Thrive in the Fire: A Guide to Owning Q3 by Reigniting Purpose, Power, and Performance.

Pressure Is Not the Enemy—Misalignment Is

When people talk about stress, they often blame the pressure. “Work’s crazy right now.” “Home is demanding.” “The economy’s nuts.” But pressure, in itself, isn’t the villain. It’s a symptom. The real culprit? Misalignment.

Think about it. You’re expected to perform at high levels at work. To be an attentive partner and parent. To stay financially responsible and emotionally resilient. But no one ever stops to ask:

Does any of this reflect what I actually value?

This is the root of that drained, empty feeling that keeps men up at night. You know, bed before midnight, waking at 2:30, wide awake, mind in full gear. Many times, we are great at executing someone else’s script and then wonder why it doesn’t feel fulfilling. We we wake at 2:30 with all the should have, could have, and would have decisions and choices. You’re productive, but not purposeful. And that’s the killer.

Let me offer a reframe: Pressure reveals what’s out of sync.

This quarter, instead of avoiding the discomfort, use it as a compass. Begin by asking:

• What parts of my life feel the most out of control?

• What expectations am I chasing that no longer serve me?

• Where am I saying yes out of fear instead of alignment?

• 2Q25 was down for many businesses, how bout for me?

I coach men through this reflection all the time. One of the most effective tools I use is the Weekly Priority Alignment model. It’s a simple but powerful way to set three aligned priorities each week—one personal, one professional, one for self. These become the anchors in the storm. Combined with an accountability coach, ensures you keep up with your timeline rather than everyone elses. 

✅ Want to feel centered again? Reach out to me and I’ll walk you through how to set up your personal alignment model—one that fits your values, your goals, and your season of life. Text your email address and Jim send WPA to 469-840-2400 and I will send the Weekly Priority Alignment model at no charge. 

Career Squeeze—Invisible, Indispensable, and Ignored

Let’s call it out—this season is tough for mid-career men. You’ve climbed the ladder. You’re the go-to guy when things get tight. And yet, despite carrying so much responsibility, it can feel like no one truly sees you unless it is to remind you the power of AI. .

There’s a reason I call this the Squeeze. You’re critical to your company’s success, but often bypassed for the next big opportunity. Worse yet, your company indicates, now is not the time to advance. You’re seasoned, but not seen. So what do most guys do? They dig deeper. Grind harder. Numb out at night. Wake at 2:30, back to sleep at 4 or 4:30 in time for the alarm to go off. 

But what if the answer isn’t more hustle—but a reset?

This is where we shift from survival mode to strategic momentum. I guide clients through a mid-career Reset Strategy, one that helps them:

• Reassess what they want the next 5 years to look like

• Identify what’s draining vs. what’s fulfilling

• Build energy and time boundaries into their work-life rhythm

This isn’t a fluffy vision board exercise. Nor is it one of those rah rah motivational speeches to get you to spend $20,000 for someone else to say, you do this and this and this. It’s a tactical, actionable plan that we work developing and working that pulls you out of reaction mode and into intentional leadership.

This isn't some exercise given by a guy who claims to be a certified life-coach whose last job was as some entry level guy but no real corporate experience. I have been in corporate America, hiring, coaching, mentoring people just like you as I worked by way up the corporate ladder.

✅ Stuck in the squeeze? Let’s build your Reset Strategy together. I’ll help you cut through the noise, reclaim your time, and build a roadmap that brings energy back into your day and purpose into your direction.

Redefining Winning with Personal KPIs

The third quarter is scoreboard season. Leaders want numbers. Investors want results. But here’s what nobody tells you: external KPIs mean nothing if your internal ones are broken.

You can hit all your revenue goals and still feel hollow. You can be praised at work and still feel disconnected at home. You can earn more but feel less in control.

That’s why I challenge my clients to define their own KPIs—the ones that actually matter. Imagine a scenario where you work your KPIs and contribute to your company’s growth and expense reduction while enjoying your life at home. 

Here’s a model I teach:

• Personal Presence – Are you showing up emotionally and physically for your loved ones? If dating, are you having fun and looking forward to your social life. 

• Professional Impact – Are you doing work that moves the needle or just managing chaos? Are you achieving goals you are not real excited about? Do you take on more and more?

• Peace of Mind – Are you sleeping at night or spinning in mental loops? Believe it or not, there are even tools to help go back to sleep when you wake at 2:30. 

  
  

Once these KPIs are defined, the key is tracking them. Most men lose progress not from lack of willpower—but from lack of visibility. Accountability is the key. Having that person that you speak with or text each Monday morning that does not judge but helps keep you grounded without all the noise.

✅ This is where I come in. I help my clients track their personal KPIs through weekly check-ins and accountability sessions. We turn intentions into metrics. Metrics into habits. And habits into results.

If you’re tired of feeling like your effort doesn’t match your outcome, let’s redefine your scoreboard together. Send me a text and let’s schedule an accountability session at no charge for 1 month.

