Surviving the Squeeze: My Week of Chaos and Resilience

Have you ever felt like life was squeezing you inside a bottle with no escape? That's exactly where I found myself this week—trapped between multiple challenges that seemed to hit all at once.

Just when everything was going well with my Substack newsletter (37% open rates and gaining 20 subscribers daily), my luck suddenly ran dry. Click-through rates to my Fiverr link stayed disappointingly low at 1%. Meanwhile, my house renovation from the 1960s demanded attention, a promised work promotion never materialized, and relationship tensions added another layer of stress. It was truly my worst week in recent memory.

Yet through this chaos, I discovered what I call the Five Stages of Resilience. First comes grief—acknowledging your disappointment when things don't go as planned. Then acceptance, which doesn't mean giving up but redirecting your energy toward solutions. Third is focusing and isolating problems rather than overwhelming yourself with multitasking. The fourth stage is taking concrete action on each isolated problem. Finally, embracing the ultimate form of gratitude—appreciation for being alive and able to move forward.

What surprised me most was realizing that "single-tasking" works better than multitasking during difficult times. Completing one task creates closure and generates energy for the next challenge. Progress isn't linear, and setbacks coexist with wins—each teaching different lessons. Your environment affects your performance, but emotional honesty and consistently providing value without expecting immediate rewards accelerates growth.

Resilience isn't about avoiding stress or chaos; it's about acknowledging difficulties, acting with focus, and practicing gratitude throughout. Every challenge becomes a stepping stone toward becoming your best self. What strategies help you stay resilient when life feels overwhelming? I'd love to hear your experiences.

Chapters

• 0:00 My Tough Week of Setbacks
• 8:48 Building My Newsletter Success Story
• 16:34 When Everything Went Wrong
• 22:02 The Five Stages of Resilience
• 26:20 Isolating Problems vs. Multitasking
• 30:23 The Ultimate Form of Gratitude

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

This week, guys, was tough for me, very tough, because I faced some setbacks that really made me unhappy. You know, some situations literally stressed me out, make me feel as if I was falling into a deep hole with no way out 100%. Do you know that feeling? Right when it seems like there is not escape, you can feel a heavy weight pressing down on you. Do you know that feeling? It's a situation where the pressure is so intense that it feels like someone has closed you inside a bottle and the giant hand is trying to squeeze it. You know this situation are awful and, uh, you know it happens to everyone, it happened to me as well and uh, we shouldn't be surprised about it. But but then I thought to myself wait a moment.

Speaker 1: 1:05

You know I am the host of Journey to Success, right? So I always talk about persistence, consistency, discipline and, overall, we often discuss, directly and indirectly, we often discuss about resilience in this podcast. So what if I share what happened this week? You may not know the details yet, but I promise you you will know soon. Hi guys, my name is Fabio from Journey to Success, and welcome. Today you will learn about different stages of resilience, not based on what we see on the internet or motivational quotes, but rather on my experience and, I'm sure, the experiences of others. But before moving forward, as always, please subscribe, all right. So I know this is the right direction to lead you guys, to drive you and to guide you towards your journey to success. And let's get started. So about a week ago I told myself okay, I'm doing a lot and I can see that I'm getting close to achieving my goals. So I have improved my copywriting skills and instead of paying someone to build a newsletter for me to sell my sub-segmentorship, I decided to do it myself. So, yes, I faced some problem getting started, but at the end it worked out and I can say I'm proud of the results. So currently I'm seeing an average open rate of 37% of my mails. That's actually pretty high and I consider a significant achievement.

Speaker 1: 2:53

My Substack is also doing well, with posts receiving Well. My Substack was doing well, I'll tell you better. So we posted. So my post, my notes, uh, were receiving thousands of like guys and gaining around, I would say, 20 subscribers per day, so I was very happy, uh. So for those who don't know anyway, what is substack? Substack is a newsletter publishing platform that combines elements of social media and blogging. So it's similar to xTwitter, but it also functions like a publication site, you know, like mediumcom, and you can build your email list for free as well. So we're not talking all about followers. It's a very, very beautiful and, in my opinion, better than Instagram or Facebook or TikTok, because you know you are gaining your, you are building your email list, you are gaining not only followers but, as I said, subscribers.

Speaker 1: 4:00

Anyway, long story short, everything was going well. Too much good, too well. In fact, I was really happy with the results, right, but have you ever experienced a time in your life when everything seems too perfect and that it almost felt too good to be true? You know, there is a popular saying that goes in this way If you keep hitting too many green lights in a row, people usually say one of the two things the first thing is you're having a lucky day or enjoying good karma. The second thing is you should enjoy it, because it rarely happens. However, there is a third, one kind of even popular say, more skeptical, which tells if you keep hitting too many green lights in a row, you're using up all your luck at once, and that's exactly how I felt this week. So what happened? Everything on the road.

