You Are Not Behind.
Wherever you are, you're not behind.
Laundry has been piling up for weeks, to the point where we just grab clothes straight from the (clean, I must clarify) laundry baskets on the couch; My kids’ rooms are a disaster — and so is my bedroom. I haven’t been able to use my desk for longer than I care to admit because of the piles and piles of… things.
Dentist and doctor’s appointments need to be rescheduled, library books need to be returned (but first they need to be found), and I wonder if this is the year I will finally manage to get end-of-year teacher gifts.
I can’t find the headspace to read any of the books I currently have checked out from the library. I’m not caught up on my favorite Substacks, but new posts keep trickling in, so I start to ignore my inbox.
And then there’s the bigger stuff: I don’t have a project for the summer (not that I need one, but I want one), I don’t have enough coaching clients to sustainably maintain my business, I still haven’t figured out how to properly — whatever that means — use LinkedIn, and I feel like I missed the window to host another group coaching cohort this summer.
I feel like I’m so behind.
It feels like I’m so far behind and there’s no way to catch up.
I eat more than feels good, I drink more coffee than I know is good for me, I spend more time on my phone than I want to.
I don’t even know where to start.
(Also, I want a nap.)
👆🏻this is straight from my journal this morning. And it leads right to my first lesson learned — which, apparently, I still haven’t learned.
Lessons Learned
Externalizing always helps. Journaling, written words, a collage, a drawing, a voice note, a coaching session… I felt an immediate sense of calm and relief after writing down all the reasons I feel behind.
Life is not a race. When I look at it objectively, I am not, in fact, behind.
The end of the school years is always hard for me — and I have this publication to prove it: In 2024, I experienced a meltdown on the last day of school, and in June 2025, I said “It’s the end of the school year; a transition season filled with activities. Everything feels urgent, like I should be in five places at once.”
Self care basics do help. For me, that’s movement, journaling, and nature.
I have agency. Common advice often sounds like: just get clear on priorities! Everything else can wait. The problem is, for me, the highest priority items fill me with dread (anyone want to make that phone call to reschedule my dentist appointment for me??). So it feels more comfortable to stay stuck in the mud of too many tasks, avoid them all, instead of checking hard tasks off my list. I remind myself: I have agency here. I get to choose how I spend my time.
I have tools at my disposal. Audiobook + laundry is a good combo; art; my pets; walks; co-working; time blocking; self-compassion; rest, and more.
→ When you’re feeling like you’re behind, what’s one thing that helps you?
It could be a specific activity or something you want to remind yourself of.
Let me know in the comments!
From the archive…
In addition to the piece I linked above, you might enjoy these pieces to reflect on what supports your own wellbeing:
Wheel Of Consent Gathering: Today
We’re gathering for an open conversation round about the Wheel of Consent, today, June 5, at 10am PT / 12pm CT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST.
This is usually a paid subscriber benefit. Today, everyone is welcome!
We will use quotes from the book The Art of Receiving and Giving as anchors for our conversation. You can find the quotes here:
Good ❤️