Welcome to the Blooming Mindset, a weekly dose of clarity, mindset, and practical wisdom to help you stay consistent, think more deeply, and build a life aligned with your identity and purpose. I’m Ruth Rieckehoff, and I’m so glad you’re here. Please share this newsletter with a friend!
Beloved Architect of Identity,
The problem with your productivity system might be the same problem with a 4-inch Brazilian burger.
Stay with me.
I love burgers.
Not exactly the healthiest choice for a middle-aged woman, I know. But there’s a point. I promise.
The other day, my husband and I tried Brazilian-style burgers. He ordered the specialty.
Two patties. Bacon. Ham. A hot dog. Corn. Potato sticks. Sauce. Lettuce. Tomato.
A monster. Four inches tall. Served sideways because it literally couldn’t stand on its own.
I ordered a simple bacon cheeseburger. Still big. But manageable.
And here’s what I noticed.
The giant burger was chaos. You couldn’t pick it up without everything falling apart. Ingredients everywhere. Table. Plate. Basket. Floor.
Half the experience became damage control. You eat a few bites of the burger… and the rest with a fork.
It tasted good, but it was a messy situation. It is as if more time was spent fighting with the food than enjoying the food.
Then, I thought about the simple burger.
Easy to hold. Nothing falling apart. Every bite complete. Simple. Balanced. Enjoyable.
And I had this thought a few days after that meal.
Most people approach work, growth, and business like that monster burger.
More goals. More pressure. More urgency. More self-judgment. More “push harder.”
Then they wonder why everything feels scattered. Why progress feels heavy. Why nothing fully lands.
Because excess creates friction. Real progress works differently.
You prepare your ground before demanding results. You focus on what’s actually working instead of obsessing over distance. You notice small wins, so momentum can compound.
Less force. More alignment.
Sustainable success doesn’t come from pushing harder. It comes from removing what makes movement difficult.
Lightness is not laziness. Calm is not complacency. They are clarity.
If it requires constant force, it’s probably misaligned.
You don’t need to carry everything. You need to travel lighter.
That’s the shift.
Until next time, keep blooming,
Ruth
Reflect
- Where in my work or life am I trying to carry a “monster burger,” too many expectations, goals, or pressures at once?
- What would progress look like if I prioritized ease, clarity, and capacity instead of force?
Reframe
Old belief: Calm means I’m falling behind.
New belief: Calm means I’m aligned.
Old belief: I need to maximize everything.
New belief: I need to build what I can actually hold on to.
Actionable Transformation
If you want real change, make the shift practical. Start here:
• Friction Check: What is making this harder than it needs to be? Remove one source of pressure or complexity.
• Capacity-Based Progress: Choose goals that match your current energy, not your ideal self.
• Simple First Rule: Pick what you can fully hold and complete, not what looks impressive.
This is how sustainable momentum builds: Remove friction → respect capacity → choose simple → progress compounds.
Travel lighter. Move further.
Resource
If you want a gentle path for doing exactly that, removing pressure, releasing urgency, and building progress that respects your capacity, I created something to help you walk that journey.
The Travel Light Path. Because this isn’t about doing more. It’s about carrying less.
In Other News
One of the programs that completely transformed how I approach storytelling, marketing, and messaging is Own Your Story from my coach, Alisa Kay. Doors are opening soon! This program helped me turn my experiences into powerful stories that connect deeply, build trust, and strengthen my offers. If you’re ready to become magnetic in your messaging and finally sound like you online, I highly recommend checking it out (affiliate link).
If you are ready to stop collecting ideas and start committing to one that actually pays, join the Becoming Boss Bundle waitlist! Make sure you do not miss the date (March 9–12) when this free bundle of $3,000+ in plug-and-play tools opens. An optional VIP upgrade if you want to go deeper.
P.S. I’m not saying never order the monster burger. Just maybe not for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner. 😂
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