Urgent, Not Reckless
- Keith E. Knapp
- Sep 12
- 2 min read
Today, one of the Coach's Notes in CompTrain hit me especially hard:
“Each AMRAP should feel urgent without being reckless.”
It’s a powerful distinction. Because urgency isn’t just about going fast. It’s about being present. Intentional. Locked in. It’s showing up with energy—but not letting that energy override wisdom, control, or care.
That’s true in the gym. And it’s true everywhere else, too.
Urgency Isn’t Frantic—It’s Focused
In Atomic Habits, James Clear writes:
“Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity.”
That line mirrors what urgency truly is: clarity in action.Urgency is knowing what matters—and giving it your best.
It’s not about rushing. It’s about refusing to drift.
A 2014 study in Psychological Science* found that people who practiced “deliberate presence” during difficult tasks not only performed better, but experienced less stress. Why? Because they weren’t fighting distractions. They were aligned with their purpose.
Urgency puts us in alignment. Recklessness pulls us away from it.
*Macnamara B., Hambrick D., Oswald F. Deliberate Practice and Performance in Music, Games, Sports, Education, and Professions: a Meta‑Analysis. Psychological Science. August 2014.
What Urgency Looks Like—In & Out of the Gym
In the gym: It’s knowing the stimulus of the workout and hitting it with precision—not chasing a leaderboard.
As a parent: It’s putting your phone down and locking eyes with your kid during bedtime.
As a coach or leader: It’s bringing energy not for attention, but for impact.
In relationships: It’s listening fully, not waiting to speak.
Urgency means showing up like it matters. Because it does.
How to Practice Urgency Without Burnout
Define the priority. Urgency without focus becomes chaos. Start with one meaningful target.
Set intention, not expectation. Don’t just “try harder”—get clear on how you want to show up.
Practice deliberate reps. In workouts, in parenting, in work—focus beats volume. Quality reps matter more than quantity.
Your Challenge This Week:
Ask yourself: Where in my life do I need to bring urgency—not recklessness?
Where am I coasting? Where am I overreaching? Where can I reset my intention?
Then: pick one thing.
One workout. One conversation. And show up like it matters.
We can turn away and decide, “That’s not me.”
Or, we can stay curious and ask, “What if it could be?” Urgency is how we honor the moment.
Not with chaos. Not with perfection. But with presence, purpose, and personal standard.
Let’s move through the coming weeks like it matters.
Because it does.
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