self-care

Clarity Creates Space

Posted on by missycooper1

TL;DR: When life feels too full to grow, the answer isn’t more time — it’s more clarity. Clarify what matters, build small systems, and get 1% better each day. Clarity creates space. Space creates growth.

“I just don’t have time.” Welp – I have said that a time or two.

It’s the anthem of high-capacity people.
Professionals. Parents. Leaders. Builders of meaningful lives.

But what if improvement doesn’t require more time — just better intention?

What if growth isn’t about overhauling your life… but about getting 1% better today?

The Myth of “When Things Slow Down”

There’s a quiet lie we tell ourselves:

“When this season calms down, then I’ll focus on improving.”

The season doesn’t calm down.

The inbox refills.
The kids need something.
Work shifts again.

Life stays full.

Waiting for spaciousness before you build improvement is like waiting for the ocean to stop moving before you swim.

Instead, we build space inside the chaos.

1% Better: Systems Over Willpower

In Atomic Habits, James Clear writes:

You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.

Most of us set goals when we’re frustrated:

“I need to work out more.”
“I need to be more patient.”
“I need to lead better.”

But improvement doesn’t come from intensity.
It comes from identity and systems.

If you want to write more, don’t commit to writing a chapter. Commit to opening the document at the same time each day.

If you want to lead better, don’t commit to being inspirational. Commit to asking one clarifying question in every meeting.

That’s 1%.

Tiny. Repeatable. Sustainable.

And compounded daily, it changes everything.

Clarity Is Kind

Sometimes what we call “no time” is actually unspoken tension.

Unclear priorities.
Avoided conversations.
Unaligned expectations.

In Dare to Lead, Brené Brown says:

Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.

When we avoid tough, respectful, direct conversations, we create emotional clutter. And clutter consumes energy.

You can’t improve while managing ambiguity.

So instead of asking, “Where do I find more time?” ask:

  • What is actually most important right now?
  • What conversation am I avoiding?
  • What needs to be clarified so I can move forward cleanly?

Clarity creates space.
Space reduces stress.
Reduced stress fuels growth.

Get to the Bottom of What Really Matters

High performers often try to improve everything at once.

That’s exhausting.

Instead, ask:

If I could improve just one thing over the next 30 days that would create disproportionate impact, what would it be?

Then build a system around that.

Not a motivational speech.
Not a vision board.
A system.

  • A recurring reminder.
  • A scheduled check-in.
  • A habit trigger.
  • A measurable action.

Improvement requires structure more than inspiration.

Identity: Who Are You Becoming?

James Clear emphasizes identity-based habits.
Brené Brown emphasizes aligned values.

Together, they ask the same question:

Who are you becoming?

Not:

  • What are you achieving?
  • What are you fixing?
  • What are you proving?

But:

  • What kind of leader?
  • What kind of parent?
  • What kind of partner?
  • What kind of human?

Improvement feels overwhelming when it’s disconnected from identity.

But when it’s rooted in who you want to be, it becomes directional — not reactive.

The Practical Reset

If you feel like you don’t have time to improve, try this:

1. Pick one area. Not five. One.
2. Define the 1% behavior. What is the smallest repeatable action?
3. Attach it to something you already do. Make it automatic.
4. Remove one unclear conversation. Clarity frees capacity.
5. Track consistency, not perfection.

Improvement requires structure more than inspiration.

Final Thought

You don’t need a different life to grow.

You need a different lens.

Improvement doesn’t demand more hours.
It demands intention.

And the compound effect of small, clear, courageous actions — repeated daily — is how we become who we say we want to be.

One percent at a time.

What’s one small 1% shift that would create space for you this week?

I feel like I was punched in the gut

Posted on by missycooper1

I literally just read the awful news that Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. I feel like I cant breathe. Everyday it seems like rights are taken from us. Death, destruction, war, panic, fear, opportunity, options at all for some. We as people are being stifled and oppressed and told to just bend over and take it! This is NOT okay!

How should it be anyone’s right to make decisions about the health and care of your own body? Women can make a decision to remove their breasts if they are concerned about cancer, but not reproductive health? If men were the ones to get pregnant this would be a non issue.

I was told a few stories recently that the general public may not understand about what danger is now in store for women. Whether you believe in abortion or not…that really isnt the only issue. There are women who unfortunately have children who die in the womb. Or who at no fault of the mother, the fetus could kill the mother if brought to term. There are also babies that will die once out of the womb.

