Strategic Disruption: How to Break the Pattern and Lead What’s Next

Sometimes it takes one bold move to break the pattern.
Mine?
A polar bear swim.

January 1. Sun-Oka Beach.
Water so cold it slapped the lies right off me.

Up until that moment, I was in full hustle mode.
Working. Momming. Managing everyone’s happiness like it was my job.
I’d stopped participating in my own life.

But that day, I gave myself a mantra:
Participate.

That one word cracked something open.

I did the dip.
And within six months, my entire life shifted.

This Wasn’t About Ice Water

It was about energy.
About clarity.
And a reframe I didn’t even know I needed:

I come first.
Not because it’s selfish—because it’s strategic.

I had lost myself in the hustle.
What I needed wasn’t a break.

 It was a disruption.

Strategic Shifts Aren’t Someday Moves

They’re not made in perfect conditions.
They’re made in moments of truth.

You don’t need a breakdown to create a breakthrough.
You just need one sharp move—and the courage to follow it.

Five Fast Shifts to Disrupt the Default

1. Reclaim Your Energy
If you’re drained, you’re not leading.
Make joy and fuel non-negotiable.

2. Reframe the Narrative
Who said you have to keep doing it all?
Rewrite the “musts.” Fast.

3. Move Something Big
Change your environment.
Your routine.
Your damn ringtone.
Signal a shift.

4. Play to Remember Who You Are
Play isn’t optional—it’s oxygen.
Go find your version of the cold plunge.

5. Decide Who Comes First (Hint: You)
Put yourself back in the center of the frame.
That’s not ego. That’s longevity.

Inside the Shift

“This wasn’t about starting over.
It was about starting for real.”

You don’t need permission.
You need a spark.
And maybe a cold lake.

P.S. Need help finding your version of a clean strategic shift?
I coach high-performers through fast reframes, bold resets, and future-focused clarity.
Book a Clarity Strategy Session →

Whatever your plunge looks like—do it. Don’t wait.

– Deborah (aka Devi)

Im still doing plunges!