Let’s be honest. This hasn’t been easy.

You had good intentions. You got started. Maybe even made some real progress—hooked up a data source, described a few tables, built the foundation of something useful. But then things shifted. Work got busy. Priorities changed. People left. Budgets tightened. And the project—your data catalog—quietly stalled.

Now, when you think about it, you feel tired. Maybe frustrated. Maybe guilty. Maybe just… stuck.

That’s normal.

This isn’t a guilt trip. It’s not a lecture. Think of it more like a tap on the shoulder—just a reminder that it’s okay to come back. And you don’t need to explain yourself.

If you’re reading this, something in you still cares. That’s more than enough. You don’t need a clean slate. Just a next step.

Step 1: Be honest

Say it:

“I haven’t worked on this in months.” “I kind of forgot where I left off.” “It feels like I failed.”

I hear those things all the time. You’re not alone.

This kind of work is rarely urgent, but it is important. And it’s hard to keep it going when other projects pull your attention.

Burnout doesn’t always look like collapse. Sometimes it looks like avoidance. Like opening the tool… and then immediately closing it again.

That doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It just means you’re due for a reset. And naming that helps.

Step 2: Be kind to yourself

Look, guilt is persuasive. It says, “You should have done more.” But grace says, “You’re allowed to begin again.”

No catching up required. No penance. Just motion.

You’re allowed to say: “This still matters, and I’m going to take another step.”

You don’t need to finish it all. You don’t need to go back and re-read every email. Just believe that what you’ve already done still has value—and that you’re still the right person to keep going.

Because you are.

Step 3: Do one thing that’s visible

Not a whole plan. Not a full relaunch. Just one move you can point to and say: “That. I did that. We’re moving again.”

Here are some options:

Open the catalog and reread your last few edits.

Add a sentence to a glossary term. Or update one description.

Book a 30-minute meeting with your Data Success Manager. Just say: “We stalled. I’d like some help getting back on track.” That’s more than enough.

Send a quick message to someone on your team: “Hey, I’m jumping back into the catalog. Want to take a look with me?”

That’s it. The moment you take a real step, you start rewriting the story. It’s no longer “we quit.” It’s “we’re back.”

You don’t need to be perfect

You don’t need a roadmap. You don’t need to explain what happened or make up for lost time. You don’t need to know exactly where this will lead. You just need to believe that forward is still possible—and that you still have a role in where this goes next.

This project isn’t over. Your earlier efforts weren’t wasted. They’re still there—waiting to be built on, not erased. You’ve already done more than you think. You’ve proven that it matters to you. That’s not nothing. That’s a foundation.

And yes, you’ve had a break. A pause. That’s not failure—it’s part of the story. What you do next is what shapes it.

So if you're ready to move, take that first step. Log in. Reach out. Ask for help. Whatever it looks like, it might be small—but let it be real.

We’ll meet you where you are. And we’ll move forward—step by step—together.

P.S. If you’d like help, download Your Data Catalog Reboot Checklist, or reach out to your Data Success Manager. We’re here to help you succeed.