And those children now will have to be brought to term (due date) before able to be delivered. It will now be illegal to remove the fetus even at risk of the mother dying. One person shared this was the most traumatic event in her life. Besides losing the baby, she was deathly sick. The deteriorating baby was causing toxicity in the mama. If she carried to due date she would die. Then the process of finding a place to remove the fetus was very difficult in her conservative state. The thought of going through this process now, safely, is nearly impossible. Please see this story for a personal account of the events that occur and will be made worse now. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/roe-v-wade-overturned-wanted-pregnancy-miscarriage-b2108799.html

Why are we going backwards? Why are rights being taken away? Why are guns and control over women and people of color where we need to go back to? Where is the America that stands for freedom and justice FOR ALL? Whose agenda is this? The wealthy elite who think we will be so distracted with survival in this new awful world they can do what they want? F@$k that!

You can do something. You have to do something! You can vote for those who want to preserve our democracy, protect our children and women. Those who will remove oppressive and divisive practices from law. You can Vote for those that want to save our planet from climate change. You can Vote for those who will tax the billionaires. Those who stand up to bullies. Those who believe we can all dream and succeed. You can also run for public office and work to change your own communities.

Please don’t give up. Please dont become so overwhelmed that you do nothing. Your voice matters and if you do nothing those that wish to hold the power to oppress win. And we all lose.

Who am I?

Posted on by missycooper1

Who am I? Who do I wish to be? Do I play it safe or Do I choose something risky?

Am I a mother? Am I a wife? Am I a woman? Am I a child? Am I a worker? Am I good? Am I bad? Am I happy? Am I sad?

Who am I? What path do I choose? Do I choose the straight and narrow? Do I get entangled? Do I run from a fight? Do I jump into every challenge?

Do I love? Do I hate? Do I get angry? Do I debate?

Am I a sister if my sister is gone? Am I a daughter if my father is gone? Am I a granddaughter if my grandparents are gone? Am I loved if their love is gone?

As a mother of 2 beautiful children and a wife to a wonderful husband the roles that I place myself into change constantly like water flowing into every nook and cranny that requires me, but in those constant changes where do I go? Where is the true essence of me? Is it left in all those other nooks and crannies or does the essence of me still reside as a whole within me? How do I know that I am still me if me is everywhere else?

How do I find the me that I’m supposed to be? That I want to be? That I am? Do I pray? Do I meditate? Do I trust that God knows who I am and will keep me together…that He will put me back together when all the pieces of me seem to be distributed and gone?

I have no choice – I must trust that all will be well…that all IS well.

I have to Because I am here. Because I am writing these words, because I am seeking wholeness. If I am seeking it – then it IS – then completeness exists and has been here all along. I know that God resides within me and finds a way to bring all of the pieces back so that I can continue to be redistributed.

But how do I find a way to put myself back together on those days when finding the pieces seems impossible?

I have to stay in motion. I have to wake up each day, breathe in and out and pull the bits of me out of all the beautiful places they have been stored.

In the hug from my children as I wake each day.

The snuggle requests to ensure I know I’m loved.

The warm hug and smooch from my hubby as we meet in the kitchen for coffee.

The ride to school dancing to our favorite tunes.

The last run back hug from my toddler as I drop her off at school.

The appreciation from my team when I teach them a new tool.

The intrinsic reward at the end of a long day when I know the products I have prepared helped the leaders I work with.

The texts from my mom group checking in and sharing kid stories.

The venting sessions and girly giggles between me and my best friend.

And the list goes on. It can be hard to move forward in this life as crazy and awful as it is some days to exist…to read the news…to hear the tragedies of those around us. When the struggle to find those pieces seems oh so hard. But I assure you, once you find that breadcrumb, that tiny piece coming back and your heart feels a bit of warmth, the search for wholeness gets a bit easier.

You’re never alone. No matter how lonely you feel there are always people going through the same experiences. I encourage you to build a network if you don’t have one. If you do have one work on sharing your authentic self, you may be surprised how much more you have in common with people. So day by day, experience by experience, gather those pieces until your cup overflows. You will know when you’ve reached capacity because your spirit will urge you – almost unconsciously to help someone else. To show someone that crumb they may have missed. And in that kindness a spark of hope emerges in you both.

Would love to hear your stories or shared experiences.