Lately, I’ve been feeling rushed.
Not just in the usual way busy weeks feel—but that deeper kind of pressure, where every minute feels accounted for. The kind where your body is going through the motions, but your mind’s already two steps ahead.
Even with mindfulness practices that usually help me reset, I’ve still found myself stuck in that forward-leaning posture of trying to stay ahead, hold things together, respond to everything, and keep moving.
And then I remembered—April is National Poetry Month.
Usually, I celebrate it by slowing down. I read poetry, sit with the rhythm of words, sometimes write a few lines of my own. But this month, I’ve barely paused long enough to breathe, let alone notice the poetry all around me.
After everything that happened with the Palisades fire, and the work of re-grounding myself and my family, I think I’ve been trying to do too much—without meaning to.
So when I picked up Cal Newport’s Slow Productivity, it felt like exactly the kind of reminder I needed.
You might know Newport from his earlier book Deep Work, where he writes:
“To produce at your peak level, you need to work for extended periods with full concentration on a single task free from distraction.”
Slow Productivity builds on that idea. This time, he’s not just talking about focus—he’s talking about pace. About how we measure our days, and how we might be measuring them all wrong.
Here’s what Newport recommends:
1. Do fewer things.
Not everything deserves a yes. Some things need to wait—or not happen at all.
“Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not.” – Deep Work
2. Work at a natural pace.
When we push through our natural rhythms, everything feels harder. When we honor our energy and timing, our work flows more smoothly—and more meaningfully.
“We’re not machines. We’re complex biological systems that require rest.” – Slow Productivity
3. Focus on quality.
When we stop multitasking, stop hurrying, and let ourselves go deep, better ideas tend to rise to the surface.
“The key to developing a deep work habit is to move beyond good intentions and add routines and rituals to your working life.” – Deep Work
This message reminded me of a poem I’ve always loved—especially in April. It’s “To Be of Use” by Marge Piercy. Her words capture the kind of strength that comes from grounded effort—not rushing, not scrambling—just showing up again and again with patience and care.
Here’s a part of it:
“I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.”
Her words brought me back to the kind of pace I want to protect in my own work. Not a pace that burns me out, but one that supports the kind of thoughtfulness and creativity I care about most.
If this speaks to you too, I’ve put together a simple worksheet to help you reset your week—just a few prompts to make space for what matters. Click here to download the worksheet.
And if you’d like to talk through how to shape your business around more calm, clarity, and intention, I’d love to connect.
You can book a free discovery call here.
As for me? I’ll be spending a little time in my swing chair on the patio this weekend—reading poetry… and maybe writing a little too.
Wishing you all the very best always,
Kalika
