Most problems in the world of electronics can be fixed with one simple act.  Turn it off and back on again.  The Wi-Fi drops, the laptop freezes, the phone starts behaving like it’s haunted.  Reset it.  It’s not fancy, but it usually works.

The same logic applies to people, although we don’t usually think of that.  When we freeze or lag, we don’t stop.  We reload our calendars, refresh our inboxes, and convince ourselves the solution must be somewhere in the next notification. 

It rarely is.

A proper reset clears the static.  It cools the system.  It gives our mind and body a chance to remember how to run smoothly again.  We don’t need a full reboot, just a pause long enough to let the noise settle.

One of my favorite Christmas presents of all time was the NES…though I can’t remember if it was 1986 or 1987. Seriously. I was on top of the world when I opened that game up. The console came with two games…Duckhunt and Super Mario Bros.

Duckhunt was ok, but I soon tired of that dog that mocked me whenever I’d miss the ducks. Stupid dog. But I was obsessed with Super Mario Brothers. It was so much fun, but super challenging.

You’d mistime a jump, fall into a pit, and the screen would politely remind you that your game was over.  But it never felt like failure.  You’d just press reset and try again.  No drama.  No self-judgment.  Just another chance to get it right.

I remember that year, almost a week later on New Year’s Eve, I played that game ALLLLLL night. And when I finally beat it, that picture at the top of this section kept appearing. And even though I hadn’t found the princess, I kept playing. I bet I played through that full game about 8 times that night. It was a blast.

Life felt simpler then.  The system didn’t autosave or sync to the cloud.  You learned by playing, failing, and resetting. 

And somehow, each restart made you better.

Resetting electronics is easy.  There’s always a button, a switch, or a plug.  You hold it down, wait for the lights to fade, and everything returns a little cleaner than before. (OK, but sometimes you did have to blow into the cartridge and push it in juuuuuust right.)

Resetting ourselves is harder.  We don’t come with clear instructions.  There’s no power cord to pull, no progress bar to show we’re getting better.  And ironically, the more electronics we collect, the harder it becomes to unplug.  We live in a world that stays permanently online, yet most of us are quietly running out of battery.

The fix isn’t dramatic…and in fact, it’s pretty simple.

Step away for a while.  Power down your surroundings.  Go outside.  Sit in quiet.  Let your own system cool.  When you come back, things usually make more sense.

It’s strange how often we forget that we’re not built to run nonstop.  Machines aren’t either. 

They just have the advantage of a button.

In this section every week, I’ll give step by step instructions on how to tackle one project. It could be something simple and small like this week’s assignment, or it could be more involved. Once you take on a few of these, you’ll learn some of the common strategies that can be applied to just about anything.

My hope for this newsletter is to make it feel like a mini-coaching session with me.

So now, it’s time to…

It’s the human version of turning yourself off and back on again.

Every device you own needs a reset from time to time.  So do you.  It’s not quitting.  It’s maintenance.  A short pause to clear the static, cool the circuits, and come back with better signal.

So the next time life starts to glitch, don’t panic.  Just do what every old Nintendo kid learned long ago.  Take a moment to reset.

If your system’s been running on overload for too long, I can help.  Coaching gives you the space to unplug, refocus, and return to what matters most.

Email me if you’d be interested in a free session to explore more about what that could mean for you.