Get A Round Tuit
Productivity and Action Tips - For Business and Life
King Arthur and Grandpa Bryan’s twinkling eyes
I guess procrastination and in-fighting aren’t just a modern challenge. The story goes that when King Arthur was assembling 12 chivalrous knights to protect his people - things didn’t go so well at first.
They constantly argued over status - who was in charge of what. And… they chronically procrastinated instead of getting out there and protecting. Who knew even knights struggled with motivation? Makes you feel a little better about your social media scrolling, huh?
So, to solve this problem, Merlin (his wizard advisor) created a round table, called a Round Tuit, so no one would be at the head of the table… giving them all equal status.
To go with that round table, each knight got a gold medallion, also called a Round Tuit. This medallion was supposed to have encouraged action. That story dates all the way back to Egyptian pharaoh times. It turns out, even pharaohs procrastinated.
Someone who was NOT a procrastinator - Grandpa Bryan. He was the most adorable wizened elf I have ever met. He was barely over 5 feet tall, had bowed legs, was a water witcher and farmer, and had the best sense of humor of anyone I’d ever met. What a charmer!
One day, Grandpa Bryan handed me one of the home craft projects he and Grandma Bryan had been working on when we arrived at their house.
It was a round knitted object, a fridge magnet, that had the words “A Round Tuit” in green yarn on a white background. As his twinkling eyes met mine, he said, “Here, you get a Round Tuit.” Then he laughed and looked at me… did I “get” it?
What he was asking us get around to doing was giving him a great grandchild.
Which we ended up giving him not long after that. Thank goodness. Because he wouldn’t make it to meet our second and third children. After being hospitalized with a heart attack in December, he went out to shovel some heavy snow from his driveway in January… and, well, he went out doing what he always did. Taking care of what needed to be taken care of. Getting things done.
Grandpa Bryan might be gone, but that fridge magnet stayed with us for years… decades even. It seems to have gone missing now, or I’d share a picture of it.
And the lessons Grandpa Bryan taught me linger. Live life joyfully and never stop laughing. Never stop moving but take time to smell the roses. Do what needs to be done. Get a Round Tuit.
How you too can get a Round Tuit
I’ve been leading and coaching people, mostly women, for decades. Most people want to set high bars for themselves and they want to clear those bars.
You probably do too.
But how often have you let a past experience or a worry or a negative word stop you?
Our brains are funny things. We set goals or envision outcomes that are positive, that we truly want. And then we put barriers in our own way to stop ourselves from getting there. Perfectionism. Self-Doubt. Bright Shiny Object Syndrome. Overcommitting. Procrastination…
I could go on.
Most of the time, that’s our subconscious keeping us safe, protecting us from harm, usually imagined harm.
Fear of failure? Hereditarily, failure could literally have gotten you killed. And that part of your brain is still impacting your actions today.
Fear of success? What if someone tries to knock you down by stealing your money or your ideas? Or defrauds you? If you have very little, no one has any incentive to do that to you. Ever heard that “money is the root of all evil?” It’s not. Really. But the fear of what might happen can still stop you.
Our minds can create any number of logical reasons why we should stay right where we are - where it’s safe.
But we actually don’t have to stay there. We can change our stories. Which can change our outcomes. And it isn’t even that hard to do. When you have the right tools.
My coaching experiences have been about helping my clients overcome mindset challenges, identifying actions they can take to achieve their desired outcomes, and then supporting them as they bring positive change to their lives.
In this biweekly newsletter, I’ll share tips and tools to help you too change the way you think about how to succeed. And actions you can take to achieve your goals. So you can get a Round Tuit.
For anyone who wants to get unstuck - and out of their own way
You have big dreams. Big goals. And every month, every year you don’t achieve them eats away at your self-confidence.
But it’s not your fault. You’re running programs in your brain you’ve acquired just by living. Many of them you didn’t choose to install. That’s OK. I can help you uninstall those and install programs that will work better for you.
I use a combination of business, mindset, and habit tools, as well as hypnotherapy, to help my clients. And I want to share some of those here, so you too can move through the fear or procrastination - and into the future you want for yourself, your family, or your company.
Today’s Take Action Tip
It’s late November. In the U.S., it’s Thanksgiving week. Which signals the start of the “holiday season.”
This close to year end, people start to think about setting their New Year’s resolutions. They start focusing on what they can accomplish in the new year.
But really, we still have 5 weeks left in THIS year. What one more thing can you get done this year?
Why does that matter?
Starting the year with momentum is important. Think about football (I’m talking about American football, but the principle applies to soccer too): even if a team has struggled the entire first half, if they score right before half time, they go into the rest of the game with momentum.
And often, that’s enough to turn their whole game around in the second half.
Moreover, that’s one less thing you have to add to 2025’s “list” of everything you want to accomplish. Because you’ve already done it.
My challenge for the last few weeks of this year? Publish this newsletter I’ve wanted to get out for months. Well… you’re reading it now, so that action item is checked off my list!
Your Action Tip: Look at your 2024 goals or outcomes you haven’t yet achieved. Can any of them be done in 5 weeks or less? Pick one. Challenge yourself to finish it before the end of December.
A great one for year end that can feel amazing - fill a box full of items you no longer need or use… and donate it to a shelter or Goodwill. You clear some old energy in your house to make room for new 2025 energy. And you may just give someone else the thing they really wanted.
In future newsletters, we’ll talk about some very effective ways to take quick action, but I think today’s newsletter is long enough as it is.
If you’re in the U.S., I hope you get to spend some time with family this week, enjoying good food and good company.
And if you think you could use some entertaining storytelling and actionable tips for your business and your life, please subscribe to my newsletter. If you know anyone else who could benefit from this information, please share. For now, this is a free publication. Share freely!