H
i, Noelle? This is
Katie, I’m a life
coach,” a voice
sparkled down the
phone. “Your mum
gave me your
number and thought I might be able to
help you ...” This is a real thing that
happens to me. Friends and family
have signed me up to home organisation
workshops, time management courses,
crystal healing sessions and so ... many
... mindfulness ... festivals. Of course,
I’ve never taken up these offers: “Thank
you but I don’t need help and I don’t
have time for it,” is my inevitable reply,
faintly aware of the irony of that
statement and painfully aware of my
mother’s disappointment.
You see, in my mind, my life is
sorted. I’m a superhuman! A hustler!
The mayor of multi-task metropolis! I
do celebrity interviews over the phone
while running errands, take client calls
at the dog park, go on dates during my
lunch break, edit documents while at
the gym and take advantage of my
stress-fuelled insomnia by pulling all-
nighters to write. “Who has time to do
one thing at a time?” I ask myself.
“Look at me go! Faster! Faster! Wheee!”
To me, this is how success feels.
Then there’s the downside. The
adrenaline-fuelled highs are inevitably
met with anxiety-filled lows. I’m forever
complaining about a lack of minutes,
overwhelmed with too much to do,
and not putting aside time for those
closest to me. Hot tip: when your
friends start to make jokes about youJASON IERACE/RELOAD AGENCY
Challenge