Speaker 1: 5:04

So, first of all, yes, my upper rate was good, was great, but my click rate, which redirected directly to my Fiverr link right, was around 1%, so very, very low. I tried to fix these issues with a better call to action, you know, and various strategies to increase the click rate, including also offering a free e-book abstract, of my course, but I'm still working on it. I'm not entirely convinced. Then I decided, okay, I can like. My idea is to review the superstar content of folders for free before monetizing, you know. So I was like, okay, maybe I can avoid the e-book abstract, maybe I can just give it more value. And so, just, you know, making a 15-minute section for free. That for me is absolutely fine.

Speaker 1: 6:09

I enjoy helping people, regardless of the financial aspect. You know, and remember, the more value you give, the faster you achieve your goals. But it's still in progress. Also, this also means I need to revisit the newsletter and the email sequence which stressed me out. And why it stressed me out? Because in my free time from my job right, I'm also working on the house we bought two years ago. The strangle has been immense for us, so my only free time that I have right now, unfortunately I cannot dedicate only towards my podcast or my social media project. So the strangle of this house has been immense. One day, I promise I will share the story with you, and so, yeah, it's still long story short. It's an old house from the 1960s and we weren't ready for a complete renovation, and we've made progress in the past two years, but we haven't been consistent, and now I am determined to have everything done before Christmas, which adds another priority to my list. So see how everything builds up in my situation.

Speaker 1: 7:44

You know, on the top of that, I work for someone else as well, like most of you, and I expected a promotion months ago. That never came, and currently we're also dealing with bugs at work, and my mood is not the best right now in the job. And just a small note for you guys if your humor is not the best at your job, your performance is bad. It's mainly because your company is not meeting your expectations, right? Your performance is shaped by their environment.

Speaker 1: 8:16

Okay, remember this. Please don't pull it on you, okay, unless you are aware that you're doing something wrong. Like 90% of the times, it's not your fault and anyway, it has been a disaster of a week, disaster, probably the worst ever. You know, I also had a fight with my elf, because I don't feel here. The truth is, and this is another tip for the day don't blame the people around you or fight with them. Okay, remember that your journey is a lonely one, so it's important to have people who support you, of course, but it's also essential to understand that at the end of your story, you are the hero. You are the one who needs to defeat your demons. Okay, by the way, here, here I am, uh, speaking to you despite all this chaos.

Speaker 1: 9:14

Uh, we often talk about resilience, guys, and you know, we like to enjoy watching reels of successful people who seem to strangle. However, many show only the best parts of their journey. You know, maybe because of ego, or a desire to avoid appearing weak, or maybe they just feel shame. It's possible, but I really try to show my authentic self. So let's see what you learn, you know, from my story.

Speaker 1: 9:53

So how did I survive all this mess this week? Basically, there are different stages to this process, in my opinion. Stage one all right, base of my story. Stage one grief. Yes, when you're sad guys, desperate because things are not going well, as you wish. You experience a feeling similar to grief, honestly, let's be honest. I felt the idea of losing my beautiful community in Substack. You know my chat, my notes that can inspire people.

Speaker 1: 10:30

So we're talking about the journey to Success Club. It's not even just about me, it's about all of us. So the thought of losing that is devastating for me. And I still don't know the reason for my issues. Maybe I was promoting my Fiverr link too openly, or discussing my eToro journey, my paid subscription? I don't know. I have no clue, but it hurts deeply that nobody has responded to me yet. But it's part of the journey. There is grief, you know. So it's not about the people around me. It's not about the end of the story. It's not about the fact that the support didn't respond. It's not about the fact that maybe I made mistakes.

Speaker 1: 11:19

The point is that I feel sad. Of course, I'm in a different stage right now. I'm in a stage where I feel good, but let's talk in the present, right? So in stage one, it's a stage where I feel sad, you feel sad, people feel sad, right? So this grief is a powerful feeling because you cannot see the way forward. So all you see, is this enormous obstacle, enormous stone, you know, and the only thing to do at this stage is to acknowledge the grief. I know that many people have lost their communities on Instagram, tiktok or in real life, for example. You know, even being forced to leave their favorite comfort zone place because they're no longer welcomed. You know, this can happen to anyone, everywhere, digitally, and not okay. So when it happens, we must acknowledge this grief and recognize that in this stage there is actually nothing we can do, no solution, nothing dot period, just our desperation. Desperation or despair, I think, is in English right, desperation is correct. I don't know, guys, I'm going to check later. Anyway, stage two acceptance. When you are in this sentimental misery, right, and with a feeling not so far from depression, at the end of the story, your focus is on crying or being desperate okay. But once you start accepting the situation, that's when you can stand up, face the big stone in front of you and say, okay, all right, I have to do something now. So what that something is, we don't know yet, but we'll figure it out. So the shorter the grief lasts, the more you can reach stage two, which is accepting past unfortunate events Okay.

