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Tethered in the Storm: Finding Your Anchor

It has been a while since our last session. They asked to meet monthly instead of weekly. Although it is evident that they need more touchpoints to stay on the path to the success they are seeking. But my role is to let my clients lead and explore with them.


But this session felt different, and I could tell. It was clear from the moment we logged on that Arigo was still running on the circular track but not in the dramatic, falling-apart kind of way. Arigo made some strides, and I was proud of that, but they were not.


Rome was not built in a day, but Arigo wants their Rome, their empire, to be built in a few hours. In Arigo's words, "I am behind in life."


There is an urgency to arrive, to be complete, to be whole, and to be self-reliant, so freedom to do whatever and be whoever at any given time, no inhibitions. Yet, something remains to be settled. I could sense it in their voice; they didn't notice, but I did, and I had to find a way to lead them to that river.


Arigo came to coaching for help with executive function skills, and we have been meeting for a while now. "I just need better systems," they said. "Maybe some productivity tools." But after listening to them talk for a few minutes, it became clear: it wasn't just the clock they were fighting. It was the feeling that they were constantly reacting to life—chasing expectations, carrying invisible loads, managing everyone else's "arrival" in life while they were still nowhere near this "arrival" themselves. A self-imposed timeline yet competing with people who are unaware they are in a race.


"I feel like I'm not there yet, and I am running out of time," Arigo echoed. That's when I asked the question that shifted everything:

"What is your anchor?"

There was a long pause.

Arigo looked confused. "What do you mean?"

So I broke it down: "When things get chaotic—when you're tired, uncertain, overwhelmed—what truth, value, or purpose pulls you back to yourself? What do you come home to? Why are you doing all this? Why are we here?"


Arigo blinked, then looked away. Their eyes sank into their head as they thought about it, looking for a suitable answer, but there was none.

"I don't think I have one," they whispered.


The Cost of Being Unanchored

When you don't have an anchor, life becomes a series of reactions. You chase goals because they look good on paper. You say yes because you're afraid of disappointing someone, perhaps that someone is you. You overfunction because slowing down feels unsafe. You hustle, you strive, and you stay busy—but your soul is still. You become like chaff without knowing it - blown in any direction the wind wants because you are not anchored. You don't know where you're going, and you're at the mercy of the ocean's winds.


Being still does not always mean being at peace. Moving does not mean progress. And certainly, moving fast does not mean you will arrive on time.


For Arigo and many of us, not having an anchor means:

  • Chasing after something while giving it a specific time to be caught

  • Burning out every six months and calling it "a new you, a rebirth"

  • Drifting between jobs and projects that don't light us up

  • Pouring into relationships where the energy was never mutual

  • The list goes on...


The absence of an anchor isn't just about misdirection—it is about drowning while thinking you are the best swimmer.


Finding Arigo's Anchor

It's not about laziness, procrastination, or lack of motivation. It is about nothing holding Arigo to what matters most. Simply put, what do they stand for, and what will keep them standing when the building comes falling down? When no one else stands with them, will they be able to stand through it all?


Tethered in the Storm means finding your anchor. Your anchor reminds you that you're not defined by what's happening around you, but by what you're rooted in. When the waves are at their strongest, and everyone else has fled, what will keep you still? What will keep you sane even if, to others, you are insane?


Our goals don't change. But how we move toward them does.


Let every decision pass through a filter:

"Is this aligned with my anchor?" If the answer is no, it does not get your energy and must be removed.


If you don't know the answer to the above question, you're not alone. But the longer you move without an anchor, the more you'll sacrifice your peace in exchange for hollow progress. You will continue running on the circle track without a stopwatch.


As a coach, I don't just help people hit goals. I help them ground their goals in identity, values, and truth—so they don't just move forward; they move in harmony because that's the kind of success that actually lasts.


You don't have to drift alone, and your anchor might be closer than you think. Reach out; let's just chat. Everything starts with a chat; take that step.


How To Find Me:


In the meantime, be gentle with yourself,

Celestina


Fore-Thoughts. One Spark. One Move.




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coaching, life coach, financial coach, executive function coach
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