The Elevator Button We Keep Pressing

We've all done it.

You press the elevator button.

The light comes on, confirming your request has been received...and then, almost without thinking, you press it again.

And maybe once more.

As if the third press will convince the elevator to arrive faster.

Of course, it doesn't.

The button was never the engine. Its job was simply to send the request. Once that was done, the rest of the journey happened somewhere you couldn't see.

It struck me that we often treat life the same way.

• You submit the job application, then refresh your inbox.

• You publish your work, then keep checking the likes or views.

• You send an important message, then reread it wondering if you should have worded it differently.

• You make a decision, then question it all over again.

  
  

None of those things bring the outcome any closer.

They simply make the waiting feel louder.

That's often how anxiety works. It convinces us that checking, analysing or revisiting what we've already done gives us more control. In reality, it only eases the uncertainty for a moment.

The real challenge is knowing when to stop trying to control the outcome.

Patience isn't doing nothing. It's recognising when your part is complete.

If the elevator button never lights up, something may genuinely be wrong. Ask for help or find another route.

But if the light is already on, stop pressing.

Your part is done.

The elevator still has to travel the distance you can't see.

Have you ever caught yourself "pressing the elevator button" in another area of your life?