Speaker 1: 13:36

Stage three Focus and isolate the problem. I remember when I was in school maybe 20 years ago now, maybe 23, we were introduced to multitasking as being essential. You know, I don't know if you remember I'm 36 years old now. I don't know if you are my same age Maybe you remember this boom, this multitasking trend. You know in the school how much important it was.

Speaker 1: 14:08

But I have to be honest with you, I was never convinced about this concept. Maybe because I guess, maybe I'm a little bit autistic, I don't know, but I found it stressful to try to adapt my being with multiple tasks at once. It's not me at all. Instead, I prefer what I call single tasking or isolating tasks. I don't even know if this concept exists, but that's what I do. I focus on one problem at that time and work to close. Definitely that chapter. This might take a day or longer, but dealing with one issue at a time gives me closure, guys, and closure provides energy, okay, energy that you can use to keep moving forward. Energy that you can use to keep moving forward, energy that you can use to solve more problems. Remember that.

Speaker 1: 16:10

Stage four, acting. This is the part where we reflect on the past. You identify all the problems you have. For example, this week I experienced some discomfort at work. My newsletter didn't perform as I expected, I faced some challenges with the soup stack I'll keep you updated on that and additionally, I'm working on fixing up my house, adjust my office, because my sister is going to stay with us in the Netherlands for a while and there was a lot to do this week. I also had an issue with the bathroom sink, which I nearly forgot about to tell you before and um, and yes, I managed to fix in my own way. For now it's okay. I don't know in the future.

Speaker 1: 16:55

I've been tapping and occasionally sending the windows to prepare for painting. Okay, and the painting itself I mean my elf is going to do because she's very good on that, and what else, oh, yeah, maybe we have a mouse on the roof. Also, that I actually need to check, because yesterday I put some friendly traps and I a friendly trap, sorry, and I don't even know if it worked at the end. So I have to check. So can you tell me how to multitask? That? That's impossible. No, for me.

Speaker 1: 17:42

The truth is that we need to isolate the problem in our head. Well, this at least, is my way. Once we do that, we can manage them one by one, right finding solutions as we go. The solution is always there, guys, so when you isolate the problem, you gain a better understanding of how to resolve it. Okay, it's similar to math. There is always one X that represents the solution to any problem. That represents the solution to any problem, even though math can produce multiple answers or variables. People often refer to finding the X as the unknown they are trying to solve for. So it symbolizes the mystery or goal you are attempting to reach, guys Stage five, the ultimate form of gratitude. So, to reach a place where you believe there is always a solution in your life, of course you need to embrace the ultimate form of gratitude.

Speaker 1: 18:49

Now, in your opinion, what is the ultimate form of gratitude that can unlock any solution in your life? I'll wait a moment. I'll wait a moment for you to think about it. I'm coming with the answer. So here is my answer You're alive, that's it. You're alive. When you acknowledge that you're alive, you can see countless solutions and many paths forward. You can also translate everything that has happened in your life, including my experiences, into lessons or different insights. Okay, in this way, guys, you unlock the best form of resilience and become the best version of yourself.

Speaker 1: 19:40

So this week was challenging, stressful, chaotic. It was a disaster, but full of lessons. I felt trapped at times, as if life were squeezing me in a battle. Yet these challenges revealed what resilience truly looks like, guys, and even in the chaos, there is a lot to learn, okay. So today I want to break down my week, share what happened and give you some insights insights that I think can help anyone navigating challenging, like mine, maybe worse also.

Speaker 1: 20:21

So let's start with the wins. So I built my Substack newsletter myself, okay, instead of paying someone to do it, and my copywriting has improved. And the results? Well, my mails are seeing an average open rate of 37%, posts are getting thousands of likes on my sub stack and I'm gaining about 20 new subscribers per day, so this is also good. That feels amazing. It's proof that consistency and effort really pay off. Right, but of course, it's proved that consistency and effort really pay off all right, but of course, it's not all perfect. So my click rate to my fiverr link is around one percent very low. Even with better calls to action and offering extra value like free a book abstract.

