Hi, friend -

A couple of weeks ago, I went ass over tea kettle on Rocky Mound Drive.

I was walking my dogs and stepped slightly off the right edge of the sidewalk, twisted my ankle, and landed on my rear end facing the wrong direction.

The Aloof Dog took this as her opportunity to explore a flower bed normally just beyond the reach of her leash. The Velcro Dog sniffed my face, as if to confirm I was still breathing, shrugged her shoulders (I swear), and continued along the sidewalk.

Someone's Ring camera has all the evidence.

Now, I'm aware this story could've ended with a splintered ankle, flattened nose, and runaway dogs.

As it is, it only ends with a broken left ring finger. And not even a gruesome break.

I have a tiny, non-displaced fracture just south of a knuckle. It requires only a three-week stint in a finger splint.

But when you're a writer—which is, frankly, just a full-time typist who thinks—there's no such thing as "only" three weeks in a splint.

I'm working at about 30% capacity because if I type any faster than 20 WPM, every word has a typo. That means I've fallen behind on everything, which stresses me out, which locks up my brain.

And my August is scheduled wall-to-wall with time-sensitive projects.

So, I did something I don't love to do: I 'fessed up. I told my clients about my stupid finger, explained how it was affecting my work, and updated them on timelines. And because I have the beautiful-est clients on the planet, they responded with sympathy, encouragement, and grace.

Pep Talk #022: Be honest when you're having a tough time.

As much as we don't like to admit it, being human means going ass over tea kettle from time to time—literally and figuratively. And, unfortunately, our inner critic comes alive when we're beset by challenges:
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• You're letting everyone down.
• People are going to think less of you.
• You're ruining your reputation.
• You're flakey.
• This isn't a big deal. Get over it and get back to work.

‍In these situations, I wonder if you could try telling your inner critic to kindly take a seat, and just be honest about what's going on. I'm not saying you have go into gory detail or bare your soul. It's enough to say:

• To a client— "I have something going on that will likely impact our timeline. Can we talk about that?"
• To a friend— "I've been working a lot lately, and I feel isolated. Could we get together for coffee this weekend?"
• To a partner— "I'm overwhelmed with my responsibilities. Could you cover dinner this week so I can decompress after work?"
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Seriously: I know it sounds fluffy and blech, but it truly is OK to not be OK. You're allowed to be honest and ask for support.

The truth is, I could've avoided some of this stress by taking a more thoughtful approach to my calendar to begin with. But leaving margin in your schedule is a pep talk/lecture for another day.

Mostly because finger really hurts.

With love,
Kelley

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