Episode 73: When Did Your Time Stop Feeling Like Yours? How Values Change Everything with Kathy Washburn
You’ll also love…
Ep. 64 — The Integrity Trap: Can following through for everyone else be breaking you down? with Natasha Skolny
Have you ever looked up on a Friday and couldn't find yourself in the week? You were there, you showed up, you did all the things — and somehow in the middle of all of it, you went missing.In this episode, Kathy explores one of the most honest conversations she's been having lately: the relationship between busyness, values, and what it means to live a life that actually feels like yours. Drawing on research from Columbia Business School and the wisdom of Brene Brown, she unpacks why busyness has become a status symbol — and what it's costing us underneath the badge.
She also shares a question from a client that stopped her cold: How do I know I'm doing it? What are the signs that I'm actually living from my values? The answer becomes a warm, honest framework for celebrating the evidence of your own growth — something high-achievers rarely give themselves permission to do.
Whether you are in the middle of a big transition, feeling the weight of a life moving at life speed, or simply wondering whose values you've been living — this episode is a cup of coffee with a friend who has something important to share.
In this episode, Kathy discusses:
Why 'I'm too busy' is a values statement, whether we mean it to be or not
The Columbia Business School research on busyness as a status symbol
What Brene Brown calls 'the armor of crazy-busy'
Why transitions are one of the most powerful times to do a values assessment
The 7 signs that your values are actually working in your life
How your body is tracking your values in real time
The one truth worth keeping: you choose your values
Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Welcome and setup
00:00:31 — Three conversations spark
00:01:23 — Life at life speed
00:02:10 — Busy as status armor
00:03:02 — Conspicuous consumption of time
00:04:00 — Busyness is a prioritization problem
00:05:37 — Values reclaim time
00:06:47 — Transitions need values
00:08:51 — Client asks for proof
00:12:12 — Seven signs of values in action
00:17:58 — Embodied values signals
00:20:23 — Choose and live values
00:21:28 — Invitation and closing
Resources Mentioned
Think2Perform Free Values Practice: Think2Perform.com/values
Bellezza, Paharia & Keinan — Conspicuous Consumption of Time, Journal of Consumer Research (2017)
Brene Brown — The Gifts of Imperfection
HeartMath Institute Research
John O'Donohue — To Bless the Space Between Us
Connect with Kathy Washburn
Sign up for Kathy’s Sense of Peace Substack
To learn more about Kathy and her coaching services, head over to https://kathywashburn.net/
To schedule a free consultation with Kathy visit https://kathywashburn.net/contact
Follow Kathy on Instagram @kathywashburndotnet
Sign Up for Kathy’s On Demand Anchored Hope Course https://kathy-washburn.teachable.com/p/anchored-hope