Your Next Clear Move

The Readiness Reset: You Don't Need to Bounce Back, You Need a Clear Move Forward

• Debbie Peterson of Getting to Clarity

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Life disruptions signal a need for realignment rather than a reason to pretend everything is fine. When unexpected challenges arise, the Readiness Reset framework provides a path to find your next clear move through honesty and clarity.

• Pretending to be okay drains energy and leads to hitting the wall
• "Bouncing up" rather than "bouncing back" acknowledges what's happened
• Disruption isn't failure—it's a signal that realignment is needed
• The Readiness Reset framework provides flexible guidance in five steps


• Step 1: WHY - Connect to your motivation and what truly matters now
• Step 2: WHAT - Identify what genuinely needs your attention
• Step 3: WHO - Determine who can help and who you can be honest with
• Step 4: HOW - Create a gentler, wiser path forward with new boundaries
• Step 5: NEXT MOVE - Take one small action within 48 hours to build momentum

In the next 48 hours, take just one clear move and let that be the beginning of your Readiness Reset. For more resources on realigning after disruption, visit www.debbiepetersonsspeaks.com.


Speaker 1:

Hey, hello and welcome back. I am Debbie Peterson of Getting to Clarity, and this is another episode of the Getting to Clarity podcast, and this is the place that you come if you need your next clear move, and especially with the topic that we have today what happens when life pulls a fast one? How do you figure out what is next? I'm going to help you do just that, so stay tuned.

Speaker 3:

Welcome to the Getting to Clarity podcast the place where busy leaders discover how to create more success in their leadership journey with less sacrifice in their life.

Speaker 2:

Here's your host, debbie Peterson, of Getting to Clarity. Here's your host, debbie Peterson, of Getting to Clarity.

Speaker 1:

Okay, what exactly are we talking about? You know, a lot of times when life pulls a fast one, when something happens, we get pulled under for a while, trying to recoup. We think of it about bouncing back, and I remember my good friend MJ would always say it's not bouncing back, that's going in the wrong direction, it's about bouncing up. And you know, along that thread, it's not a bounce back, it's another clear move. It is one move that you can make when things have gone sideways, because if you're pretending that everything is okay, then you can't reset, you can't go anywhere from there. You have to acknowledge that life landed a blow and you need to get up and keep going. So I learned that the hard way. I was pretending that I was okay. I'm a strong woman, I'm going to suck it up, buttercup, I'm going to push through it. You know all of that and let me tell you that nothing will drain you faster than any disruption ever could is when you play it that way, when you pretend that everything is okay because you're spending energy trying to get through whatever it is you're getting through, and then you're spending energy trying to show the world that you're okay when you're not. And for me. I did that. I wore the mask. You know, I kept showing up, I kept powering through, I had exhausted myself so bad that it just put me in a place where I hit the wall.

Speaker 1:

And you know, we all have moments where life blinds us, sides us. It's, you know it's illness, it's loss, it's a family emergency, you know it's, it's burnout you didn't see coming until you know one day you're like I just can't get out of bed, I just can't do it again. And I know that. And if that is you, I feel you, I've been you and I just want you to know that these aren't signs that you're failing. They're signals and it's time for a reset. So it isn't about ignoring what's happened. It's not like you bounce back and nothing's happened, I'm okay, ignore it. It's about getting really honest with yourself and getting clear, and what that allows you to do is to find your next clear move, one that honors what you've been through and where you want to go next. Because here's the truth Disruption doesn't mean that you failed. It means that it's time to realign. But you can't move forward on fumes. You need a new kind of clarity, not the hustle through it, grind through it kind, but the grounded, honest kind that gives you the power to choose what happens next. And that's where the programming that I've built I call it the readiness reset comes in. It's not a formula, it's a framework. So you know, a formula is going to give you some parameters and then you're going to come out with a black and white result. A framework is a little looser than that and it allows you to give yourself options, which is what you want. It allows you to find your footing again, one clear move at a time. So I'm going to give you some steps.

