317: Running on Empty: How to Lead, Work, and Live with More Clarity and Calm

Send us a text Feeling stretched thin by nonstop news and workplace pressure. In this episode, executive and career coach John Neral helps mid-career professionals regain momentum with presence, pace, and practical wins. Learn how to prevent burnout, ask leadership for targeted support, and use small controllables to improve performance. We also cover a data-driven approach to job search and interviews, plus a simple Mid-Career GPS to turn chaos into clarity. Ideal for managers, team leads, and job seekers pursuing career clarity and promotion in a challenging market. Who this is for: Mid-career professionals ages 35 to 55 who want practical strategies to manage stress, stay effective at work, and make measurable progress in a challenging job market. What you’ll learnHow to pause and assess when current events and shutdown stress weigh on your energy and focusWhy presence and pace improve decisions on the road, in meetings, and during interviewsThe manager’s responsibility to check in and support people, and how to ask leadership directly for the help you needHow polarization creeps into daily interactions and how to defuse it at workThe value of “taking a knee” to rest and reset without guiltSmall controllables that compound: food journaling for awareness, quality sleep as performance gear, and 15-minute movement breaks to reset your brainA smarter, data-driven approach to mid-career job search: networking goals, interview preparation, and weekly traction metricsDSD: Do Something Different to get different results, even when you feel stuckHow to build your Mid-Career GPS so you navigate chaos with clarity and intention Practical takeawaysStart each day with a two-minute check-in: energy, focus, and one priorityDefine three controllables for the week: nutrition awareness, sleep window, and one movement break per work blockSet a weekly networking target with names, messages sent, and outcomes trackedFor interviews, script two results-first stories and practice concise deliveryManagers: schedule a 10-minute pulse check with each direct report and ask, “What support would be m Support the show Ready to give your career the jumpstart it needs to whatever is next? Schedule a $197 Career/Leadership Strategy Session. Click here to learn more about how this transformative strategy session will help you. Visit https://johnneral.com/resources to: Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter Get The Mid-Career Promotion Blueprint to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career Join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community. Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here. Connect with John on LinkedIn here. Get John"s New Mid-Career Journal on Amazon here. Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching. Subscribe to John"s YouTube Channel here.