𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨 𝐏𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞?

Yesterday was full—attending a funeral, recording two podcast episodes, and publishing another. By the time I looked up, it was 10:30 p.m.

As I wandered upstairs after shutting down my computer, I realized I had been working almost nonstop for hours. Not out of obligation or pressure, but because I was in the groove. Focused. Energized.

But that moment got me thinking: how many times in the past have I lost track of the sun or the clock while deep in the zone? And how often have I let that “groove” push aside everything else: my schedule, my health, or even my family?

There’s a fine line between productive flow and unhealthy imbalance. And I’m not sure I always know when I’ve crossed it.

How do you manage it?

When you’re deep in a groove, what pulls you back to center?