The challenging thing from a work perspective is just the range

Hear, O seekers of balance, the wise words of Jacinda Ardern: “The challenging thing from a work perspective is just the range of things on any given day that you’re dealing with, and making sure you have the head space to really be giving them the thought and consideration you’d like, too.” These are not the words of an idle worker, but of one who bore the weight of leadership upon her shoulders, stewarding a nation through storms both seen and unforeseen. She speaks here of the burden that comes not from one great trial, but from the multitude of demands that press upon the soul day by day.

The meaning of her words is both simple and profound. To labor well is not only to act, but to think; not only to decide, but to reflect. When the range of things is vast—when problems arrive one after another like waves—there is a danger that thought becomes shallow, that consideration is lost in haste. Ardern reminds us that true leadership requires not only the strength to endure many tasks, but also the discipline to create head space, a clearing in the mind where each issue may be weighed with fairness and wisdom.

This truth is ancient. The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, who ruled over vast armies and nations, wrote in his Meditations that he rose each day to a multitude of cares. Yet he admonished himself to pause, to reflect, to maintain calm amid the noise. Without this inner order, the outer order would crumble. So too Ardern teaches: in the chaos of modern duty, the soul must carve out stillness, lest it be swept away by urgency and lose the gift of true discernment.

Consider also Abraham Lincoln, in the crucible of the American Civil War. Letters poured into his office, generals demanded decisions, the nation fractured before his eyes. Yet he was known to sit quietly with a storybook or walk in solitude, creating the head space to think with clarity. Had he not done so, his choices might have been consumed by haste, and history might have taken another path. His greatness was not merely in action, but in the deep consideration that preceded it.

Ardern’s words also remind us of the human cost of constant demand. When the mind is never given room, when the range of things becomes endless noise, fatigue sets in, and with fatigue comes error. She acknowledges the tension every leader feels: the longing to give each matter the attention it deserves, and the reality that the day is too short. Yet her wisdom lies in recognizing this struggle openly, for to name the challenge is the first step toward mastering it.

The lesson, O listener, is vital: you cannot serve others, nor even yourself, if you do not guard your own head space. Whether you lead a nation, a household, or your own solitary life, the principle is the same. In a world that demands much, you must carve out room to think, to breathe, to weigh with justice and care. To do otherwise is to live reactively, driven by noise rather than guided by wisdom.

Therefore, in practice, learn to pause. Set aside moments of silence in your day, where the clamor of tasks cannot intrude. When many demands press upon you, resist the urge to rush blindly; instead, choose stillness, then act with clarity. For it is not the range of things that destroys the soul, but the absence of reflection amid them. Guard your mind as a sacred temple, and you will find that even the heaviest burdens can be carried with grace.