From collapse to traction—field notes for the climb back.
If your days are getting swallowed by other people’s “urgent,” it’s time to protect your footing. You can feel it in your body before you can explain it: bills stacking, pressure rising, and the same familiar ask—rescue me. You’ve been carrying more than your share. You’ve been keeping things moving. And lately it’s starting to … Continue reading When Your Life Becomes Everyone Else’s Emergency
Active Avoidance: Doing the Wrong Right Thing Hey, welcome back to Standing on the Ledge. Today’s topic: active avoidance. Procrastination. Call it what you will. It’s the act of not doing the thing I know I should do, and doing something else instead. Sometimes that “something else” is still useful. It still needs to get … Continue reading Overcoming Active Avoidance: Strategies for Action
This protocol outlines a structured approach to requesting help effectively while maintaining boundaries. The process involves selecting a specific area of need, crafting a clear and time-bound request, establishing one boundary, and allowing an easy exit for the responder. Key rules ensure concise communication without self-criticism or excessive detail.
Chapter 3 of "Standing on the Ledge" focuses on money triage, emphasizing calm, priority-based decision-making during financial crises. It outlines steps to stabilize essentials, regulate emotions, and convert worries into facts. Practical strategies include documenting debts, making necessary calls, auditing expenses, and creating a supportive environment to foster recovery and reduce stigma.
The piece discusses "winter rules" for rebuilding during difficult times, emphasizing the importance of conservation, rest, and practical actions over performance. It highlights how scarcity shifts focus to immediate needs, urging a balance between short-term survival and long-term maintenance. The author reflects on personal and structural challenges in navigating life's uncertainties.
The author reflects on a day focused not on achievement but on simply remaining present and stable amidst fatigue and stress. They emphasize the importance of managing basic needs and engaging in small actions to avoid feelings of shame and collapse, drawing on psychological concepts like Behavioral Activation and Maslow's hierarchy.
The author reflects on taking a meaningful day off to break free from the relentless grind, allowing space for clarity and perspective. This pause, while uncomfortable, provided a sense of peace and helped reconnect with a calmer self. The experience highlights the importance of endurance over hustle in personal growth and recovery.
The second brick emphasizes the importance of action over motivation, highlighting that true motivation comes from within rather than external pressures. It stresses showing up consistently, even when feeling unmotivated, and recognizing that you can influence others by nurturing your own inner fire, regardless of its intensity.
The content discusses the importance of laying down the "first brick" in rebuilding one's life when overwhelmed by business demands and personal sacrifice. It emphasizes the necessity of granting oneself permission to prioritize self-care, recognize exhaustion, and establish boundaries. This foundational step is crucial for personal and professional recovery.
Standing on the Ledge 