Hey Ruckus Maker,

Kate posted a picture in our community yesterday.

It was a painting she'd done over the weekend — palm trees with bold purples and pinks, the kind of thing you don't make when you're stressed or overwhelmed.

She wrote: "I painted over the weekend — let's see if I can sustain this anchor during the week!"

Then Amber chimed in: "I also was motivated by our first session and managed to get out in the sunshine and go cross-country skiing...on both Saturday and Sunday."

Here's what I'm realizing about resilience …

It's not about powering through. It's not about another productivity hack or time management system.

It's about anchors.

Small, sustainable practices that actually restore you instead of depleting you further.

Last Thursday, 8 school leaders showed up to The Resilient Leader. Within 20 minutes, someone admitted they'd cried in their car before coming home three times that week.

Everyone nodded.

We spent the next hour working on three tools:

Your three rules: the non-negotiables that keep you grounded when everything else is chaos

A recovery protocol: what you do immediately, same day, and next day when your defenses are down

Morning anchors: the 15-20 minute routine that sets the tone before you step into the building

By the weekend, Kate was painting. Amber was skiing. Rebecca was having intentional morning time with her husband. Frederick was finding silence again.

You missed that session.

But there are five more.

If you join before Thursday's session (Feb 5, 3pm PT / 6pm ET), you'll get:

This isn't about adding more to your plate.

It's about painting on weekends. Skiing in the sunshine. Finding your version of the fifth-floor library cubicle that grounds you.

[Register here]

Five weeks left.

Don't miss another one.

Keep Making a Ruckus,

Dan

P.S. Kate's painting is actually beautiful. The kind of thing that happens when you create space instead of filling it. Join The Resilient Leader and enjoy some margin in your life too.