Finding the Small Wins in a Chaotic Season

Let’s be honest for a minute.

Not every day comes with clarity or motivation.

Some days you just don’t feel like yourself, and lately, I’ve been sitting in one of those stretches.

The kind where the morning rush starts before your feet even hit the floor. And by the time night rolls around, you’re exhausted in a way sleep doesn’t quite fix.

I’m still showing up. Still doing what needs done.

But I can feel it.

My fire for initiation and execution is there, it’s just smoldering instead of roaring.

And I know part of it is this season.

I neeeeedddd daylight earlier in the morning. Later in the evening.

I need a little more space to breathe.

On top of that, I’ve caught myself quietly watching old habits try to creep back in.

Worrying about food.

Worrying about exercise.

Worrying about the number on the scale and what happens if I lose my grip for too long.

And while I’m working through that internally, I’m also very aware of what I show on the outside.

Because I have girls watching.

Girls who are far too young to be standing in front of a mirror picking themselves apart.

Girls who learn more from what we model than what we say.

That awareness stays with me.

Today, however, felt lighter.

Not because anything was magically resolved.

The sun was out on my lunch break, and it mattered more than I expected.

I went home, poured another cup of coffee, ate a simple bowl of cereal, and let myself sit in the quiet for a few minutes.

That small pause helped settle the noise in my head.

But the real bright spot came from a text this morning.

One of my long-time students, Ella, asked which horse she’d be riding tonight.

She was genuinely excited, and that alone made me smile.

Last week, she had a big win.

She jumped my gray gelding, Gibbs, nearly three feet!

This is a rider who usually works her cow horse - who she turned into a solid barrel horse.

She also rides Maverick, the thoroughbred who came off a slaughter truck in bones from abuse and needed his spark brought back...she did that.

Watching her move between horses with confidence and curiosity never gets old.

I sent her a still shot from the video.

That beautiful profile jump.

Not perfect.

But for a girl with a strong "western accent" when she rides ---it was wonderful.

I told her the truth.

Not every cowgirl can do what she does.

Her response was a huge smile, and that moment warmed me clear through.

Back to the day - there’s still a lot happening behind the scenes.

The rush in the mornings.

The exhaustion at night.

The constant mental load that never really shuts off.

But days like today remind me something important.

Progress doesn’t always look loud or polished.

Sometimes it looks like sunshine.

A proud student.

And choosing not to spiral when your energy feels low.

Maybe that’s the reminder worth holding onto.

You don’t have to feel fully lit up to keep going.

You just have to notice the small wins when they show up, and let them carry you through the rest of the day.

If today felt rushed or heavy for you, pause and name one small win.

The one that didn’t look impressive to anyone else but mattered to you.

Say it out loud.

Write it down.

Let it count.