Quinn Magnuson [00:00:00]:
Like when I eventually pass away, I want them to be able to look back and say how much I helped them, but also look at the work that I did and be proud of that. I believe in something different. I believe that we need to recognize the work that we put in — the day-to-day, disciplined, consistent steps we take to be a little bit better for ourselves. I think a lot of people define superpower as something that gives you power, meaning it’s beneficial to you. And I like to think of people’s superpowers as what’s beneficial to others.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:00:33]:
If you think about, what do I leave, what do I leave, right? I want to leave legacy.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:00:38]:
When life gets loud, it’s not the noise that breaks us. It’s the weight of everything we haven’t paused. To feel overwhelm isn’t weakness. It’s a signal for clarity. And today we are learning how to find it. Welcome back to the show. I’m Dr. Christiane, and if you’ve ever felt stuck, tired, or feel like you’re running empty, this conversation is for you.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:01:04]:
…and host of the EOR Podcast. Quinn Magnuson, welcome. I’m so excited to have you here.

Quinn Magnuson [00:01:35]:
Thank you very much, Christiane. Love to be here.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:01:37]:
Yeah, so we’ll get started right away. In our last episode, we talked about how we can use curiosity to get unstuck. And today we are exploring what it is when curiosity is still there, when your energy is gone. So let’s start light. “Overwhelm to me feels like…” How would you finish that sentence?

Quinn Magnuson [00:02:00]:
I gave this a lot of thought, and I think overwhelm to me feels like quicksand. It feels like you’re drowning in quicksand and you’re struggling and you’re actually trying to work harder to get out of it. But we all know that when you work hard in quicksand, it actually sucks you in deeper. And so I think overwhelm, much like quicksand, means you need to calm down, slow down, and take deliberate, prioritized steps. But that overwhelm… it feels like your whole world is out of control and you’re digging and you’re trying to pull yourself out of this quicksand and you end up just sucking yourself deeper into it when you really should be trying to calm your mind, calm your body, and come up with deliberate quick wins to slowly work your way out.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:02:46]:
I love that. And of course, for me — last show, if you haven’t watched it yet — all about curiosity. This one sounds like it’s going to be a lot about calm.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:02:56]:
So: focus. And the C’s are just moving and grooving. So what is one recent moment when you noticed your capacity — another C word — snap back when you actually felt yourself reset?

Quinn Magnuson [00:03:13]:
I get my resets from that overwhelm. I get my reset from actually getting away from the overwhelm. And what I mean by that is changing my environment.

Often it’s just getting outside. Sometimes it’s even changing the room that I’m in. But for me and for my wife, where we live, it’s getting outside, going for a walk. It’s cooling, calming my mind. And there may not even be any words spoken during that time, but that’s really when I get a good reset. And I think sometimes I fight that. There’s a resistance in me that says, “No, I’m going to stay at my desk and keep working.”

And then she’ll pull me away, or I’ll finally just say, “No. I need to take time for myself to come back more energized.” And so that’s what does my resets. For me, it’s taking a few minutes. It could be a breathing exercise, but it’s most definitely activity — get physical activity and just go outside, go for a walk, change environments.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:04:10]:
Oh, I love that. And it’s actually so fitting to the whole Petite Practice®, because it is a very small step but it leads to big impacts. And at the same time, overwhelm actually tends to shrink our world to where we feel small — movement expands it again. And let’s start where we always do. What would you say is your superpower, Quinn?

Quinn Magnuson [00:04:36]:
My superpower has always been — because my family is the most important thing in my life — helping others get better. So it was coaching in amateur sports, my kids and everybody else’s kids. It was being a teacher for five years. It was owning my own company for five years and growing those employees up and out to better things. And now with recordings, it’s helping teachers, it’s helping coaches, it’s helping educators, employers, parents even — really learn how to just take things a little bit slower.

And so my superpower is helping others understand where they can improve. And that’s what I get my most passion from and my most joy from — helping others get better.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:05:32]:
Very good. So when you are overwhelmed, how do you use that superpower?

Quinn Magnuson [00:05:37]:
Well, it doesn’t always manifest itself in the best way, because when you’re feeling that overwhelm and you want to help others to try to fix that, it sometimes looks and feels a lot like control. It feels like me trying to control others so that my life feels in control.

That feeling of fighting really hard to try and get out of the quicksand when I need to slow down — the superpower I have of helping others is now also turning those messages back to myself and saying, “Okay, what do you need to do in this moment to bring yourself back to balance and then be able to take steps forward to help others?”

So that superpower of helping others — I’ve also learned how to use it for myself. Because then it’s not just about controlling others. It’s about allowing them to be themselves, asking them good questions, being curious, and helping them figure it out on their own. And that’s what makes me feel better and often helps me out of my overwhelm.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:06:44]:
Beautiful. And of course, if you think about overwhelm, it has many different layers, and you mentioned a few of those in your response right there. For instance, signal — we have too many inputs from all over the place. Another layer is structure — when we don’t really have a clear container and we feel overwhelmed because of lack of structure.

