During a recent group call, it was briefly discussed how there are so many things in life, and going on around us, that we simply cannot control. If I am not careful, that reality can create a constant sense of chaos. But while I may not control the external environment, I can absolutely control myself, and that is where the true calming of my chaos begins. In elite sports medicine (and in life) I’ve learned a hard truth: you cannot control everything. But you can control your points of control. Early in my career, like many clinicians and entrepreneurs, my control point was time. Pack the schedule. See more patients. Say yes to everything. That season required hustle. But as my responsibilities expanded, i.e. patients, activities in daily living, speaking, consulting, personal and professional relationships, I realized the game had changed. High performers don’t just manage time… they manage energy, focus, and decision load. Now, whether I’m in the clinic, on stage, or handling daily life, I’m constantly asking myself: “Is this the highest-value use of my energy right now?” Not just time. Energy. Because in elite performance medicine, I see this every day with my athletes. Talent isn’t usually the limiter. Poor energy allocation is. Overtraining. Emotional spikes. Decision fatigue. Misplaced focus. The same applies to us as professionals. There are things I simply don’t spend energy on anymore- unnecessary friction, avoidable frustration, tasks that don’t move the needle for my patients or my mission. That’s not avoidance. That’s disciplined control. For me, controlling the chaos means: • Protecting clinical focus when I’m with patients • Protecting recovery so I can show up sharp • Protecting key relationships that actually matter • Delegating or eliminating what drains without return Your control points will shift over time- and they should. The question isn’t whether chaos exists. It always will. The question is: Are you controlling at the right point for this season of your life?

First, let's welcome Rachel Cox - our newest member. She has hiked most of our Nat'l Parks! And I really missed making sure to welcome each of you as you jumped in with us. Sooo, let's fix that! Pick someone you haven't met yet, and say WELCOME! Here we ALL are! I'm so glad you are all here. Together, we can calm the chaos... Jody Marken - Horse trainer and dressage show judge Christian Phipps - Construction Guru and Cat Herder Michele Clark - Empowering Breast Cancer Survivors Les Landes - Landes & Assoc - continuous improvement systems Susan Miranda - Nurse Case Manager for folks with intellectual disabilities Ted Prodromou - Tahoe skier and author of Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn for Business Rozalind Murray - Mom, songwriter, and poet yearning for farm life Andrew Ruiz - Chef extraordinaire Sharon D Brown - Founder of Self Care You Academy Heidi Beckett - Autism mom, caretaker, cat lady, party animal Judith Coletti - founder of Two Old Broads podcast Hana van Campen - Crazy cat vet and thoroughbred horse Mom Freddy Cicerchia - Endurance cyclist, 9th-Dan Uechi Ryu martial artist Dr Jim DOC Weathers - Biohacking Doc for pro and elite athletes Kevin Whitacre - Mechanical engineer and Colorado horseman Jessica Rose - Mystical therapist and Guide Feather Berkower - Child sexual abuse prevention educator/author Halima Davidson - Military veteran and award-winning human resources leader Allison O’Neall - Textile artist and lover of the natural world Dawn Hogan - Business Marketing and Strategic Coach Melissa Riley - Former special educator and rabbit rescuer Lisa Burke - DC fan of Calm Your Chaos and cat wrangler Karin Antoni - Personal trainer, horse Mom, nutrition guru Jane Rauscher - Former D1 basketball player, pickleball aficionado Scott Dresser - Construction contractor, wilderness EMT, praying for snow

Hello My Friend. My apologies for short notice. Instead of meeting this evening, let's go LIVE on Saturday at 1pm MT, 3pm ET, Noon PT. And please welcome our fabulous member @Adri Loughmiller to our community! I'll let Adri tell you about what she does to make weddings wonderful and to make our military veterans and families feel honored. That's quite a combo! See you Saturday. Let's celebrate some wins in managing the Chaos!

During last night’s Calming Chaos live call💻, I was asked to share my perspective on a challenge many professionals face but don’t always feel free to talk about: "How do you handle chaos at work when the pressure, control, or micromanagement is coming from leadership above you?"😠 The conversation was honest, real, and worth watching. I’d encourage you to go back and view the full call to hear the context, comments, and discussion that led to this question. When I’m not treating pro and elite athletes💪—keeping them in the game until they are ready to leave on their own terms—I consult with healthcare practitioners, clinics, and organizations on leadership and operational breakdowns.👨‍⚕️ And this issue comes up far more often than people realize. Leaders want results… ✔️🏆but sometimes their behavior makes it harder to actually get the job done. After the call ended, I kept thinking about the discussion and realized there were a few additional points that didn’t make it into the live conversation, so I wanted to share them here. Here’s the bottom line: Difficult people are unavoidable. Strong professionals don’t win by reacting to them—they win by managing themselves.☮️ A few perspectives shift that matter: • “Difficult” doesn’t always mean unethical or toxic. ☣️ Often, it’s personality differences—contrarians, micromanagers, chronic skeptics—who may still bring real value to the organization. • Also worth remembering: You may be the difficult one to someone else. That awareness alone changes how you respond. • Matching behavior never works. When you react emotionally or mirror control, you give away your leadership edge. What actually helps you navigate the chaos: • Know the real goal.🏆 Leadership isn’t about changing people—it’s about helping them succeed without losing your professionalism or credibility. • Prepare before the interaction.📑 If you don’t prepare, difficult leaders can take control of your emotions before the conversation even starts. • Manage your internal response first.

"When the drumbeats go like this..." Howdy My Friend. Jim and I had a great conversation and a lot of laughs about getting stuck in grooves that become ruts, following too many options, and appreciating the plateaus of progress. And a new twist on the effectiveness of Box Breathing. Taking the chaotic "mental panorama" down to a manageable focus. It helped Jim to get to sleep when he had too many thoughts causing a "shut up and go to sleep, head" moment! We closed with a meditation I patched together from a couple of practices -The Rain and Earth Meditation. It can be done for a half hour with a fuzzy blanket, or on-the-fly during your work day. When you've tried any of the combos we discussed here, or the Rain and Earth meditation, please report back! What was YOUR experience?