Fifteen (15 minutes) each week where you send me an email, text, or we have a short call to share your prior week accomplishments, current week's goal, and any barriers you expect. Text Accountability with your email address to 469-840-2400. 

Turn Down the Noise—Create Your Personal Economic Forecast

Every day you wake up, open your phone, and get hit with bad news:

• Inflation is rising.

• The Fed might raise interest rates again.

• AI is taking jobs.

• Hiring freezes are looming.

• Global markets are uncertain.

And all of that becomes your internal narrative—whether you realize it or not. You start playing small. You hold back on pitching ideas. You stop planning for what’s next.

But here’s a hard truth I coach every man to see: You are not the economy. You are the economy’s opportunity.

Yes, AI is changing the landscape. But that’s not a threat—it’s a benefit to you and me. The men who thrive going forward are the ones who learn to capitalize with AI, not waiting while business decide how they will react to AI. 

I guide my clients through future-readiness coaching:

• What skills will be essential 12 months from now?

• How can you become AI-augmented instead of AI-replaced?

• How can you build a brand that makes you undeniable, even in volatile markets?

✅ Ready to future-proof your career? I’ll help you identify your high-value skills, close the gaps, and build a development plan that puts you in control—no matter what the market does.

Real Talk—You Can’t Thrive Alone

Let’s cut through the noise. You have been trying this on your own for a while. How’s that going for you? Sure you have achieved a great deal, you have moved in your company, you are successful. Now, in the last 6 months, for the next 6 months, are you moving or just doing? 

There’s a story most men tell themselves—especially the high performers, the leaders, the ones who’ve already checked several boxes on life’s checklist. That story says: "If I just push a little harder, I can handle this myself." Of course you can and wake up at 55 or 60 not overly pleased, happy, or content. Still successful, but not overly pleased, happy, or content.  

But here’s the truth that no one posts about on LinkedIn: You’re not burned out because you’re weak. You’re burned out because you’ve carried the load alone for too long.

Mid-career is lonely. You’re not the rookie asking questions. You’re not the boss who gets praised. You’re the glue—holding together your team, your family, your finances, and your sanity with very few outlets. And it’s slowly suffocating your potential.

Every week, I talk to men who are:

• Leading teams but hiding depression

• Winning at work but losing at home

• Earning respect but starving for recognition

Here’s what I want you to hear from me, coach to client, man to man: You cannot keep climbing if you’re carrying everyone else’s weight—including your own—without a plan, a tribe, or a coach.

Yes, you are strong. Yes, you’ve been through worse. But even the strongest man needs a spotter. Even the best player has a coach. Even the most strategic leader needs space to say: "I don’t know what to do next” or “Damn it is nice to have someone I can bounce that idea off of.”

✅ That’s exactly where I step in. Not to fix you. Not to talk down to you. But to walk beside you as a thinking partner, a coach, and a trusted source of accountability. Like Brad Pitt says in F1, the movie, "Hope is not a strategy."

Whether it’s 15-minute check-ins, strategic career mapping, or emotional refueling—we build your plan together. One that you own. One that actually works for the man you’ve become… and the leader you’re becoming.

👉 If you're ready to stop isolating and start igniting, text TRIBE and your email address to 469-840-2400. I’ll send you a guide to building your personal "Inner Circle of Support" and how to activate that circle before the pressure breaks you down.

Thrive in the Fire—This Is Your Time

If Q3 feels like fire, you’re not wrong. But you’re also not helpless.

Fire isn’t always destructive. It forges steel. It refines gold. And when channeled with intention, it transforms pressure into power.

You’re not here by accident. You’re a mid-career man standing at the edge of your next chapter—one that requires more clarity, more courage, and more commitment than ever before. And you don’t have to go it alone.

You’ve read this far because something inside you already knows:

It’s time to stop surviving. It’s time to start thriving in the fire.

✅ Here’s how to begin:

• Want alignment? Text WPA and your email to 469-840-2400 for my Weekly Priority Alignment tool—at no charge.

• Feeling stuck? Text RESET and your email for a free strategy consult and career re-alignment session.

• Need accountability? Text ACCOUNTABILITY to get on my list for a free month of 15-minute Monday check-ins.

• Curious about future-proofing your skills? Text ALREADY and I’ll send you my 2025 Skills Readiness Worksheet.

• Ready to stop doing this alone? Text TRIBE and your email for a guide to building your Inner Circle of Support.

📩 Or if it’s easier, email me directly at jim.prochg@gmail.com and let me know which tool you need most.

You don’t need another book, podcast, or productivity hack. You need clarity, courage, and consistent connection to create the results you were meant for.

I’m here for that.

Let’s make it happen.

Happy journey! 

Dr. Jim Ruth, 

469-840-2400, 

jim.prochg@gmail.com

— Dr. Jim Ruth Midlife Mastery Coach | Career Strategist | Accountability Partner for Men Who Are Ready to Lead