Man, sometimes life just throws you curveballs, right? I remember this period, maybe a year or so back, where everything just felt like it was going sideways. Work was a mess, felt like I was running on a treadmill and not getting anywhere. Projects were stalling, communication with the team was off, and honestly, my confidence was just shot. Every morning I woke up, it was like a new mountain to climb, and I just didn’t have the energy.
I usually don’t go for the whole woo-woo stuff, but I’ve got this old deck of Tarot cards my grandma gave me ages ago. They just sat in a drawer, untouched. But one particularly rough evening, after staring at a blank screen for hours, feeling completely overwhelmed, I just pulled them out. Figured, what’s the harm? At least it would be a distraction from the mental loop of all the crap happening. I didn’t want to do a full spread or anything complicated. I just wanted one card, a simple message, you know? Just something to tell me if I was going to be stuck in this rut forever or if there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
So, I shuffled them, not even really knowing what I was doing, just a real clumsy shuffle. Closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and just picked one. When I opened my eyes, there it was: the Six of Wands.
Now, I’m no expert, but I remembered a little bit about this one. It’s often about victory, public recognition, getting praise, feeling like you’ve actually accomplished something good. And honestly, looking at that card, with the guy on the horse, holding up that wand, surrounded by people cheering, it just hit me. It wasn’t about some magical spell, but it was like a pat on the back, a nudge. It felt like it was telling me, “Hey, you’ve put in the work. Don’t quit now. You’re closer than you think to getting past this.”
That card kind of sparked something in me. It wasn’t like suddenly all my problems disappeared, but it changed my outlook. I decided right then and there I wasn’t gonna let this funk beat me. I started to map out what I needed to do, instead of just feeling swamped.
Getting My Act Together
- First thing, I tackled the communication mess. I made a point to actually talk to my teammates, not just email. Had a couple of candid chats, laid out my concerns, but also listened to theirs. Turns out, everyone was feeling a bit down, not just me. Just opening up helped clear the air.
- Then, I broke down my big, overwhelming tasks into tiny, manageable chunks. Instead of “finish this monster project,” it became “complete section A today,” “review section B tomorrow.” It sounds simple, but it made a massive difference. Each small win, each checkbox ticked, felt like another step towards that feeling the Six of Wands gave me.
- I also started keeping a little “wins” journal. Just a simple notebook where I’d jot down anything good that happened, no matter how small. Landed a good meeting? Wrote it down. Got a positive email? Down it went. It helped me see the progress, even when things still felt tough. It was like I was building my own parade, one small cheer at a time.
- I even started reviewing my old work, looking for what I did well before. Sometimes you just need to remind yourself you’re not a total screw-up, you know? It helped me remember the strengths I had, that I just wasn’t using effectively.
It wasn’t an overnight change, not by a long shot. There were still days where I felt like throwing in the towel. But every time that doubt crept in, I’d remember that card, that feeling of hope. I kept pushing, kept chipping away. I kept reminding myself that I had put in the effort, and it was about sticking with it until the end.
And slowly but surely, things started to shift. The communication got better. We actually managed to un-stall a couple of those projects. My manager even singled me out in a meeting for turning things around, praising how I stepped up and helped get things back on track. It felt good, really good. Not just for the recognition, but because I knew I’d truly dug deep and fought my way back.
It was like that guy on the horse in the Six of Wands card finally rode into my life. The victory wasn’t this massive, earth-shattering event, but it was there. It was the feeling of overcoming, of pushing through, and knowing that I absolutely earned it. Sometimes, all you need is a little nudge, a little sign, to remind you that your efforts aren’t for nothing, and that celebration is indeed just around the corner, if you keep at it.
