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,
I’ve got a story for you…
A simple microwave nearly burned down my office.
Sounds ridiculous, right? But it’s true.
We were in this tucked-away office, about 30 people. One morning, a fire alarm blares. Everyone assumes it’s a drill… until people trained for emergencies started yelling: “This is real, get outside!”
Turns out someone left food in the microwave way too long. The whole kitchen went up in flames. Smoke, charred walls, firefighters, the works. All from one tiny mistake.
And that wasn’t the last time.
When I moved to another building, it was like microwave chaos followed me. Someone put a fork inside. Someone else tried foil. Another person burned popcorn so badly that we had to evacuate 11 floors. By the way, we evacuated every single one of those times.
Hours wasted. People frustrated. A whole building climbing stairs because somebody got distracted.
Finally, new rules were set: don’t leave the microwave unattended. Simple. Obvious. But also, absolutely necessary.
Here’s the thing: life and business work the same way.
We know the fundamentals. Build the pipeline. Nurture the leads. Take care of your health. Rest when you need to. Nothing fancy. Nothing revolutionary. Just simple things that keep everything else moving.
But… how often do we actually leave the microwave running unattended?
We juggle. We multitask. We assume the little things are under control while we sprint ahead chasing the big ones. Until burnout. Lost opportunities. Costly mistakes.
And trust me, I’ve been there.
For months now, I’ve been “go, go, go.” Work. Family. Travel. Health. It’s been exciting, but also draining. I realized I’ve been ignoring my own microwaves, sleep, rest, and even something as simple as cleaning up my inbox.
So here’s the shift I’m making:
Slowing down. Resetting. Making space to breathe. Paying attention to the small things that quietly hold up the big ones.
Because the truth is, you don’t need genius-level strategies to move forward. You just need to stop ignoring the simple, obvious levers that keep everything else from catching fire.
What about you?
Are you paying attention to your microwave?
Or are you letting it run unattended while life piles on smoke?
If you feel burned out or overwhelmed, maybe it’s time to step back, reset, and handle the simple things that make the biggest difference.
Small things. Big impact. Always.
I’m rooting for you always,
Ruth
Reflect
- Where in your life or work are you ignoring something simple but essential?
- What “microwave” have you left running unattended?
Reframe
Old belief: “The simple things take care of themselves.”
New belief: “The simple things are the foundation. Ignore them, and everything else collapses.”
Actionable Transformation
- Audit your basics — List out the 3–5 simple habits or systems (health, work, relationships) that keep everything else running. Check if they’re working or neglected.
- Protect the essentials — Treat these fundamentals like non-negotiables. Create policies for yourself the way management did with microwaves.
- Pause before adding more — Before taking on a new project, ask: “Am I leaving the microwave unattended?”
Products & Resources
Trust Yourself Again: A self-guided journey to rebuild self-trust from the inside out, so you can stop second-guessing and start showing up with quiet confidence.
Bounce Back Blueprint (Free): Feel like you've fallen off track? This powerful reset guide helps you regroup with compassion and get back into aligned momentum your way.
From Reactive to Rooted (Free): Tired of putting out fires? This mindset and action guide helps you shift from scattered to strategic, so your days flow from clarity, not chaos.
P.S. It’s wild how the “little things” we ignore end up creating the biggest messes. For me, it was sleep, inbox clutter, and slowing down. For you, it might be something else. Take 5 minutes today to ask yourself: What’s the microwave I’ve been leaving unattended?
If you want more of these bite-sized lessons and mindset shifts, I share daily over on X. Come hang out with me there → Follow me on X.
