Bending Without Breaking

Monday morning, my plans fell apart. (Hence, the delay in sending out this e-mail).

My son fell and needed stitches. Morning meetings were canceled. The carefully planned flow of the day disappeared in an instant.

And here is the thing I see so often, both in myself and in the women I coach - The moment something unexpected happens, we mentally write off the entire day.

Not because we cannot recover.But because we decide it is not worth trying.

Our brain offers us unhelpful thoughts about the day being lost.

So let me offer a gentler approach.

When life throws a curveball, the goal is not to stay perfectly on track. The goal is to bend without breaking.

Here is how to do that:

• Separate the event from the story - What happened is real. The story you tell about it is optional.

• Shift from productivity mode to containment mode - Ask what needs to be handled so the day does not unravel.

• Choose one small anchor - Do one thing that helps you re-engage with your day.

• Redefine success - Presence, not perfection. One step is enough.

Being thrown off is part of life.

Learning how to gently and more quickly come back is a skill.