Noticing
- diane terry
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
March 2026: What Fills Your Cup?
Dear Readers,
Am I the only one who feels like we have been hurtling through our days the first two months of this year and into March? Do I feel unmoored because it is anyone’s guess what new horror we will be waking up to? It has taken a disciplined focus to stop to recenter and reset, sometimes several times a day.
When I treated myself to a massage & facial in February at Whistler, the masseuse was genuinely concerned with all the tension I was holding in my shoulders. By hour three into my facial, silent tears were rolling down my face. It’s all a lot. Yet I feel silly even complaining when others have it so much worse.
I happened across a substack called Daily Reminder and I saved an article from January. It talks about a quiet feeling of being behind that many people are carrying right now.
Everyone Feels Behind Lately. Here’s Why:
A sense of being late.
Of missing something.
Of not quite keeping up.
Even on days when nothing is obviously wrong the feeling lingers.
The to do list grows. The weeks move fast. Time feels compressed. And somehow, it always feels like you should be further along than you are.
Our pace of life has changed and expectations didn’t adjust with it.
The world sped up, but people didn’t.
Focus still takes time.
Rest still takes time.
Recovery still takes time.
Meaningful progress still takes time.
When the environment moves faster than the nervous system can handle, the result is a constant feeling of lag. Not because you’re failing but because the pace is unrealistic.
The article goes on to point out several other factors such as:
Comparison. Instead of comparing yourself against your own goals you are being measured against standards and timelines outside of your control. And the “goal” is always a moving target.
Urgent has become the default setting.
Progress looks quieter than it used to.
Progress today happens in quiet, small, unremarkable ways. So quiet that sometimes it doesn’t feel like progress at all, which feeds the sense of falling behind.
Here is the truth that most people don’t say out loud.
Most people are doing their best just to keep up with ordinary life.
They are tired.
They are adjusting.
They are juggling more than they show.
The feeling of being behind is not a personal short coming. It is a shared experience created by living in a system that rarely pauses.
You are not alone. You are not uniquely failing at something everyone else has mastered.
What actually helps
The answer is not pushing harder or trying to “catch up”.
What does help is reframing:
fewer expectations, chosen intentionally
Slower timelines if possible
Clearer priorities
Less comparison
More permission to move at a human pace
Behind is not a permanent state. Often, it’s just a sign that you need a different measure of success.
BE KIND TO YOURSELF
I have helped myself by learning to say no to people, places and things more and more. Yes I might miss out on some fun things but I also know how I hate that feeling of total depletion when I say yes to too many things even more.
I know that I am better in the morning than late at night. I know I cannot go out too many nights in a row because my evening “alone time” is precious and necessary to be my best self. Every yes is weighed against what it will cost my equilibrium.
I also look at my calendar and make sure there are moments of joy built into the month. Something that I can look forward to that I know will bring me deep happiness and fill my cup. It can be as simple as making time for new episodes of On Being by Krista Tippett, or tuning in live to Susan Cain’s Quiet Group on a Sunday with kindred introverts. A lunch with a work BFF will do the trick. Planning the spring garden or looking at books to be published and pre-ordered never fail to bring me joy. In March, I am throwing a Brunch and Bouquets afternoon to honor some very special women in my life for International Women’s Day. The joy I get from creating the guest list and invites, to choosing the menu with the caterer to planning a special surprise all takes me out of the every day and gives me something to look forward to.
I'll leave you with a couple of my little bits of joy that are taking me into March:
This list of books that are soon going to be (or are recently) adapted for the screen.
Wrapping books! I love taking the time to beautifully wrap something. Sometimes the art of the wrapping is almost a present in itself. Nothing says you are so special to me like a thoughtfully wrapped gift. And we all know I love books :) So why not combine the two!
My latest music obsession, LP! I have this on repeat in my car now.
Some words of wisdom from one of my favorite guys in the real estate industry. Oh boy is number seven so true! What hits home most for you?
Find what fills your cup. Make it a priority before everyone else’s needs take first billing and your needs become an after thought.
Find ways to slow down and catch your breath & find your center.
Find your own pacing and try not to compare yourself with others.
Finally, don’t be fooled by social media. You are most likely looking at someone else’s highlight reel. You don’t see the whole picture so just stop. Be true to yourself.
XOXO,
Coach Diane
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All artwork for 2026 is by Seattle artist, Anna Brones.
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