Speaker 1:

So, step one step one is why? And really connecting to your motivation. Why is about motivation? And I want you to consider, when you find yourself in a dark space, when you find yourself burnt out, when you find yourself, you know, down flat because of the blow that life has landed, what still matters. You know, when life gets loud, it's really our opportunity to get quiet, to reconnect what matters. And maybe your old goals don't make sense anymore, maybe your priorities have shifted. So you know, consider that, and it's that's not failure, that is growth.

Speaker 1:

So in step one, you could ask yourself why does it matter for me to re-engage right now? Okay, what is the motivation, what really matters? Who's counting on you? Who's depending on you? How does this tie into who you are and what matters to you? What would make it worth it? Your why might not be big, it might not be flashy, it might just be because I want to feel like myself again, and I remember not feeling like myself at all, and that is a pretty scary place to be.

Speaker 1:

So step number two what needs your attention right now? So, in the framework, you want to forget the mile long to do list where you write things on the list just to cross them off because it makes you feel better. But what actually needs your attention right now? It's not about what you feel guilty about, not what looks good, just what is essential, okay, for whatever area of life you are trying to get back on track. So think health. You know is where you're at now impacting your health. Is it having clarity to move forward? Is it key relationships? Is it revenue driving work? This is a time for priorities, not productivity, and you can't pick it all. You have to pick. The one thing that matters the most.

Speaker 1:

Step number three is who. Who can help you, who can support you, and you might even consider who are you done pretending for you know who is it that you're trying to prove to that? Hey, I'm okay, I'm fine, you know, don't worry about me. So what I want you to know here is that you don't have to do this alone. You are not meant to. People love to help other people, so identify who can actually help you the friend who gets it, the colleague who can help out, maybe pitch in, or a neighbor or coach, or a therapist who can help hold space? Who are the people that can help get you through this time? And, while you're at it, who do you need to take the mask off? With who are you pretending with? You need to have a conversation. So that also goes in step three.

Speaker 1:

Step four is how. How does this happen? What does a gentler, wiser path forward look like? This is not a boot camp. This is a reset. So give yourself permission to do it differently this time. Maybe you shift your work hours, maybe you set better boundaries, maybe you stop saying yes out of guilt and you start saying yes to what actually matters, to what actually fuels you. So you have an opportunity to reset your rhythm that fits the season that you're in right now.

Speaker 1:

Step number five is now what's your next clear move? This isn't about overhauling everything. This is about getting you out of inertia into momentum. So what is one small action that could help you feel better? It would help you feel grounded, help you feel seen or supported in the next 48 hours. Maybe it's journaling for 10 minutes. Maybe it's having a phone conversation with someone that you can trust, you know. Maybe it's screaming it into a pillow, having a conversation with your spouse or significant other, um, or your boss. Maybe it's just canceling something that no longer fits. But start where you are and take one action within 48 hours. Promise yourself that you will take one action within 48 hours, because that gets you ready again. You know you're no longer stuck, you are ready and readiness builds as you do.

Speaker 1:

So your reset starts with clarity, not perfection. Life is going to disrupt your plans. I hate to say it, but it happens all the time. But you don't have to stay lost, okay. So with clarity, you don't get back up or just get back up, you rise and in a new direction and you're stronger than before because you've given yourself the space and the grace to figure it out. So here's your challenge In the next 48 hours, take one clear move just one, not a list of them and let that be the beginning of your readiness reset. And if you would like more tools for realigning after a disruption, then head on over to my website. I've got a lot of resources there at wwwdebbypetersonspeakscom for free resources and other leadership clarity strategies that help you move forward with a little more intention. So be good to yourself and I'll talk to you soon. Bye-bye for now.

Speaker 2:

Thank you for listening to this episode of the Getting to Clarity podcast with Debbie Peterson.

Speaker 3:

If you enjoyed this show, please rate and recommend it on iTunes or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Speaker 2:

To learn more about how you can bring Debbie and her transformational clarity leadership strategies to your organization, visit DebbiePetersonSpeakscom.

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Debbie Peterson, CSP

Host