually helpful. This is what they can sound like: - I should act with integrity - I should treat people with respect and not intentionally harm them - I should take responsibility for my choices These are flexible and chosen. They guide behavior without shaming and are guided in morals and ethics. Unhealthy shoulds sound like: - I should never struggle - They should meet my needs without me asking - I should be further along than this or I should be over this by now