Narrative Drift: The Hidden Reason Leaders Hit Burnout

You already know.

In this episode, Paige explores the hidden pattern she calls narrative drift, the space where you already know something needs to change, but you keep postponing the truth.

It can sound like needing more clarity, more time, or more information. But underneath it, there is often a deeper knowing you are not yet willing to face.

Paige walks through the moment before transformation begins, the space before Key Zero, before willingness, courage, and hope. She shares how Narrative Intelligence helps us recognize the story we are living inside so we can stop delaying what our life is asking of us.

This is an episode about truth, resistance, and the quiet cost of pretending not to know.

If you have been circling a decision, feeling numb, burned out, bored, or aware that something in your life no longer fits, this conversation is for you.

In this episode:
 🗝 What narrative drift is
 🗝 Why we delay the truth we already know
 🗝 What happens before Key Zero
 🗝 How story patterns keep us stuck
 🗝 Why change does not have to begin with collapse

Take the Narrative Intelligence assessment at storykeys.co.

Call or text the show at 801 843 5397.

Subscribe and share if this episode speaks to where you are right now.

Join the Creative Leadership Circle for free at https://www.skool.com/creativeleadership/about.

Hosted by Paige Williams
Executive coach. Transformational guide. Author of The Twelve Creative Keys.

Call or text a question: 801-THE-KEYS, 1-801-843-5397
Learn more at https://www.paigewilliams.co

Join our free Leadership Circle: https://www.skool.com/creativeleadership/about

 Connect on LinkedIn and Instagram @paigewilliamscreates

Creative Leadership begins within. Clarity follows willingness.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

What truth do you already know that you're pretending to not know? That's what we're gonna talk about today. I'm Paige Williams, and this is The Keys. I'm a transformational guide and executive coach, author of the best-selling book, The 12 Creative Keys. My work is in creative leadership and narrative intelligence. Narrative intelligence is the ability to understand that you are driven by a story and your ability to change that story. And that's what we talk about on this show. So today we're going to talk about a hidden pattern in our life, which is called the narrative drift. And if you're living in narrative drift, what that feels like is I already know something, but I'm pretending to not know it. That's the underlying current. It's excused with something that sounds like, I just need to evaluate this more. I need to know more about this decision. I'm not sure I have clarity yet. Narrative drift happens when you know that there is a change that needs to happen, and you are unwilling to yet admit that the change is going to happen. So in the creative keys, I often talk about key zero. And key zero is the bottom. It's the something here has to shift, something here has to change. And until we get to key zero, our life is going to stay the same, even when there's a question that we already know the answer to, we're just not key one willing to look at what needs to change. And if we're not willing to really admit to ourselves that we're unwilling to change, then we're never going to get to key two, which is courage, and take that first step forward. And then the feeling of courage is creative key three, hope. And so we don't even get to courage and hope if we're unwilling to admit that something needs to change. So what happens before key zero? We don't talk about that a lot. We often talk about the dark night of the soul. That is key zero. But what about the moments before the dark night of the soul? That might feel like burnout before flames. It might look like boredom. It might look like stepping out on your partner. It might look like, I don't really want to work today because what are we here for? It might look like the saying to ourselves, is this all there is in life? Is this it? Isn't there something more? It's just this numbness. It's a numbness before life gets so hard that we have a dark night of the soul that then puts us into desperation that then puts us into willingness. That's why dark nights of the soul are so hard, but they're also so precious, because that's where change becomes possible. But do we always have to go through a dark night of the soul to change? I don't believe so. If we can recognize the story that we are living in and the pattern that we are living in and change it. So recently I discovered a secret that could have sent me through a path of desperation. I could have gotten mixed up in the drama of it. I could have taken to the bed, as we southerners say. I could have gone and talked to a hundred people about it. I could have moved quickly, caused damage to myself and to others. But what I did instead was I used my own work and I said, what is the story running underneath this issue? I said, what is the story that I'm telling myself about this experience? Do I have to attach all of these emotions to it, all of this meaning to it? Do I have to make sense of it? Or can I just be present with my loved ones and tell them I love them? And for me, I'm praying for them, for the peace that passes understanding. Can I just live there? Can I reach out to my team and say, hey, something's come up, I need help, and just go talk to a select few so that I don't go down in flames, so that I don't abuse food, so that I don't stay up at night and don't sleep, so that I take care of my body. See, I believe that through looking at the stories we tell ourselves, we can stop the moment of desperation and we can still change and transform. Do you believe that? If so, comment on this video. And if you want to look at the hidden patterns and the stories running your life, I invite you to visit storykeys.co. This week, I launched the first narrative intelligence assessment and diagnostic tools to tell you what story archetype you are, what narrative pattern you are living in, and what is your ability to change the pattern. And the good news is that we can affect our NQ score. The 12 creative keys, my book I wrote, gives us a path of transformation. We don't have to continue to live in the stories that keep us stuck. And what happens when we don't live in those stories anymore? Transformation. We have the courage to change our life enough to live fully, to have a felt life. It is beautiful to actually be able to change. But to be able to change, to be able to become all of ourselves, it takes a lot of narrative work. We have to look at the stories and the patterns that are running our decisions to stay, to not look, to not change, to not shift. There is a reason that we're not looking at the truth. And there's something that has protected us before that is no longer serving us. And we need to shed whatever that is that keeps us from that change. And you can do it. I'm here to tell you, you can do it. You can use the 12 creative keys to take you through that pathway, to take you from transformation, to take you from desperation or even worse, boredom, to living a life full of awe. That's the promise of the 12 creative keys. And the work of Story Keys, Story Keys.co and narrative intelligence is to diagnose exactly what it is that needs to shift in you so that you can change. And I want to tell you something. You can change. And I'm rooting for you. That's why I'm doing this work. It's why I think about it all the time. It's because I want you, dear one, to find this and to say, my God, if I just get a little willingness and have a little courage and look at the stories I'm telling myself that are holding me back, then I have some hope that life can be more than the mundane. In fact, if I go through the whole 12 creative keys, I can feel a sense of awe, a sense of wonder, and a sense of serenity. And that, my friends, is a creative act. I run a free creative leadership circle. You're welcome to join. Look for the link in the notes or the bio or the comment. Please subscribe to this channel and comment so others find this work. You can check out my work at pagewilliams.co or storykeys.co. You can also call in to this show at 1-801-the keys. That's 1-801-843-5397. And you can tell me the story archetype you got after the assessment, the narrative pattern that you got, and what to do about it. I will deep dive with you. You can ask a question about your life or your leadership, your transition moment. I am here for you. I want to hear from you. What questions do you have? Let's work them in real time. Thank you so much for letting me come to you and tell you be yourself, but be all of yourself. I'm Paige Williams, and this is the keys.