What to Do When Everything Falls Apart (And You Still Have to Show Up)

Let’s be honest.
Some days, you're not in your soft girl era, you’re in your survival era.

You’re tired. Your kid is sick. The to-do list feels like a personal attack. You’re trying to hold it all together, show up for your vision, and not completely combust in the process.

Welcome to the behind-the-scenes reality of building a brand.

It’s not glamorous. But it is real.
And it’s exactly where some of your most powerful habits are born.

So what do I do when everything’s falling apart and I still have to lead?
I don’t reach for perfection, I reach for a system. A rhythm. A reset.

Here’s how I ground myself when the world feels like it’s on fire:

🔥 1. Collapse the List to the Core 3

When your brain is spinning and everything feels urgent, pause.
I do a quick brain dump, and then I ruthlessly pull out three non-negotiables.
Only three.

Not the “squeaky wheel” tasks.
Not what someone else says is urgent.
The three things that will actually move my brand forward, or give me my power back.

This step alone creates momentum when I have none.

🧘‍♀️ 2. Choose One Anchor Ritual

When I can’t do my whole morning routine, I don’t abandon everything.
I pick one grounding ritual and protect it like it’s oxygen.

For me?
It’s a hot shower, heating pad, and ten minutes of silence on my bed. No phone. No noise. Just a check-in with myself.
Where’s my energy? What do I need?

If I can anchor into just one ritual, I can get back in the game, calmer and clearer.

🧠 3. Watch Your Self-Talk

The worst thing you can do in a hard season is beat yourself up for not being “better.”
I’ve learned to treat myself like someone I deeply respect.

Instead of:

“Why can’t you get it together?”

I say:

“This is a hard season. And you’re still showing up. That’s powerful.”

Because here’s the truth:
You don’t need the perfect day to make progress.
You just need aligned action, a bit of structure, and a voice in your head that builds you—not breaks you.

💼 My “Everything Fell Apart” Reset List

When I’m in CEO-survival-mode, I lean on this Amazon List I created. These are my non-negotiables for feeling more human on the hardest days.

🛒 Founder Reset: What to Grab When Everything Falls Apart →
Includes:

• Heating pad

• Blue light glasses

• Grounding tools

• Ritual support

• CEO-level task management supplies
  …because glamor is cute, but feeling functional is the real flex.

Final Word:

You’re allowed to show up at 60% and still build something powerful.
You’re allowed to protect your peace and still hit publish.
You’re allowed to rest, and still lead.

Let this be your permission slip to stop waiting for perfect conditions… and start trusting that you’ve got this, even when it doesn’t look like it.