Don’t Postpone Peace

A serene coastal landscape serves as a backdrop for an inspiring quote by Marianne Williamson, highlighting the contrast between ego and spirit in the quest for peace.

One of the most common topics that comes up in coaching sessions lately is this: “How can I feel less stressed and more at peace?” Many people believe peace will come once they solve a major problem, reach a goal, or change jobs. Some think they’ll finally feel calm after retirement. In other words, they keep postponing peace to a future moment.

The emotion that takes over in the meantime is anxiety. “What if I fail?”, “What if I’m not good enough?”, “What if I don’t meet expectations?”

Whether we’re students preparing for exams, professionals managing tough projects, or leaders trying to grow a business—we often hold on tightly to this anxiety, consciously or not. We nearly forbid ourselves from feeling peaceful before we achieve something, cross a threshold, or solve a problem. Deep down, we believe anxiety motivates us and helps us stay disciplined.

Yes, to some extent, anxiety can be functional. But as Daniel Goleman explains in his book Optimal, once that threshold is crossed, performance starts to decline—and anxiety begins to drain our energy, pushing us toward burnout.

There are ways to reduce the destructive effects of anxiety. First, we can start believing that problems are not just setbacks but opportunities for growth and learning. Just as important is recognizing your own inner strength—your self-efficacy—and trusting that you’ll be able to handle whatever challenges arise. These are empowering beliefs worth nurturing.

Life is mostly a journey from one goal to the next. And that path will always include problems. Maybe the real issue is not the problems themselves, but the way we treat them—as something abnormal. It’s worth asking:

Are we really hoping to wake up one day and find that all our problems have magically disappeared?

We might have heard the frustrated “Ugh, another problem?” reaction from parents in childhood or from managers at work. But a huge part of life—whether the problems are big or small—is about solving them. That’s why peace shouldn’t be treated as a reward we earn after everything is fixed. It’s something we can create within the process.

To me, peace is a sense of being at ease with yourself. It’s the feeling that comes from living in alignment with your values. It’s something you can carry with you even while facing challenges—something that quiets the background noise and helps you focus on what matters.

So, don’t postpone peace. Make space for it—now.