And then lastly, it’s when your voice says, “I should be much further along. Where am I?” — when you are really hard on yourself. So which one hits you the hardest right now? And how do you notice that in your body? Is it more the signal or more the structure?

Quinn Magnuson [00:07:34]:
I’m a big fan of structure, and that’s the control part of me.

But I think I understand when you talk about signal — where you’re feeling it either in your head or in your chest, in your stomach. I do feel that. And only in the last few years, I’ve learned through other practitioners how to understand what those mean. And for me, it’s often in my chest. I feel the overwhelm in my chest and in my upper body. And then that requires me to take a step back.

Often what I do in that moment is I do a quick inventory: “Okay, how is work going? How is the family doing?” And then prioritizing — there’s the structure — how to prioritize what’s the most important thing to do right now. Instead of trying to do 20 things, let’s do one thing and get that little quick win to start moving forward.

That signal in my chest says: take a break. Deep breath. Prioritize. And do that one thing that gives you a quick win.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:08:41]:
So it sounds like it’s a symbiosis of signal and structure. I love that. And it’s actually good that you mentioned that it’s always, always a learning process. So while you might start tackling overwhelm with your structure, you grew into using more of the signal as well. And I think that’s beautiful — that we become more aware that we can use different modes to respond to something.

So, you can’t really plan from panic. When you’re overwhelmed, sometimes you have to calm down. And it could be that it’s even in your room or even in your body where you’re feeling — you just have to slow down.

So before we get really into the productivity talk, let’s talk a little bit about capacity. What three different quick resets could you do in five minutes or less? Especially to the audience: this is a good time to give you hands-on experience of how you could use those five-minute quick resets.

First, you could do a breath reset — box breathing or just a long exhale. Sometimes we actually tend to hold the breath and we don’t even notice it. And then I point it out and you’re like, “That’s true, I was holding my breath, wasn’t I?”

Second, it’s called the decision rule — two columns: “This Week” and “Not Now.” Having a long to-do list is amazing, but do you really need to do all these things right now? Use the two columns: What do I need to do this week? What is something I don’t have to do right now? And then you just circle what you actually tackle today.

And then third would be what I call the micro win. Do something small and actually complete it. It’s like what the Petite Practice® and the STEP method are all about — praising that small progress. Clear your desk, answer three emails, or take that short walk you mentioned earlier.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:10:42]:
When you think about your own routine, which one of these gives you the best return?

Quinn Magnuson [00:10:47]:
Right now, I would like to say that trying to do those quick wins gives me the best return, but I find that overwhelm — when I’m starting to get too much in my head — is because I’m doing too much work. And so for me, the immediate answer is to change environment and get activity going. Like: get my body moving.

I don’t want to. I want to stay at my desk and work hard. And then I’m like, “Okay, I’ll go for a walk.” And I always feel better because it gets me away, changes the environment, clears your head.

For a lot of people, it’s that change of environment and a distraction. You get too much in your kitchen — in your mind — and you’re constantly throwing things at yourself to make it worse. You need to change environments so that work isn’t in front of you.

I always feel energized when I come back from that walk. And I also feel a sense of, “Okay, I’ve had my break, I’ve had my treatment, now it’s time to get back to work.” It’s why it’s so important to practice self-care.

If you just work nonstop, you never really feel what getting a break is. But then when you get the break, you’re like, “Okay, now I have to go back to work.” It’s a reverse motivator. So I think movement — getting away from the spot you’re in even for a few minutes — is the number one thing you can do.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:12:26]:
Beautiful. And of course, to the audience, you have those three different tips. Try each of them — there might be a day when one feels better than another. We don’t have to stick to certain methods.

But I love that you mentioned that life can be really overwhelming and a struggle. And if you look back at your life, what has been your biggest struggle?

Quinn Magnuson [00:12:50]:
I think it’s a two-part answer because there’s my identity as me and myself, and there’s my identity as a father and a husband. I’ve actually had almost as many years as a father and husband as I have not been one.

So the biggest struggle I faced growing up was being in a single-parent family — a mother who was trying to raise three children on welfare. That poverty-level feeling of trying to prove myself, seek approval, always wondering where the next meal was coming from. I brought that into my adult life and my life as a father and husband.

My goal as a father and husband is to protect and provide and to make sure my family is safe. The struggle I go through now is I’m only as happy as my unhappiest child. I’m only as happy as my family is happy.

And so everything I do — even with EOR, with Effort Over Results, with the podcast — all goes back to being able to provide for my family and help others feel better.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:14:37]:
Yeah. So when you think of that particular challenge, what made that season so heavy? And now, when you look at your calendar, how do you handle those moments when you feel stuck?

