If You Feel Like You’re Failing at “Keeping Up”… Read This

Permission to Be Human: The Newsletter You Were Meant to Read Today

If You Feel Like You’re Failing at “Keeping Up”… Read This

Permission to Be Human: The Newsletter You Were Meant to Read Today

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #608: Sunday, October 19th, 2025.

The Art of Not Doing It All

A reader wrote me a note this week that stopped me in my tracks.
It was honest. Raw. And I think it speaks for half the country right now…whether we admit it or not.

She said (and I’m paraphrasing):

“I love your newsletter, but sometimes it makes me feel like I’m not doing enough.
I know I can’t possibly keep up with everything… and still, every time I don’t act on something you suggest, it goes into this mental column of ‘things I should have done by now.’”

She wasn’t criticizing.
She was being real.

And she was right…not just about herself…but about what a lot of us are quietly feeling.

The Pace of Modern Life Is Not Normal

Let’s be blunt:
The world is coming at us faster than any generation before.

Every day…there’s another crisis…another decision, another thing you “should” be doing to stay safe…stay sane…stay prepared.

Add to that the well-meaning firehose of information…from media…from experts… from newsletters (mine included)…and it’s no wonder we feel like we’re falling behind in our own lives.

But here’s the truth no one’s telling you:

You’re not behind.
You’re overloaded.
And those are not the same thing.

Overwhelm Is a Sign You Care

If you feel overwhelmed…it means you still give a damn.

It means you haven’t gone numb or tuned out like so many others.

But caring comes with a cost…and that cost is mental clutter.

You don’t have to absorb everything I write.
You don’t have to act on every idea.
And you sure as hell don’t have to live every day as if you’re preparing for an apocalypse that may or may not come.

You just have to stay awake.
That’s it.

When you read my work…think of it like this:
You’re not meant to build a library of burdens.
You’re building a toolbox of options.

Tools are meant to be picked up when needed…and set down when not.

The Firehose Problem

We live in a firehose era.

The volume of information has gone up.
But your bandwidth hasn’t.

So your brain does something predictable…it mistakes input for obligation.
Every new idea feels like something you must act on immediately…or you’re somehow failing.

That’s not true.
That’s cognitive overload dressed up as guilt.

And it’s time we stop measuring our worth by how many tabs are open…or how many checkboxes we’ve ticked.

How to Stay Grounded When the List Never Ends

Stop trying to “catch up.”

There is no finish line. There’s only the next right thing.

Choose one actionable idea per week.

One. Not five. Not twenty. One thing you can do that moves you forward.

Let go of the rest…for now.

You can’t carry every tool at once. Even builders put down their hammers.

Use the newsletter as a buffet, not a prescription.

Take what serves you. Leave the rest for another day.

Remember the deeper goal.

This isn’t about “doing it all.” It’s about feeling stronger, steadier, and more alive in a world trying to make you feel helpless.

The Reframe

What if the goal wasn’t “keeping up”…
…but staying conscious?

What if…instead of asking “What haven’t I done yet?”
you asked, “What truly matters today?”

That’s how you reclaim your peace.
That’s how you take back your power.

You are not falling behind.
You’re simply choosing what matters most…in a time when almost nothing around you wants you to.

A Personal Note to Judy (and Everyone Who Feels the Same)

If you’ve ever felt like my newsletters add to your “to-do” list…I get it.
And from here on out…I’ll do a better job of reminding everyone:

You don’t have to do everything I write.
You just have to think.
And feel.
And know that you’re not alone in this.

Final Thought

The firehose isn’t going away.
But how you stand under it…that’s a choice.

Breathe. Choose. Focus.
You’re not behind.
You’re right on time.

Stay steady,

-Jack

P.S. If this hit home…good. It means you’re one of the aware ones.
And if you ever catch yourself feeling that “not doing enough” pressure again… remember: even the strongest minds need to pause…refill…and re-center.

You’re not lazy. You’re human. And the fact that you’re still showing up here means you’re doing better than 95% of the world.