Wanna Skip the Line?
Hi friend,
I recently received an email from CLEAR (the membership service that lets you skip the line at airport security) notifying me that I have 5 guest passes for free 3-month membership, and it made me smile because it reminded me of the day I activated my own guest pass and realized that the CLEAR experience is strikingly similar to receiving coaching or doing positive psychology exercises.
To help you understand what I mean, let me take you back to that day.
I’d always been intrigued by all the CLEAR kiosks in the airport and curious about who actually uses them, but I never felt compelled to investigate, much less actually sign up. But when my sister offered me and my husband Zach free guest passes just days before we were set to travel, it felt silly to pass up the opportunity.
Fast forward to travel day, and Zach and I were once again running very late when we arrived at the airport (🙄🙄). Eyeing the extensive line at security, we were at first relieved when a CLEAR representative approached. But we balked when she informed us that to use the guest passes we’d have to complete the supposedly brief but multi-step process of setting up our accounts.
My instinct was to abort mission, reasoning that we could do it at some future point when we had time to spare, but for now we had to just keep moving.
Fortunately, however, Zach insisted, and sure enough only a few minutes later (including the extra delay generated by my apparently eye-scan-prohibitive glass permeable contact lenses 🤷♀️🤷♀️) we were sailing through security leaving the many, many travelers on the security line in our dust.
Once I was safely situated in my airplane seat, reflecting on how glad I was we’d heeded Zach’s instinct (I knew I kept him around for a reason!), it dawned on me: THIS WAS JUST LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE’S EXPERIENCES WITH COACHING AND POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY PRACTICES.
I can’t tell you how many people – students and professionals alike – have told me that they really want to pursue coaching, attend a positive psychology workshop, or otherwise take steps to enhance their well-being, productivity, or other aspects of their personal/professional life, but that they “just don’t have the time.”
I get it.
I used to be the QUEEN of busy and overwhelm.
And I know that when you feel that way, the most instinctive thing to do is just keep moving, rejecting anything that threatens to slow your roll – even temporarily.
But the truth is that, as with the CLEAR registration process, investing a relatively small amount of time and effort in your well-being now will pay off dividends down the line by DRAMATICALLY increasing both the speed and ease with which you’re able to achieve your desired outcome (whether that’s happiness, enhanced physical health, better relationships, professional success — you name it).
Indeed, the research shows that personal well-being is linked with heightened productivity, creativity, and performance in nearly every domain of life, not to mention increased energy, mental clarity, and even life expectancy.
So when you allow yourself to slow down long enough to equip yourself with the tools and resources you need to bolster your well-being, far from wasting time, you’re actually enhancing the efficiency with which you can use your time and perhaps even increasing the amount of it you have overall.
So today, my friend, I encourage you to ask yourself:
Is there a step you’ve been considering taking to enhance your well-being?
If so, then I encourage you to seize the moment – busyness be damned!
Because, honestly, in the instances where you feel so rushed that you can’t possibly spare a few moments to focus on your well-being, that’s often a sign that you really don’t have time NOT to.
And, as always, if you feel like you could use support to help you take that step — or if you’d like someone to join you in celebrating your accomplishment once you’ve done so — please don’t hesitate to reach out to let me know.
In the meanwhile, know that I am rooting for you!
With love,
Jordana
