Ambition Is Rising, But at What Pace?
September has that unmistakable “back-to-school” energy. Fresh notebooks. New shoes. A rush of ambition that makes you want to dive in, say yes, and hit the ground sprinting.
But if you’ve ever found yourself excited and overwhelmed at the same time - buzzing with ideas yet already exhausted before you begin - you’re not alone. This is the nervous system’s tricky way of saying: your ambition is rising, but your pace hasn’t caught up.
This is where balance becomes less about how much you do, and more about how you feel while you’re doing it. In my work, and in my own life, I’ve learned that balance isn’t something you earn by finishing your to-do list. It’s a felt sense. A rhythm of returning to yourself, especially when life is pulling you off centre.
The Lie of Endless Capacity
Years ago, I believed I had an endless battery. I could always push through, always hold it all together. Until my body made it impossible to ignore the truth: I was completely depleted.
That wake-up call taught me that capacity isn’t limitless. It’s not something you can force through sheer willpower. And if you don’t pay attention to it, your body will eventually force you to.
But even after I learned that lesson, another belief was quietly driving me: I had to earn the right to rest. I told myself that once I had done enough, proved enough, or helped enough, then I could pause. Then I could breathe.
The Green Velvet Couch
When I moved into my first home after my divorce, I became oddly fixated on finding the right couch. After several failed deliveries, I finally found a green velvet one that felt like an exhale when I sat down.
It wasn’t about the couch itself. It was about the felt sense it gave me: softness, safety, and the reminder that I didn’t have to brace myself all the time. That couch became a metaphor for balance.
Because balance isn’t about a perfectly organised schedule. It’s not about controlling every variable. Balance is a practice of returning. Returning to ourselves, to a place that feels like home in our own bodies, even when life pulls us off centre.
You Don’t Have to Earn Ease
Here’s the truth: over-efforting and under-resting aren’t signs of ambition. They’re symptoms of the deeper story so many of us carry: I’m not enough.
That belief shows up in the guilt you feel for leaving something unfinished. In the hesitation before you say no. In the drive to push through even when you’re already on empty.
But balance doesn’t come from hustling harder. As the late, Dr. James Doty reminds us, real change doesn’t happen from shame or striving; it begins with acceptance. When we stop leaking energy into proving and pushing, we free it up for living and leading in a way that feels true.
A Different Kind of Balance
So what if balance isn’t something you earn at the end of the to-do list?
What if balance is the green velvet couch - a place you return to again and again. A practice of meeting yourself with honesty, compassion, and permission. A rhythm, not a destination.
This week, I invite you to try this:
When you catch yourself thinking I’ll rest once… pause and ask instead, If I already believed I was enough, what would I choose right now?
Maybe it’s a breath. Maybe it’s leaving something unfinished. Maybe it’s saying no. Maybe it’s luxuriating in your own version of a green velvet couch.
Because balance isn’t perfection, it’s a practice of remembering who you already are.
So if you’re feeling pulled to sprint this September, pause. Ask yourself:
What pace is actually right for me today?
If you’d like a simple way to do so, our Daily Capacity Compass is a free tool to help you notice where your energy really is and what you need most. You can download it here.
