I was. And I’m still working to get myself out of it.

Much of my story has revolved around this, but this is a current journey. It’s easy to get stuck in the hustle, to strive for more material things. Over the years, I’ve accumulated so much information on how to make my life better, but all of it only fixes the surface issues. It doesn’t dive deep into the root problem. A lot of times, we’ll keep putting band-aids on wounds that need more to heal.

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

“I don’t have time to add another thing into my schedule.” “I’ve got to run, but good to see you!” “‘How are you?’ ‘I’m good. How are you?’”

Are these common in your vocabulary? Even if you’re not the one saying them, do you hear it a lot?

We find ourselves in a constant rush, too busy to get to the next thing (or thinking about it), to be present in the current one. Life is fleeting, and we won’t get these moments back.

If you’ve browsed my page, you might’ve come across, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World. I read through this book in the beginning of 2025, and I’m telling you it struck every chord with me. Ironically, I had flipped through the book once before, trying to simply capture its highlights. If you read this book, you’ll learn my action was quite the opposite of what the book is trying to accomplish. And I do highly recommend reading it.

John Mark Comer, the author of this book, walks the reader through our need to keep striving, and how this ultimately leads to burn-out in multiple ways. We need to slow down, and we need to let go of, well, a lot.

I’m not much of a reader (I struggle to stick with a book till the end), but I’d read this book over and over and over again. I might even do it yearly. Hopefully I’m not hyping it up too much, but honestly, it’s part of the reason I started this blog. My only warning: it’s a non-fiction, self-help type book. It’s not your dreamy, fantasy story that might be an easier read. It’ll take some dedication and a good bit of self-reflection, but it’s worth it.

Do you feel like tasks have to been done ASAP?

Receive a text with a task that needs completing? Remember an item you need, so you just order it on your phone? Often times, we feel like these sorts of things need to be done right away. If it’s very time-sensitive, this might be necessary. Many times, though, we can add this to a (mental) list for later and continue on with what we’re currently doing, such as cleaning, chatting with a friend, or even driving.

There are scenarios that call for this promptness. On a regular basis, however, patience is a virtue.

In today’s culture, we have created a society of quick and convenient. “I want this, and I want it now.” If you ask me, we’re slowly desensitizing ourselves to waiting. Life doesn’t bend to our will, so we shouldn’t always force it. I believe waiting builds character, perseverance, and resilience. It teaches us to be still. And we always need some of that.

Plus, we aren’t always fully available either.

Turn off the Notifications

Notifications, especially on your phone, are meant to grab your attention immediately. If you personally try to get ahold of me, you know my attention is rarely grabbed immediately.

Not too long ago, I found myself becoming easily overwhelmed by the notifications popping up on my phone… another Instagram comment, another promotional email, another text message… in little time, these notifications can stack up.

I started questioning myself, wondering why I was incapable of getting back to somebody. Occasionally, I’d find myself reading a text I didn’t have an immediate response to, so I’d put it down and eventually forget I needed to respond. But other times, I couldn’t organize my thoughts enough to draft a response. Call it ADHD, call it Task Paralysis – all I know is it wasn’t functional.

After multiple times of this happening, I took a step back and asked myself what was happening. I concluded that it isn’t human to be this attentive. We don’t have the capacity to do it all, to know it all – a driving component behind “hurry.” We are only capable of giving attention to one thing at a time. (Multi-tasking is another story, but can we agree, doing so divides your attention in various directions?) So, I minimized my notifications. Only certain alerts make it to my Lock Screen where I see them immediately. Currently, I’m working on time blocks for checking my phone and leaving it in other rooms.

You might be stuck in a Hurry if…

Below are some tendencies common with “hurry.” Do you relate with any of them?

Seasons will look different and require you to compensate in some area(s) but these shouldn’t be constant.

• It’s been a while since you’ve done a soothing hobby; maybe reading, journaling, gardening, baking, painting.
• You eat a lot on-the-go or prepackaged meals.
• Your home is a constant mess.
• It’s common for you to experience anxiety.
• You never meet your bedtime.
• You reach for your phone or find some other distraction in any moment of downtime/waiting.
• You can’t remember the last time you sat in peace.
• Projects/home chores have sat on the back-burner for months.

Do you resonate with any, or maybe even all, of these? I have and still currently do. The constant strive for more, for accomplishment, will lead us to burnout. We don’t have to do it all, and we were never made to do it all. The world goes on no matter how much you contribute. Have you checked in with your soul? Have you had a moment of peace lately? Does this sound absolutely uncomfortable to sit with yourself? Then maybe all the more reason to do so.

My recommendation: start with this book. A small way to slow down and sit. An easy way to tune in to yourself.

You can order it here and support my sister’s bookstore.

I hope you found something beneficial for your soul this time around. Pick up that book, and you will.

OG