You don’t really own a skill, a habit, or a mindset until you can use it on a tough day.
A client of mine is going through a rough career transition.
On our regular weekly session, he shared something small but remarkable.
He’d received bad news some days ago.
The kind that usually sends your mind spinning at night.
Instead of locking it inside and trying to sleep through it, he took out his journal and wrote.
Before bed.
He slept well.
Not perfectly but noticeably better than on other nights when his mind raced in every possible direction.
He also did something else that mattered.
He focused on what he could control.
Exercise.
Nutrition.
Time with friends.
Working on his next steps.
Thinking through future direction.
It’s still tough.
Nothing is magically “fixed.”
But he’s moving forward.
Proud of himself, steadier, a little stronger with every step.
When my clients come to me after a really busy week, unable to do what we’ve learned, I know that it’s NOT the time to work on THEM it’s time to work on the tools that will help the next busy time to go better.
The tools.
The systems.
The habits.
The why.
Because the biggest growth, and the most meaningful rewards, don’t come from doing the right thing when it’s easy.
Not when you have all the time.
Energy.
Motivation.
They come from doing it when it’s hard.
When you’re tired.
Busy.
Over it.
And you still do the thing.
Not because of discipline but because you’ve built systems that support you, habits that carry you, and a clear enough why to keep moving.
Over to you dear reader,
On your toughest days, what do you default to?
Is it moving you forward, toward growth, toward the future version of you you’re trying to build?
