“Not all storms come to disrupt your life, some come to clear your path.”

~ Unknown

When life’s sh!t hits the fan, it rarely feels good, but it’s a good opportunity to stop and take stock of everything you’re juggling. This week was a crazy, stressful, ball-dropping week for this motivational speaker and coach, but I learned a bit during the ‘sh!t storm’.

Watch the video below, or read the transcript that follows to learn why my week was so tough, and what I’m doing about it.

This week I am pulling back the curtains on what has been a crazy, stressful, ball-dropping, NOT getting SH!T DONE week in the life of Michelle Cederberg motivational speaker!

Sometimes, it’s not all roses and sunshine in my world, and this week I’m choosing to be open about that because I suspect these days many of you are also feeling higher than normal levels of stress.

For me, I’m back to work with LOTS to do, I’ve begun promotion of my new book that launches for pre-order October 15th, I’m behind with various tasks with that AND around the house … and office (OMG what a mess). Plus, Covid is still creating unrest in all areas of life.

…and then this week my puppy Islay got a case of doggie pink-eye and a sore mouth that would suggest she got beat up by another dog on her first ever visit to freakin’ doggie day care… so I’ve had vet visits and constant monitoring and endless worry added to my circumstances… and I had to reschedule some client calls, delay this week’s video, and basically put work on hold for puppy.

Sure, that’s life, and while we all have the strength within us to get through it, some days (or weeks) feel less manageable than others. I know you can relate. I’ve said it before, we’re living through crazy times right now, which might necessitate a different approach for combating the stress.

So, today I want to share a few ideas around what happens when things get out of hand in work or life…or both…and how to deal with it.

First off, when the sh!t hits the fan, start by turning off the fan. This may seem like an obvious tip, but when we’re in the thick of it, we’ll often overlook the simple stress management tools that are right in front of us. Before things get worse…turn off the fan.

In this case, the fan is your life and everything you’ve got spinning around in it. Some days you can manage high-speed air flow on full-oscillation and get through it all like a champion. Some days you may need to slow it down and focus the fan in one spot. And, if you’ve had a week like mine, you might just need to shut that fan off for awhile and sit in the silence and stickiness of that.

Next, be prepared, because when you shut that fan-of-life off, all the sh!t that’s been flying around is going to hit the ground. That may feel uncomfortable at first, because if it’s on the ground it’s not getting done. But this will give you the chance to identify all of the tasks and to dos that have been blowing around you, and will provide an opportunity to prioritize what’s truly important for you right now. IN THIS MOMENT.

For me, this week went from doing coaching calls, making social media posts about my book, and shooting videos in a timely manner, to addressing my puppy’s health needs… she’s my kid, so if she’s not well nothing else matters until she is. My girlfriend went through the exact same thing this week with her human daughter, and for both of us priorities needed to shift.

I realized that between vet visits, doggy monitoring, and worry-fatigue, I needed to surrender…to accept the fact that some tasks this week would be left undone, that some would be delayed, and in the grand scheme of things, that would okay.

Originally I thought I would skip making a video this week, because I’d have to do my hair and set up the studio, plan the script, and make everything ‘just right’, but I decided instead to get real in hopes that if you’re going through anything similar you might give yourself permission to pause. To look around at the messiness of it all, and prioritize what is truly important for you RIGHT NOW.

It’s a great strategy even if life isn’t blowing out of control. If there’s anything that Covid, self-isolation, work from home, pivoting my business and getting a puppy has taught me, it’s that there’s a lot up the air right now.

We don’t know how long Covid will be around. We don’t know if there will be a second wave, and if there is (likely), how we’ll navigate winter, kids in school, work, and socializing. We don’t know how the economy will fair, how US elections will turn out, and how all of that will affect business and life in general.

So why not pause and get clear about the things in your life you do have control over: The people (and pets) in your life that matter most to you, your health, the work you do, and the self-care you will need to stay focused and strong no matter what.

What could that look like for you?

I’m taking care of puppy, focusing on my book launch, and prioritizing daily movement as a sanity saver of sorts. My house will have to stay messy a bit longer … unless anyone knows a good Calgary-based house cleaner I can talk to.

And about that book… The Success-Energy Equation: How to Regain Focus, Recharge Your Life, and Really Get Sh!t Done will be available for pre-order October 15th and today I feel like I need to go back and read my own book. I’m hoping when it’s available you’ll want to read it too. I’m pretty excited about bringing this book to the world, because it’s turned into an unofficial Covid-survival guide, plus it’s fun and informative.

I’ll be sharing more about it through all my social channels in the weeks ahead, through to its official release October 27th, so follow me on my socials, and share the news with anyone who might need the book.

I’m Michelle Cederberg reminding you we’ve got one chance to do this life, I say Dare to Live It Big, and when the proverbial sh!t hits the fan (as it will every now and then), don’t be afraid to TURN OFF THE FAN, Pause and prioritize.

You got this!

P.S. The ‘shit hitting the fan’ graphic on the title image above is available as a t-shirt, and since I’m borrowing the image I want to share the link, because it’s funny and cool!

It may be awhile until we call all gather safely in large groups, but that doesn’t mean your team doesn’t still need training, education and even inspiration. I’ve set up a home studio, and have been providing online sessions since April that are tech-sound, fun and interactive! If your organization needs a break from the work-from-home routine to learn how to boost resilience, work-life balance and productivity, reach out to chat about my engaging online sessions!