In Episode 4 of The Texture of Resiliency, Steve Sheffar takes listeners deep into the world of Immediate Action Plans and Deliberate Action Plans, two tools that separate reacting in panic from responding with purpose.

Drawing on decades of experience in the Canadian Army, tactical policing, and his own journey through trauma and recovery, Steve explains how the same principles used in combat and high-risk operations can be applied to everyday life when operational stress or PTSD takes hold.

Immediate Action Plans are for the rapid hits, the unplanned moments when stress blindsides you. A trigger you weren’t expecting, a sound that transports you back in time, a chance encounter that spikes your anxiety. Steve shows how the OODA Loop, Observe, Orient, Decide, Act, becomes the operating system for surviving those moments. Through vivid examples, including his own experience with triggers as sharp as the sound of a roofing nail gun, you’ll learn how to interrupt the amygdala’s overreaction, cut through the fog, and execute a pre-trained drill that gets you back in control.

Deliberate Action Plans are different. They’re for the predictable stressors you can see on the calendar: family gatherings, work events, high-stakes appointments, court dates, or therapy sessions. Using the same mindset that goes into mission briefs in the military, Steve breaks down how to plan your goals, script your responses, build backup options, and prepare your recovery. These aren’t theories, they’re practical mission-ready plans you can put in your pocket before walking into the storm.

By the end of this episode, you’ll understand the difference between reacting blindly and responding with structure. You’ll see how Immediate Action Plans powered by OODA and Deliberate Action Plans shaped like mission briefs give you both sides of resiliency, rapid drills for sudden chaos, and structured preparation for known stress.

This is training, not therapy. It’s about building resiliency SOPs, structured, intentional, repeatable responses that make sure when stress hits, you don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to the level of your training.

If you’re a first responder, veteran, or someone who knows the weight of operational stress, this episode gives you the tools to fight back with structure and strength.

Stress is inevitable. Chaos is optional.

Leadership Principles

1. Achieve Professional Competence

2. Clarify Objectives and Intent

3. Solve Problems; Make Timely Decisions

4. Direct; Motivate by Persuasion and Example and by Sharing Risks and Hardships

5. Train Individuals and Teams Under Demanding and Realistic Conditions

6. Build Teamwork and Cohesion

7. Keep Subordinates Informed; Explain Events and Decisions

8. Mentor, Educate and Develop Subordinates

9. Treat Subordinates Fairly; Respond to Their Concerns; Represent Their Interests

10. Maintain Situational Awareness; Seek Information; Keep Current

11. Learn from Experience and Those Who Have Experience

12. Exemplify and Reinforce the Military Ethos; Maintain Order and Discipline; Uphold Professional Norms

The Texture of Resiliency Creed

Grant me the strength to act with resolve when action is needed,

the discipline to hold steady when restraint is wiser,

and the clarity to know the difference,

not just in principle, but in the fog of real-world decisions.

Let me meet hardship with readiness, fear with training, and doubt with intent.

Make me slow to panic, quick to adapt, and always aligned with the values that outlast the chaos.

And if I falter, remind me that resiliency is part of the fight, and the fight is still mine to lead.

Amen, or whatever gets you back on your feet.

About the Episode

There’s a saying that has followed me through every uniform I’ve worn: you will not rise to the occasion — you will fall to the level of your training.

This episode, Rise to the Occasion, digs into that reality. We like to believe that when the pressure comes, we’ll somehow “find another gear” and deliver our best. But that’s not how it works. In the military, policing, or everyday life, when the moment hits, you don’t invent new skills. You default to what you’ve trained, practiced, and reinforced.

That’s why principles matter. Structure matters. Having something to fall back on when clarity is gone can make all the difference. In this episode, I reflect on the Canadian Armed Forces’ Principles of Leadership. On paper, they were written to guide leaders of troops in the field. But they’re just as valuable for guiding yourself when life gets chaotic.

What makes these principles unique is their universality. From the newest private to the most senior commander, these are the standards that shape decision-making and conduct across the Canadian Armed Forces. If an entire institution as large and tested as the CAF trusts these principles to develop leaders at every level, then they’re worth carrying with us as individuals.

In this episode of The Texture of Resiliency, host Steve Sheffar explores the concept of resiliency through personal stories and insights. He discusses the physical and psychological overload experienced in different environments, particularly in the gym and grocery store. Sheffar emphasizes the importance of understanding the body's response to stress and the role of the amygdala in processing danger. He advocates for embracing the shake, a metaphor for accepting and working with stress rather than fighting against it, and highlights the need for training and recovery to build true resiliency.