GNT #145: My urgency story

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read time: 2 minutes

A few weeks ago I woke up, drank some coffee, and immediately launched myself into what can only be described as… chaos.

I was half-writing a newsletter, half-scrolling my calendar, making smoothies for the kids (which ended up on me and the floor), and trying to get us all out the door.

One kid had no clean underwear.
My sweater was covered in smoothie.
My mother-in-law called to ask about Christmas plans.

And out of my mouth came:
“I can't talk right now! I’m too busy!”

As if the entire universe should've known that I, Colleen Kranz, was in a state of extreme urgency.

Then another voice (the wiser one) whispered:
“Hey Mrs. Life Design + Purpose Work… you’re making everybody crazy.”

Whoops.

Does this ever happen to you?

You whip yourself up into a frantic internal monologue… and then spread that urgency to everyone within a 10-foot radius?

Of course timelines are real. People rely on us. That pressure is legit.

But there’s a way to handle the intensity without letting it hijack your whole system.

That’s what today’s newsletter is about:
the antidote to your own urgency story.

Let’s dig in.

Stop the Spiral (10 seconds)

Here’s the simplest pattern interrupt I use when I feel myself speeding up:

Stop.
Inhale slowly.
Exhale even slower.

That’s it.

You’re not trying to eliminate the chaos around you—you’re just stepping out of the driver’s seat of the urgency story running in your mind.

When you lengthen your breath, your body gets the memo:
We’re safe. We can handle this.

Ten seconds buys you back a surprising amount of composure.

Feel the Ground (20 seconds)

Instead of chasing the next task, drop your awareness downward:

• Feet on floor
• Weight in your chair
• Jaw unclenched

• Shoulders down

Think of it like pulling steadiness up from the ground into your body.

The chaos may still be buzzing—but you’re no longer matching its pace.

You’re the calm center inside the storm.

Move Slower Than the Moment (30 seconds)

This is a little trick I learned from a mindfulness teacher and adapted for real life:

Move 5% slower than you want to.

Stand up a little more smoothly.
Walk a little more deliberately.
Speak with just a bit more spaciousness.

You’re not pretending life isn’t hectic—you’re choosing not to mirror the frenzy.

It feels weird at first, almost rebellious. But soon it becomes like a silent superpower.
 

Return to Your People Differently

When you take that 5% slowness into the next interaction—with your partner, your kids, or your team—you’ll notice things feel a little different.

Your energy quietly says, “We’re not rushing. We’re okay.”

And people tend to match that. Calm invites calm.

Urgency spreads quickly. But so does steadiness.
 

Takeaway

Life will always hand us plenty to do.

Smoothies will spill, people will call at the wrong moment, and there will never be quite enough time.

But you don’t have to live inside the urgency story.

You can:

Stop the spiral (10 seconds)
Feel the ground (20 seconds)
Move slower than the moment (30 seconds)
Bring that composure back to your people

Even small pockets of steadiness can change the feel of your whole day.

(And yes, clean undies help.)


I'm always rooting for you. See you next week.

-Colleen

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