Episode 43 Control What You Can: How Small Choices Shape Powerful Outcomes

June 23, 2025

🎙️ Episode 34: Control What You Can: How Small Choices Shape Powerful Outcomes

Description:
On a day when the humidity was off the charts and storms were threatening, Trisha made a small but powerful decision: she changed her route, controlled what she could, and got her run done. This episode uses that story to explore a deeper truth about life, mindset, and growth:

You can’t always control your circumstances—but you can control your response.

If you've been feeling stuck, waiting for better conditions, or using your circumstances as an unintentional excuse—this episode is for you.

💡 In this episode, you’ll hear:

A real-life story about adapting a plan to fit the conditions
How women often give away power by waiting for the "right" time
What happens when you confuse inconvenience with impossibility
The coaching shift from excuse to ownership
Practical reflection questions to take back control of your actions and mindset

🛠️ Key Takeaway:

You don’t need perfect conditions to take meaningful action.
Small adjustments + consistent ownership = powerful change.

🔗 Links & Resources:

👉 Free Consultation Call: Book a Call

💌 Join the Email List: trishastanton.com/signup

🎧 Listen to more episodes: Running To Myself Podcast

📣 Share This Episode:

If this message encouraged you, pass it on. Share the episode, leave a review, or send it to someone who needs to be reminded that they have more power than they think.

Episode Transcript

🎙️ Podcast Title:
Control What You Can: How Small Choices Shape Powerful Outcomes
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🎧 Podcast Script with Coaching Tie-In:
Hey friends, and welcome back to Running to Myself—where we use stories from the road (and real life) to grow stronger from the inside out.
Today, I want to talk about the power of controlling what we can—and how that mindset can completely shift how we move through challenges, discomfort, and even our daily decisions.
Let me tell you about a recent run…
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☀️ The Story
The humidity felt like it was somewhere around 600%. You know that kind of heavy, sticky air that makes breathing feel like a workout in itself? That was the day.
Normally I run on the trails—but lately we’ve had violent thunderstorms. So that day, I chose to stick close to home. I ran in the neighborhood, not because it was ideal, but because it was smart.
Here’s what’s key:
I couldn’t change the weather.
I couldn’t control the clouds or the storm potential.
But I could choose how I responded.
And that’s the message I want to offer you today:
You can’t always control your circumstances. But you can always control your response.
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🛑 The Coaching Connection: When Circumstances Become Excuses
This comes up all the time in coaching.
I work with women who are brilliant, driven, and deeply caring—but who have also grown accustomed to letting their circumstances dictate their consistency.
And they don’t even realize it’s happening.
They say:
* “I didn’t follow through because it was a stressful week.”

* “I was going to work on that goal, but life got in the way.”

* “This season is just too chaotic right now… maybe later.”

And listen—I get it. I’ve been there.
We do go through seasons that are full and messy and unpredictable.
But here's what I help them see:
There will always be circumstances. Always.
If you wait for everything to feel calm or convenient, you’ll be waiting forever.
We don’t need to ignore hard seasons or pretend like everything’s fine.
But we do need to stop giving away all our power to what we can’t control.
Because when we do that—we stop showing up for what matters.
We use the weather (literal or emotional) as a reason to pause the progress we’re capable of making.
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⚡ The Shift: From Excuse to Ownership
When I chose to run in the neighborhood instead of on the trail, it wasn’t because I was ignoring the storm. It was because I adjusted.
I controlled what I could.
I moved in a way that supported my goal.
And I created a win—not because everything was ideal, but because I took ownership.
That’s what I want you to hear today.
You have more control than you think.
More influence over your mindset.
More choices than your brain often wants to admit.
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💡 Ask Yourself:
So if you’ve been feeling stuck or unmotivated lately…
If you’ve been letting your circumstances write the story…
Ask yourself:
* What am I waiting on to feel “just right”?

* What’s one thing I can control today?

* Where have I been using circumstances as a reason to stall?

And then—make one small adjustment.
Just one.
Reroute the plan.
Shorten the run.
Change the pace.
But keep moving.
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🧡 Final Encouragement
Friend, you don’t need perfect conditions to make meaningful progress.
You just need a willingness to own what’s within your control—and act on it, consistently.
This is where personal power lives.
This is where emotional strength is built.
This is what coaching helps you develop.
So if that message resonated with you today—and you’re tired of letting life “get in the way” of what matters to you—I’d love to help you reconnect with your power, your consistency, and your sense of peace.
📅 You can book a free consultation anytime through my website trishastanton.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.
Thanks for spending time with me today.
If this episode spoke to you, would you leave a review or share it with someone else who might need it?
Until next time—keep showing up.
Keep controlling what you can.
And remember: Mindset Matters.