Hello , my fellow brave human

How many times over the last month have you dropped everything to sort someone else’s problem?

For the past few years, I realise I’ve been running on rapid response mode.

I’ve been reflecting on this during a conversation recently when someone talked about having a “dominant operating system” – and it really resonated with me.

Fostering children, supporting our own teenagers and elderly parents through COVID and beyond, navigating care homes, responding to employer demand, then becoming self-employed and responding to clients’ needs.

My nervous system has become wired for constant availability, and my mindset followed suit. I have always been the person who dropped everything to sort everyone else’s problems – and whilst much of this was necessary and meaningful, it has also been utterly exhausting.

But life has shifted.

A couple of weeks ago I moved into my new office. A studio in my dad’s garden. So I can be there for him, without being in his way.

View from my studio

And I now, for the first time in a long time have my own physical space to create. Which has given me equally the same space to reflect. And to breathe.

And it was then that I decided. I need to retire from rapid response and to fiercely protect my space.

For the next month, I’m trying something different (for me):

• Pausing before responding or reacting to anything

• Making every decision based on whether it depletes or energises me

• Fiercely protecting my space to be, create, and be truly effective

I do know that we all need to rapidly respond to genuine emergencies. The difference is not having rapid response as our default setting, otherwise that leads to burnt out. Instead, we can rewire ourselves to know that we can use rapid response when it’s needed and go back to normal afterwards.

It’s about having space and time as your foundation, from which we can choose when and how to respond.

So I’m trying a new way of being, it’s like wearing a new set of clothes. Trying them on for size. And so far, it’s lovely.

Have you got a space that you can create for yourself that you can fiercely protect? Physical or mental? Try it out for size.

We are now in holiday season, so that space might just be time. Just know that we all need it. Give yourself permission, and then let others know that this is for you. Because as a certain advert always said “You’re worth it”.

So , come and join me in retirement from the rapid response unit?

Here’s to your brilliance

Kirsty x

P.S. If this resonates and you’d like support in creating your own space for brave decisions, The Brave Collective is here for you. Sometimes we need a safe haven to remember who we are beneath all the reacting.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Or forward to someone else who might.