Surrounded by so much uncertainty - world events, job insecurity, technology developments, etc. can create a constant anxiety cycle. I have been through a lot of adversity in my corporate career, and perhaps life in general. I have let these negative experiences shape beliefs, how I show up in the present and the decisions I made. Can the past only influence the future if we let it? - If I view beliefs as hypotheses that have yet to be proven/disproven, - If I show up each day as my best self - using PERMA habits such as gratitude journalling and positive affirmations to set my mindset independent of circumstances, situations and others' behavior, - If I make heart-based (gut) decisions rather than fear-based (scarcity) decisions I can have a different outcome this time. Focusing on the present and putting myself in the best position for whatever the future brings. Recently, I have had an inner conflict - wanting to continue to view the future as positive, abundance mindset with a strong counter pull, not wanting to take another risk after a pattern of taking significant risks and them not working out. Some trauma perhaps associated with the negative outcomes. How do I continue to have faith that one will work out? It's times like these, when I have to focus on intentions and just the next step. Making the heart-based (gut) decisions one at a time, resisting the urge to put on the brakes in fear.

It's hardest to keep going and have faith in the future when it feels like everything you try is not good enough to succeed. It is days like this that we are training for. It is easier to be joyful and have a mindset of positivity when things are going well. Then there are days when you are fighting off the feeling of failure. When life keeps knocking us down, how do we get back up and keep taking one step forward? This is the day all our PERMA habits trains us for. It is when I look to gratitude for the experiences I have had, the good intentions of others, and the inner strength to continue to belief the good will come - just one step forwards each day. Hope in the future. ❤️

During my burnout recovery, I realized everyday small broken promises had a significant impact on self-trust: - I was someone who would snooze my alarm [Commitments broken] - Work on holidays and weekends [Boundaries broken] - ignoring early signs of burnout [Body signals ignored] - Not advocating for my needs at work [Self-abandonment, erodes sense of worth] Without self-trust - my mind and body did not believe my own boundaries, so how could I expect others believe and respect them? How have you been with the promises you make to yourself?

Something that spoke to me today - I used to think that burnout happens because people don't manage their time well. Having experienced burnout myself, sure, we end up going at a slow pace but that is not the root cause. Burnout is about - energy, emotional load, psychological safety, meaning, chronic pressure. For me it had nothing to do with time management. I was in a dysfunctional environment. For most of my career, I was overworked. I had high-stakes unprecedent portfolios that were never repeated - and that put me under significant and chronic pressure. This consumed my energy. Also, there was toxic behavior such as bullying that I was trying to navigate through- adding to the emotional toll from the day-to-day work. I discovered I was in a dead-end job - thus the majority of my day provided no meaning for my life, it was simply to pay the bills. This is not time management. It's what leads to burnout. I have been speaking about burnout in a fair number of my social media posts. There is not one solution to everything as especially in corporate, nothing is that simple. I didn't realize how fundamental enhancing my communication skills would be to the various solutions though. For example, I could have possibly avoided being overworked if I had not said a straight 'no' but provided alternative solutions that meet the same need. I was often my boss's go-to solution because they knew I would get it done. They were never keen on providing an alternative solution but when I was able to pair it with the need to swap something else out of my portfolio, it got more traction.

People can sometimes think that anxiety is a weakness. This view can create shame and make us feel something is wrong with us. Some helpful information and reframing if you have ever viewed it this way. For me, I have used fear to hold me back and I have also used it to help propel me forwards. I posted about it recently on social media. Can you remember instances of both in your life?