Quinn Magnuson [00:14:58]:
I think being stuck — and we use that term a lot in leadership — being stuck comes from lack of clarity. Not having the clarity of what I’m truly trying to do without worrying about what others think, without worrying about restraints.

Only in the last five or seven years have I learned to care less what other people think, to do what I truly love, to find my happy place.

The clarity of knowing that what I’m doing now — after I left my corporate job — brings everything into structure and motion.

To follow your Petite Practice®, which is very much like Effort Over Results: just take the first little step. Just take that first little step. I always say, put your gym bag by the door. You don’t have to go to the gym — just put it by the door.

Whatever you’re trying to accomplish, don’t look at the big picture too soon. Decide what you can do today and do that one little thing. Then keep doing that so you build habits. Then pick another thing and add it. Slowly move your way forward.

That’s the most important thing.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:16:37]:
It’s beautiful. And of course, the Petite Practice® is definitely something that even my husband tells me when I’m overwhelmed. He’s like, “You are the one that always talks about Petite Practice®.” And I’m like, “Oh, that’s true.”

Quinn Magnuson [00:16:57]:
I like when our families bring that back and throw it in our face. My kids are like, “Hey, Dad — Effort Over Results.” And I’m like, “Yeah, okay. All right.”

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:17:05]:
Yep, I’m right there. And he’s like, “You’re the one that came up with it.” And I’m like, “Oh, that’s true. Thank you.”

So who or what helped you overcome your biggest struggle?

Quinn Magnuson [00:17:16]:
Like I said, I get so much of my motivation and inspiration from my family. My kids especially. I want them — when I eventually pass away — to look back and say how much I helped them, but also look at the work that I did and be proud of that.

So I want my family to be proud of me. That’s really what this is all about. It’s a lot of work. And with work-life balance — there’s really no such thing, because if you love what you do, you’re not truly working.

So what gets me out of that is thinking about what I’m trying to provide for my family and helping make them proud of me. That’s what all of this is about.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:18:04]:
Yeah, it’s beautiful. It’s leaving a legacy. If you think about: What do I leave? What do I leave? I want to leave a legacy. That’s really important.

So let’s turn that into a playbook for someone watching. What were some of the key shifts you made? It could be in your environment, your schedule, your people, or your self-task.

Quinn Magnuson [00:18:27]:
I decided to make the jump to building the EOR brand and the Effort Over Results movement. That, to me, was the largest change of environment.

It’s been a struggle, and for coaches like yourself and myself and all the other coaches out there trying to help others — growing that business is very difficult. It may look great on Instagram — “I can get you to six figures in one month” — but they’re all struggling because they’re all truly trying to help others.

But: change your environment. Even if it’s something small. If you don’t like where you’re living — if you can change that, change that. If you’re in a relationship you’re not sure about, change the environment. Move around a bit. That’s the most important thing — like I said: activity and movement.

Secondly: gain clarity. “Okay, I’ve made the change, I’ve changed the environment. What do I want to move forward with? What requires me to be productive and active?” Choose that.

Then Petite Practice®, Effort Over Results: small steps toward it. There is profit in all labor. Any movement you can make toward that, you’ll gain more contentment.

I’m not a big fan of saying, “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been,” because happiness comes and goes much like waves. It’s more important to ask, “Do I feel fulfilled and content in what I’m doing?” That’s where happiness comes from.

We’ve all hit goals we said would make us happy — and then they pass — and you start again. It’s important to keep moving forward in any directionally correct, not absolutely correct, way.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:20:36]:
It’s beautiful. And of course, I also agree with you regarding the change of environment because — you might know — I’m from Germany. Quinn, you’re from Canada. So sometimes we just have to search a little bit for what feels like home. That might bring more clarity, more alignment, and the drive of leaving that legacy. I love that.

And we have an episode coming up, audience — stay tuned. We’re going to talk more about that.

So when life feels too much, this is my favorite tool: it’s called the 24-Hour Clarity Reset.

Step one is Clear the Field — completely tune in with the athlete in us. Write everything down.

Clear the field means dump your brain onto a piece of paper.

Step two: Sort the Game Plan. Label it A, B, and C.

Step three: One Play at a Time. Pick one A task and finish it completely. Just get that thing done.

Step four: Reset the System. Move. Go for that quick walk, stretch, hydrate.

Step five: Prep the Future. Set up tomorrow’s tasks.

With that: effort creates clarity, and clarity creates results. And overwhelm tells you to stop — but progress often starts as a whisper. One breath and one small step forward.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter [00:22:28]:
And for everyone watching, take one small action today toward clarity. Tell us how your micro win turns out with that 24-hour Clarity Reset. Put it in the comments. Subscribe to the podcast because you can’t miss what we’re going to talk about regarding home. And of course, we want to celebrate with you.