It’s 8 p.m., and my seven-year-old is sitting at the kitchen table, stressed out over a book report that is due tomorrow. He’s had two weeks to work on it, but between daily homework and soccer practice, there hasn't been any time. With tears in his eyes, he looked at me, and I called it: "It’s too much, I’m telling your teacher you're not allowed to do this report."

This was not an isolated incident from a high achieving kid who was thriving by all external measures. And yet, it was too much. In that moment, our family became okay with not doing it all, okay with missing homework, okay with choosing what mattered most and protecting the space to just be a kid. 

We had chosen this school years earlier, while living abroad in the UK. It was one of the top-rated public schools in the state, and we saw it as a must-have for our then-toddler—a foundation for success, a place where he could flourish. But as we settled in, I started to notice something:

People were struggling. Well-meaning, dedicated parents were overwhelmed by the layers of academic expectation placed on young students—juggling multiple homework apps, book reports, and math tests alongside playdates, extracurriculars, and what little free time remained. Teachers and parents alike were managing color-coded calendars while kids were carted from school to homework to activities to tutoring. Everything felt optimized, but no one felt okay. The flexibility—the humanness—was slipping away. More rules. Less room to breathe.

We made the difficult decision to leave our “top-rated #1 school”. Not because we didn’t value it, but because that environment did not nurture the values we hold dear: curiosity, creativity, balance, and meaningful human connection.

And it made me wonder...

If this is "the best," what are we really striving for?

Because what I see happening in our schools isn’t limited to classrooms. It’s everywhere—in our businesses, our leadership, our calendars. We’ve built a culture that worships achievement and productivity. But somewhere along the way, we stopped asking what it’s all for. 

The Achievement Trap: How It Shows Up Everywhere

What began as a reflection on homework and playdates quickly became a window into something much bigger—a cultural mindset that prizes achievement, optimization, and busyness above all else. And it’s starting in childhood, scaling with us, shaping how we show up as adults, leaders, parents, and people.

According to the 2025 World Economic Forum Jobs Report, the most in-demand skills are not memorization or compliance. They’re analytical thinking, creativity, flexibility, resilience, and emotional intelligence—the very qualities that help people navigate complexity and lead with clarity.

If we want young people to thrive, not just academically, but in life, we need to make space for the skills that truly matter, like problem solving, communication, conflict resolution, adaptiveness, self-awareness, and emotional regulation. These skills aren’t extras to squeeze in when time allows. They are the foundation of human flourishing.

Many of us entered adulthood under the illusion that success meant being busy. We’ve rewarded output over insight, urgency over thoughtfulness… and people are burning out. Great ideas, joy and fulfillment don’t come from burnout—they come from creativity. And creativity needs peace and space to flourish.

When we’re always in "go mode," our sympathetic nervous system is activated (aka fight-or-flight)- a state designed for survival, not strategic thinking. In this mode, we react instead of respond and prioritize short-term tasks over long-term vision. We move faster, but not smarter. Chronic stress suppresses creativity, emotional regulation, and big-picture thinking in favor of simply surviving, leaving little room for innovation, collaboration, or grounded leadership.

The truth is a dysregulated nervous system is not a high-performance strategy. It’s a fast track to burnout- personally, professionally, and culturally.

Rest as a Strategy, Not a Luxury

If we want to foster critical skills like creativity, resilience, and emotional intelligence, we need to create space for them- not just on our calendars, but in our minds and hearts. Space to be present, to observe, to breathe. For ourselves, and for our children.

Stillness can feel uncomfortable at first, but it’s often the gateway to self-discovery. And in today’s world, where many of us can’t go 30 seconds without checking a phone or refreshing a feed, that stillness is more vital than ever.

We don’t need to fill every hour with activities and obligations. Once you experience the grounded calm and quiet confidence that comes from real rest and stillness, you begin to see it not as indulgence, but as fuel.

Because when you care for yourself, you show up differently. You show up better. And the ripple effect of that presence changes everything and everyone around you.

Fuel Up: Simple Ways to Make Space for Stillness

We can’t pour from an empty cup and yet, so many of us run on fumes. Here are a few ways to create small but meaningful pockets of space in your day.

1. Resist the urge to overschedule.

Protect downtime the same way you protect deadlines. Set time aside on your calendar as free, non-negotiable “you” time. Let that time be open space to think, walk, stare at the sky.

2. Normalize doing "nothing" sometimes.

Allow space for “boredom”. Some of the most imaginative breakthroughs happen in moments of boredom. Maybe next time you or your child says “I’m bored”, try responding with “That is OK. Let’s see what your imagination comes up with.”

Next time you’re waiting in line, sitting at a red light, or pausing between tasks, resist the urge to reach for your phone. Just observe. What’s around you? What sounds can you hear? Can you see something you never noticed before?

 Allow space for creativity. Creativity isn’t just for “artists”. Listen to music, bake something, journal, doodle or write a joke! Activate your imagination and see what happens!

3. Tune in to yourself, tune out the noise.

 Take a moment to check in with your body. How is your breath? Is it shallow? See if you can soften it with focused breathing.

Take note of the sensations in your shoulders, jaw, and back. Are they tight? Relax your body and breathe into your belly. Stretch, move, and reconnect your mind and body.

A New Success Metric: Space to Be Human

We’ve been taught that success means doing more, moving faster, and filling every gap with productivity. Maybe it’s time we question our definition of success. Maybe a life well-lived isn’t measured by how much we accomplish, but by moments where we create presence, connection, and joy.

Whether you’re leading a company, a classroom, a household, or yourself, it’s worth asking: Where can I make room for stillness? Not as an escape, but as a way to reconnect with what truly matters.

Let’s normalize rest. Let’s protect time to be curious, to wander, to simply be.

Maybe, the most radical act in a world that never stops, is pausing on purpose.