Illusion of Urgency and the Pulls of Just.One.More
I said NO to the Illusion of Urgency tonight.
To those anxiety-producing-pulls that tell us to do just.one.more.
The pulls that have no regard for our boundaries. And no respect for rest + play.
Driving the feeling that we’re constantly behind.
There will always be more to add to our to-do list. Always more we could edit, create, build. Always one more email to write, post to share, ad to run. There is always more we can do.
What’s good enough?
That’s the question I circle back to. After I ask what matters most.
Lately, the Illusion of Urgency has been driving me - straight away from time with my girls. And it doesn’t feel good.
The sense of URGENCY to get this one more thing done. In just one more minute. One becomes two become thirty.
The inner storm surges. The grip to keep going so strong. The me underneath, KNOWING the next best step is to step away.
And before I know it, it’s dinner time.
As a mom of four littles 8 and under + business owner + high-performance coach and consultant + wife to a coach, my life IS packed.
There is a lot to do. It’s easy to get sucked into the pulls of productivity + efficiency + the Illusion of Urgency.
The idea that if I walk away with to-do’s undone,
I’ll become undone.
(that’s a fear-based lie)
I noticed. And because I’ve learned how to meet myself with kindness + curiosity, I was able to see my choices.
I was able to respond, not react.
( If you’re ready, it’s work I’d love to help you learn to do too. )
Tonight, saying no to the Illusion of Urgency opened up space for this. Being present. With what + who matters most.
And I might have hit a home run. But, who’s counting? Ha.
That’s another thing about this Illusion of Urgency.
It manipulates us into believing that if we step away, honor boundaries and make space for rest + pay, we’ll become complacent. Washed up. Soft. We’ll never grow again.
(more fear-based lies.)
I love to set goals - and achieve. I run a business. I have big dreams of making an impact. Of helping shift the cultural currents in this country from this at-all-costs, just.one.more mindset to one with greater awareness, acceptance, authenticity and intention.
Growth is one of my core values. AND. I know that when I slip into a space where fear is driving, I stay stuck. Frustrated. And in this viscous cycle of gripping + hustling + proving + striving — and fighting myself. Ultimately, I end up shutting down or acting out. Second-guessing. And filling with self-doubt. Nothing feels good.
There’s a difference between intentional action - and choosing to push past a boundary - and being swept away and driven by the pulls of anxiety. A big difference.
As hard as it’s been to put into practice,
I’ve realized that our power, our magic is in learning how to turn toward our fears.
//
And!! That’s exactly what we’re going to be learning in my mini-course, Strengthening Our Emotional Agility.
Learning how to Turn Toward. Feel. Tune in to what we want. And learn how to shift to this space of intentional, aligned responding.
Next week, we launch the beta-version and I’d love for you to join us. It’s a course designed for parents, coaches, teachers, leaders and mentors. To learn more and apply for a spot, this beta-round is free, head over here.
//
Samantha Arsenault Livingstone is an Olympic Gold Medalist, high-performance coach and consultant, transformational speaker, educator and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Livingstone High Performance, LLC. and the Rise Free Academy - inspiring, empowering and equipping athletes, coaches and women who lead with the skills they need to cultivate high-performance - to achieve AND feel fulfilled along the way.
In addition to private and group coaching, Samantha consults with teams and organizations on athlete wellness, Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement (MSPE), leadership, courage building, rising skills and creating high-performance environments.
A mama of heart warrior and mama of twins, Samantha and her husband, Rob, live in the Berkshires with their four girls. To learn more about her offerings, go over to www.samanthalivingstone.com