Speaker 1: 21:10

I didn't see the results I hoped for. I also have to be honest, I wasn't patient enough to make sure that the sequence would work properly. I was maybe a little bit impatient, but what is the lesson here? The lesson is progress in one area doesn't automatically fix every other challenge. Okay, so number one Then there is we have to consider that there is a life outside. What I do my newsletter, my podcast, my soup stock and it's also for you guys In my case, for example is that we decided to renovate our house. It's a house from the 60s and the balancing work that hasn't given me the promotion I expected either, and try to maintain personal relationships as well, you know, and to that, a small fight with my partner as well. So I don't know.

Speaker 1: 22:22

It's easy to feel like everything is falling apart, but here's the truth. That's life okay, messy, a lot of layers, challenging, and resilience is not about avoiding that mess, but it's about moving through it. So how did I handle it? I noticed a pattern in my transition from strangle to progress this week. So this is good news, and I like to call them the stage of resilience. And here is what I realized. It's exactly what I said to you before, but I'm just trying to break it down for you better, to give you more insight.

Speaker 1: 23:03

So stage one grief. This is when everything feels heavy, guys. I felt grief over potential losses, the community I built on Swoopstack, my newsletter not performing as expected, and it's okay to feel it. Acknowledging your emotions gives clarity of what really matters, okay. Stage two acceptance. Once you feel the grief, acceptance is what allows you to see clearly. So you start asking what can I do now? Acceptance doesn't mean giving up, guys, it means focusing your energy where it counts. Okay.

Speaker 1: 23:38

Number three stage three focus and isolate. So forget multitasking for a moment. I mean, if you're good, very well, I'm very happy for you. But in my case I found that managing one problem at a time you know, fixing the sink, stop dot, sending windows, dot, adjusting my newsletter, dot is the fastest way to gain momentum and every completed task builds energy and confidence to move forward. All right. So for me it's a very good trick.

Speaker 1: 24:14

Number four stage four action. Once you have isolated the problem, you need to act. So take concrete steps, guys. This week for me it was household fixes and newsletter experiments, preparing my office and even dealing with a possible mouse on the roof. So action turns frustration into progress, If you do well, of course, if you make a good closer.

Speaker 1: 24:49

Referring to stage three, focus and isolate. You know every completed task builds energy and confidence, okay. Stage four we already mentioned, and now we have stage five gratitude. Finally, the ultimate stage is gratitude. So the fact that you are alive, that you can keep moving forward, is everything, is everything. Truly, will you embrace that every setback becomes a lesson and every challenge an opportunity? Okay, now let's see some quick takeaways before we close the episode.

Speaker 1: 25:25

All right, first of all, progress is not linear, guys. Wins and setbacks coexist and each teaches something different. Number two your environment affects performance, but it doesn't define your journey, okay. Number three emotional honesty matters. It boosts connection and self-awareness. Number four giving value first, even without immediate reward, and trust me and I trust myself as well, because it's something that I have to remember when you give value and even if, as I say, it doesn't give you immediate reward, accelerate growth. Guys, okay, you just need to be patient, we need to be patient, I need to be patient, okay. And number five single tasking beats multitasking. So closer on one problem gives energy, you know, for the next to deal, the next to deal with the next problem. So at the end of the week, despite everything, I feel stronger, clearer and more aligned with myself again.

Speaker 1: 26:51

Resilience is not about avoiding stress or chaos, guys. It's more about acknowledging it, acting with focus and practicing gratitude. Okay, every challenge is a stepping stone, every setback is a lesson, and every small action and move closer to your best self. Okay, that's my week. That was my week. I hope it's gonna be better from tomorrow on, even if I learn a lot, and I hope sharing with you helps. You see that even in tough times, growth is possible. Resilience is a process, guys, not a destination. Okay, it's about acknowledging strangle, acting with focus and embracing gratitude, and each challenge, whether personal, professional or practical, becomes a stepping stone toward growth. So, life is not smooth, but every setback offers insight, guys. Every small action adds momentum and every momentum, every moment of reflection, strengthens your path to success.

Speaker 1: 28:05

Okay, now I want to hear from you. How do you face challenges and keep moving forward when life feels overwhelming? What is your strategy? Habits or mindset? We always talk about mindset in this podcast, right? Mindset that helps you stay resilient and focused even when everything seems chaotic. You know, send me a message, share your, your story. Connect with me on soup stack. Well, when they finally decide to you know, to remove this temporary ban, I would love to hear you and I would love to hear your experiences and learn from them. If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to subscribe, guys, so you never miss an update. And if you know someone who might benefit from hearing about resilience, focus and finding solution in tough times, then you know, share this episode with them. Thank you so much for being here. On journey to success, remember, every challenge is a stepping stone and together we can keep building the life we want, one step at a time. I'll see you in the next episode. Cheers, guys.