Go To Bed Earlier

Last week, I wrote about Tasha Eurich’s resilience talk at the Global Leadership Summit. One of the tools she left us with was called the “Three to Thrive” scan. It basically covers the three conditions that we need to thrive: 1) confidence, 2) choice, and 3) connection. I like new tools, so I thought I’d give it a try and evaluate my current mental state.

First up, Confidence. Do I feel doubted or dismissed? I’ve always been fairly confident in my abilities. But the last 18 months have featured more than a few moments when I’ve looked in the mirror and wondered if I ever had confidence at all. Most often, the doubt and dismissal I feel comes from within. Maybe that’s true for you too. Whenever I start spiraling, I do two things: 1) spend time with people who know me best (and don’t care whether my latest project is successful); 2) go to bed earlier (dealing with that voice is easier with rest).

Next, Choice. Do I feel pressured or controlled? I enjoyed more autonomy than most people during my professional career. I’ve had supportive managers who created space for me to play. Now that I run my own business the pressure to produce online content occasionally drags me down. My solution: Create small bits of content each day and share what I’m currently thinking about (like this blog post). I don’t scrutinize my SEO rankings, play the clickbait game, or use AI to generate my posts. I write for me – and, hopefully, you.

Lastly, Connection. Do I feel unsupported or overlooked? Yes, a little. When I left academic life, I struggled to figure out my new identity (and I still struggle with it sometimes). I worked in university libraries for 20 years. I was an insider. Now, I’m a consultant – an outsider. My solution: Be intentional about connecting with people. I send direct emails to people in my network each day. I’m not trying to sell them anything. I just want to know what’s going on in their world.

Occasionally, life feels a bit lonely running your own shop, but my confidence is growing, my choices are mine to make, and I am connecting and collaborating regularly with people from around the world.

Thanks to Tasha Eurich, I’m improving my ability to recognize when one of these core conditions is off-balance.

Inspiration

Inspiration: Tasha Eurich. “How to thrive when resilience alone is not enough.” Global Leadership Summit 2025