How to Keep Up

It began on a Monday morning—the kind that doesn’t knock, just barges in.

Eli stared at their phone. Eleven notifications from work, four texts from friends asking about the weekend, a calendar full of meetings, and a fitness app chirping: “You’re behind on your step goal!”

They hadn’t even brushed their teeth.

Eli, 27, lived in a city that never slowed. It was a world of updates, upgrades, push alerts, and hustle. They worked in digital marketing, ran a side art page, tried to stay fit, tried to stay social, tried to stay sane. The truth? They felt like they were drowning—quietly. Everyone else seemed to be “keeping up.”

Their best friend, Rhea, posted 5 a.m. gym selfies. Marcus had just launched his second startup. Even their younger cousin had started a podcast.

"Why can't I just... keep up?" Eli muttered as the coffee machine sputtered like it too had had enough.

Chapter 1: The Spiral

Eli’s days became a blur. Wake, scroll, rush. Meetings piled up. They skipped meals, zoned out in front of Netflix, lost touch with family. When someone asked, “How are you?” they replied, “Busy,” which everyone took as normal.

But one night, after missing a deadline and ghosting a friend out of anxiety, Eli sat alone on their apartment floor. Around them: unopened mail, unread books, half-done sketches. They felt hollow. A question echoed:

“Is this what life is supposed to be?”

Chapter 2: The Stranger on the Train

Two days later, Eli boarded the late train home. They noticed an older man sketching passengers in a small notebook. His lines were calm, deliberate.

Curious, Eli watched.

The man looked up. “You look like someone running in a race they didn’t sign up for.”

Eli blinked.

“I… guess I am.”

The man smiled. “I used to run that race. But it doesn’t lead where you think.”

They talked. His name was Thomas. He was a retired architect who’d once burned out so badly he couldn’t draw a line without shaking. He had since slowed down—on purpose.

“How?” Eli asked.

Thomas offered one word: pace.

Chapter 3: Slowing Down to Move Forward

Eli began experimenting with small changes.

Waking up without immediately grabbing their phone.

Doing one thing at a time—no multitasking.

Walking without headphones to notice the world.

Journaling—not for productivity, but for peace.

They began to identify what was truly theirs and what was borrowed pressure.

Did they want to start a business? Or had they just felt behind because of Marcus?

Did fitness mean competing with Rhea’s routine, or just moving their body joyfully?

Eli also had a difficult conversation—with their boss. They requested adjusted deadlines and more clarity on expectations. Surprisingly, the world didn’t collapse.

Chapter 4: Losing to Win

One weekend, Eli missed a networking event that once would have caused panic. Instead, they spent the evening painting—something they hadn’t done in months.

They posted the painting online. It wasn’t perfect, but it resonated. Comments poured in. Not about hustle, but about truth.

Another time, they said no to a group trip because they needed rest. Their friends understood. Some even admitted they were exhausted too.

Eli started weekly “Sabbath Sundays.” No tech. No to-dos. Just being.

Ironically, the more they “slowed down,” the more in sync life felt. Like switching from a sprint to a steady hike—still moving, but breathing.

Chapter 5: The New Kind of Fast

Six months later, Eli didn’t have it all figured out. But they no longer feared falling behind.

Because they’d redefined what it meant to “keep up.”

They realized:

You don’t keep up by doing everything.

You keep up by doing what matters most—consistently, sustainably, soulfully.

The pace of life is not a race. It’s a rhythm. And rhythms allow rest.

At the park one evening, Eli saw a young woman crying quietly while checking her phone. Without thinking, they sat beside her.

“You okay?”

“I just… feel like I’m always behind,” she said. “Like I can’t keep up.”

Eli smiled softly. “I know that feeling. But let me tell you something…”

✨ Moral of the Story

“Keeping up” isn’t about speed—it’s about alignment.

You don’t need to match others’ pace.

You need to match your pace with your purpose.

Slowing down is not falling behind. It’s catching up with yourself.