It's great to see you, Reader, happy holidays.

Here's a mini manifesto I keep for myself about writing:
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It's always more powerful to make readers seen than it is to make them feel inspired.

Inspiration is fleeting. A somewhat empty calorie. Being seen, however, is stabilizing, centering, and empowering.

So, if you're anything like me, and you'd like to use this end-of-year time to create space, exhale, and recover from the compounding cognitive load we carry--I see you.

Back when I coached competitive cyclists, one thing I always emphasized was the intentional unwind. Recovery and rest were part of the process. Every interval has two integrated parts: work and rest. Overload happens in the work phase, but strength and power grow in the rest phase.

So, being an astute reader of rooms, I'm keeping this issue more concise than usual ... so we can get to our respective unwindin'.

Welcome to issue 9 of Shift Happens. (If you care to share the gift of shenanigans to a rando in your life, here's the link)​

I Get To Do This

Quick thing I didn’t expect to say when I started writing this…

Did you know that a practice of gratitude has been shown to mitigate burnout in competitive athletes? Taken a step further, that means it also has the effect of improving performance.

My friend Adriana Tica–who publishes the best weekly newsletter I read called "Strategic AF"--pushed me to start writing my own this year. I'm grateful she did, because I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I do.

What I really want to say, Reader, is this:

Thank you for letting me invade your in-box each month. Thank you for coming on this ride with me.

Here's a wee video message of thanks I recorded for you.

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The Pattern I'm Seeing

Almost every leader I worked with this year had one thing in common — a strange, private drag. Not burnout. Not confusion. But a low-grade stall, like their instincts weren’t quite firing. And still, they kept delivering. Because that’s what insanely capable people do.

These are people with track records, purpose, and vision. Wealth managers, healthcare data professionals, nurse directors, marketing agency owners, talent managers.

They lead teams, hold up systems, make lives better. The invisible traits that allow them to do these things are what make them insanely capable.

But here's what I've noticed: many have lots of motion but not much traction. They feel stalled, unclear, circling some decision. This is probably the most common feeling we share but rarely name.

This creates drag on the very instincts that once enabled those bona fides.

The Chef's Knife

For insanely capable professionals, instincts are like a chef's knife.

Over time, they naturally dull—not from neglect, but from constant use.

For people accustomed to getting things done, tired instincts feel disorienting and frustrating. Many describe it as feeling like an actor miscast for the part they’re in. They know they’re capable, but something feels off—like they’re performing a role that doesn’t quite fit anymore.

We try to fix it with new information, skills, frameworks. But knives don't need new skills. They need re-edging.

And what I've found in our work? We're sharpening the blade.

When that happens, the work takes less force, decisions cut cleaner, and movement turns into traction again. Not teaching someone how to be a knife—but restoring the edge so it does what it was built to do.

This isn’t about productivity. This is about physics. It’s about reducing drag, restoring edge, and letting instincts cut smoothly again.

Impermanence Is The Only Constant

The end of the year is a transitional moment–albeit an artificial one based on a random point on the calendar. It's a moment to recognize--and appreciate--our constantly shifting impermanence.

We're always in some state of transition. Sometimes, we just feel it more acutely than others.

I'll leave you with a few questions I've been posing to clients and friends lately:

1. What is the transition you're in right now?
2. What support, help, and love do you need in the coming year?
3. How can you be a sturdier traveling companion… to yourself?

Wishing you happy holidays and a healthy new year.

Remember to exhale,

Bryan

PS – Something new: I'm launching a 6-month coaching program for a pack of 8 insanely capable leaders this February. If you've been circling a bold move and want to go further faster with others who get it, let's talk.

PPS – Murray 🐈 and Leroy 🐈‍⬛ would like to remind you that gratitude practices are most effective when they result in additional treats. They've compiled extensive research on this topic.