You present a version of yourself who is calm, organised and fully on top of things. Keeping that version visible takes constant effort when everything behind it feels close to falling apart. The performance can continue long after you have run out of capacity.
- leading a meeting smoothly while your notes and deadlines are in chaos
- answering 'all good' when you are barely keeping up
- giving clear advice to others while avoiding your own mounting tasks
- appearing composed through an event and collapsing as soon as you get home
Looks vs reality
The same Experience can look very different from the outside than it feels on the inside.
You are so on top of things! I wish I was that organized.
My brain is currently a whirlwind of 47 open tabs and a single, screaming squirrel.
You're always so calm under pressure. Nothing ever gets to you.
The 'calm' you see is a carefully curated performance. Inside, I am one unexpected email away from bursting into tears.
Wow, you make that look so easy.
This 'easy' was fueled by a week of sleepless nights and the sheer, raw power of my anxiety.
You always know exactly what you're doing.
I'm improvising with the confidence of a toddler driving a forklift. Please don't look too closely.
Thanks for taking the lead on that, you handled it perfectly.
I was white-knuckling it the entire time, terrified of dropping even one of the 100 spinning plates.
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