“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

—Albert Einstein

Burn-out may be a new beginning.

We all have people we love, things we care about, jobs we either have or want, all of which make incessant demands on our time and attention.

In a flash, we can be overloaded. Soon we feel we are drowning under obligations and tasks.

How can we change this?

To be causative means to act mindfully. You can be causative more often through a 5-part Causative RESET. A RESET enables you to separate tasks from asks, so you can shape what you do.


A Causative RESET

Sort tasks from asks.

Recognize

Notice your mental to-do list.

Externalize

Write down your to-do’s so you can see them.

Simplify

Consider for a moment what the to-do means to you.

Enable

Put a question mark at the end of each to-do.

Trust

Trust yourself to sort the tasks from the asks.

Why reset?

Taking a moment to RESET gives you breathing room. It helps you distinguish tasks and asks. Tasks are physical actions you can simply do, like taking out the trash. Asks are the underlying emotional and mental needs behind the physical actions. So the task may be to “take out the trash” but the ask may be layered by a history of battling over who takes out the trash.

The core of a causative RESET is to spot asks and act on asks. When you recognize asks, you expose the hidden work. You shift from a “must”—a priority imposed on you from someone else—to a choice, something you actively select and take part in.

RESET “I have to…!!!!” to “I have to…?”
RESET “I need” and “I must” to “I need to?” and “I must?”

More than a swap of words, this reduces automatic thinking and the build up of resentmant and grievances. It helps you find focus without forcing it.

ACt on intention and impulse

You are causative when you act because you are open, willing, and ready to act. Otherwise you risk acting out of resentment and frustration. If you re-center, you’re less likely to be a resenter.

If you spend too much time thinking “I have to do this”, “I need to do that”, or “I must do it today”, RESET often.

If lists rule you, you always feel five minutes behind, and you lose days scrambling to always meet the needs of others while ignoring your own, RESET often.