You would never walk into a big board meeting without a plan. You’d know the room, and you’d know the hard questions before anyone asked them. So why do so many of us walk into a hard week with our heads down, bracing for impact?

This week I’m sharing a week of my own that I could see coming from a mile away. My boys’ birthdays are only three days apart, and this year neither of them is home. Add Halloween, my least favorite holiday, and the clocks falling back, and I knew I was in for a doozy.

An old version of me would have plowed right through it. In this episode, I talk about what I did differently this time, how my Hula Hoop Theory helped me focus on what I could actually control, and how I planned my week so that joy had a place in every day.

If you can feel a hard week coming, this one is for you.

3 Key Takeaways

1. Name the hard parts before they catch you off guard.
   You’d prepare for an important meeting, so prepare for a hard week too. When you name what’s coming, it loses some of its power to surprise you.
2. Focus on what’s inside your Hula Hoop.
   You can’t control the calendar or the weather. You can control how you plan your days and how you take care of yourself. That’s where your energy belongs.
3. Don’t wait for joy to find you.
   Joy doesn’t mean pretending the hard parts aren’t hard. Both can live in the same week. Look at your calendar, find the people and moments that fill you up, and make room for them on purpose.

🔎 Mentioned in the Episode

• The Hula Hoop Theory: Lori’s reminder to put your energy into what’s within your control.
• Inner Work: Lori reflects on her 20-year journey of personal growth and how working on the inside has changed the way she experiences life.
• Planning Joy on Purpose: Lori walks through her own week, day by day.
• Daily Anchors: the meditation, journaling, and gratitude practice that keep Lori grounded.
• Giving Yourself Grace: why lowering the bar and letting things go can make a hard week lighter.

✨ Reflection Prompts

• What’s on your calendar in the next week or two that already feels heavy?
• What would change if you named those feelings instead of pushing through them?
• What’s inside your Hula Hoop right now, and where are you spending energy on things you can’t control?
• Who or what is already on your calendar that could bring you joy?
• Where could you lower the bar this week?

🧠 Who This Episode Is For

• Corporate women who are used to pushing through hard weeks without checking in with themselves.
• Leaders who want to manage their energy more intentionally when the calendar gets heavy.
• Women whose kids are growing up and whose family traditions are changing.
• Anyone who has ever looked at her calendar on Sunday night and thought, oh boy.

📩 Want to Go Deeper?

Follow Lori on LinkedIn or Instagram at @loripine to continue the conversation.

Visit Lori Pine's website to learn more about Lori's coaching, retreats, and ways to work together.

🎧 Subscribe to The Joy CEO Podcast for more conversations about leadership, personal growth, and creating a life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.

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