We all learned it…

Do you remember hearing this in school?  What to do if you are on fire… stop, drop, and roll.  While I am super thankful that I haven’t had to use that strategy when it comes to being on fire, I have found another application where it is extremely useful.  I wonder if, just maybe, it might make sense for you as well.

We are all on a spectrum…

Each of us is on a continuum.  And the continuum looks like this-  light, easy, unburdened, maybe even carefree on one side and overloaded, overwhelmed, and burned out and fried crispy on the other side.  And the self-awareness here is knowing where you are on the continuum.

So how are you…

Really, how are you?  Honesty time.  Are you moving through life from activity to activity, meeting to meeting, work to home, home to work, feeling light and easy? Or is life a slog, a trudge, like trying to move through the almost two feet of snow we have gotten in Iowa this week?  I remember the Field Of Dreams saying- Is this Heaven? No, it’s Iowa.  Well, it’s Iowa for sure.  But the snap of that bitter cold doesn’t remind me in any way of Heaven.

So what do I do about it?

We are somewhere on the continuum.  Here’s where stop, drop, and roll comes into play.  And it is simple but not easy.  Here we go- wherever you are at on the spectrum.

Stop-

Be honest with yourself.  Are you great?  Are you meh? Maybe you are thriving?  Are you quietly dying inside? How about full-on torched? Are you at max capacity?  Stop what you are doing and know thyself.  Knowing is such a huge part of it.  I don’t know about you, but I have lived in denial of where I am at on this scale for a good portion of my life.  Healing begins when we are truly honest.  Make sure you get it out of your own head.  There is power in getting it out there!  Tell a friend.  Tell your spouse.  write it in your journal.  Just be honest.

Drop- 

Pause.  Sit down.  Take a few deep breaths.  Calm your mind.  Get to a place of quiet.  And start to formulate a plan of how to move forward.  My coach always asks me this- what is one small but significant step you can take? So how about you?  What is one thing you can do to move forward?  Again, you might need some help with this step.  A friend, a therapist, a coach, a spouse, anyone you can truly trust.  Don’t have anyone to help with this part?  Hit me up.  I have been here without a plan and knowing that things were not good.  Let’s have a conversation and help you move forward!

Roll- 

You have a plan.  Now move!  Take that next small but significant step.  Mountains look very tall when we stand at the base of them and stare.  But that first step makes the mountain a little smaller.  Whatever you do, choose to move forward.  Do not give yourself permission to stay stuck.  This is your life.  Your one shot.  Don’t stay stuck.  Don’t stay in overwhelm.  There are amazing opportunities for you if you are willing to simply move.

So there you have it…

Stop, drop, and roll.  It works with fires.  And it works when your mind is on fire.  So the next time you are struggling, do me a favor. Be willing to be honest with yourself.  Make a plan.  And execute the plan.  And imagine the breakthrough on the other side if you have the courage to stop, drop, and roll.

One last thought…

Burnout is serious.  And it sucks.  If you are felling like you might be feeling it, or even if you aren’t sure, I want to give you a free gift.  Check it out here.  I want to be a part of the good part of your story.  Because I believe in you.  And I believe you have greatness inside of you.