If you’re like many of my clients, you already know that creating space for reflection, rest, or growth is important — but that doesn’t mean it feels possible.

You’re juggling competing demands. You’re responsible for people, outcomes, and deadlines. You care deeply about showing up — for your clients, your team, your family. So, when the pressure is on, it’s natural to tighten up, push harder, and try to outrun the overwhelm.

But here’s the truth that keeps showing up in my work — not just with leaders and business owners, but with doctors, athletes, first responders, and professionals across every field:

You don’t rise to your potential by doing more.
You rise by creating space for the things that reconnect you to it.

That space can be internal — a breath before reacting.
It can be practical — a reset before re-engaging.
And sometimes, it’s simply pausing long enough to ask: What do I need right now to show up well?

When a Holiday Isn’t the Answer

I once worked with a client who was leading a large organisation through a critical post-pandemic rebuilding phase. The pressure was immense — she was the decision-maker at the top, and the responsibility on her shoulders was non-negotiable. Well-meaning people kept telling her she just needed a break or a holiday. But she told me, with some frustration, “A holiday won’t help me right now. I can’t leave — not yet.”

And she was right. What she needed wasn’t time away.
She needed her mind and body to be functioning like a well-fuelled, finely tuned machine — because she was in the thick of it, and it was still a battle for the business.

What resonated most for her was when I said:

“No matter how important it is to get to your destination, if the car doesn’t have fuel or a well-maintained engine, you risk breaking down before you get there.”

So, we didn’t wait for things to slow down.
We crafted a programme that met her where she was and helped her keep running efficiently. That took commitment — but the shifts came not from overhauling her life, but from a few small, powerful tweaks to her daily routines. The biggest one? Her mindset.

She came to see that the belief “I don’t have time” simply wasn’t true.
In fact, tending to her own state — her clarity, her energy, her focus — wasn’t a luxury. It was part of her role as a leader.

The Trap of “I’ll Slow Down When…”

There’s a powerful illusion that shows up in high performers:

“I just need to get through this week.”
“I’ll take a break after this launch.”
“Once things calm down, I’ll reset.”

But the truth is, “when” rarely comes.
There’s always something next.

If you’ve ever told yourself “I don’t have time to pause,” here’s what I want you to hear gently, but clearly:
That’s the moment you most need to.

This isn’t about stopping everything. It’s about interrupting the autopilot just long enough to reclaim your direction.

Micro Moments of Space

Creating time doesn’t mean carving out entire days (though that’s valuable too). Some of the most powerful shifts I’ve seen happen in moments as small as:

• A conscious breath before stepping into a meeting
• A 5-minute walk before answering that email
• A commitment to one clear intention at the start of the day
• A moment of stillness before reaching for your phone

It’s not about the size of the pause. It’s about the intention behind it.
Because that’s what reconnects you to your agency, your clarity — and your impact.

If You’re Still Reading…

There’s a part of you that already knows this matters.
So rather than ask “Do I have time for this?” —
maybe ask “What’s the cost of not making time?”

You don’t need to overhaul your life.
Just start where you are, with what you have.
Create one small pocket of space today — for you — and see what shifts.

One Step Further

Creating space is powerful in itself — but when you learn to use that space intentionally, everything changes.

One of the approaches we teach at The Next Level is how to shift your nervous system into a parasympathetic state — the state where your body and mind register safety. It’s the opposite of survival mode. It’s where you regain access to your clearest thinking, your deepest focus, and your most creative problem-solving.

When you can feel as if you have all the time in the world — and still act with purpose — you’re operating from a powerful place.

Because from that place, you see options you couldn’t see before.
You lead, think, and respond from calm — not from that familiar place of paddling hard beneath the surface.
And the results speak for themselves.

This is what it means to train the mind, not just manage it.

And it’s also why, if I had to choose just one superpower —
I’d choose calm.

That’s worth making time for.