A much needed slowdown
Experiment Field Notes〔 Edition 03 〕
OVERVIEW
A much needed slowdown
4 Day Work Week Experiment
⟬ 2025 Edition № 03 ⟭ Apr 19-25
RELATED POST
Here’s where I’m at…
I needed a break, some pause and time away from all this intoxicating creating and building I’ve been doing. But it hasn’t been easy because my brain is still constantly churning and urging my body to follow through.
I tried to channel that energy elsewhere, but it felt like I was still feeding that same beast, just with different kinds of doing. So the problem isn’t just doing “work”. The problem is that I’m ALLOWING this mental pattern to continue.
There’s an underlying anxiousness and fear that is making me act like the Energizer Bunny that can’t stop going and going and going. It made me question whether my motivations were purely honoring the creative flow or a romanticized form of workaholism.
Pulling the e-brakes on this tendency will just cascade the issues and challenges and pressure cook existing stress, guilt, and shame for not doing enough, fast enough, or doing everything on my to do list. So instead, I started becoming more intentional with my time and dialed down the number of commitments and projects to focus on.
It was uncomfortable slowing down, but liberating to declare that “I can’t do it all. I don’t need to do it all. I just need to focus on the right tasks to move me forward!” (And “without guilt and shame” would be the cherry on top for me.)
That required me to:
Clearly define my priorities. Made sure they were doable, not idealistically aspirational.
Experiment more with multipurposing, which allows me to practice more presence and choosing to intentionally miss out instead of fearing it.
Be more aware of the reasons why I’m procrastinating, too.
SIDE NOTE: I’ve been intentionally tracking the energetic difference between multitasking and multipurposing over the past few weeks. The early conclusions are clear.
When I multipurpose, I feel calmer, more present, and actually get more done… without feeling like I’m spinning out. When I multitask, my brain feels foggier, my attention gets scattered, and I end up more drained and stressed.
So multipurposing isn’t just more effective. It's giving me glimpses of my ideal Work Rhythm that feels lighter, more sustainable, and *relieving sigh* more me. Yay!This is my first time ever in 7 years since I started my first newsletter, I came across the feeling of… I want to post more. Publishing once a week now feels limiting when I have so much to share. Buh bye, warnings at the top of my drafts. I’ll be saying hi more often now.
Factors to consider
I was traveling this past week and will be visiting my family for a period of time, so the travels and environment change helped me take a step back a bit, but at the same time, it also disrupted all my usual routines.
Seems like a great way to discover how to travelproof my sustainable routines, right? Well, stay tuned to those future insights.
Referential context
AVERAGE WORK DAY HOURS
7am to 5pm (- 1 hr for lunch - 1 hr of personal time)
🔼 improvements from last week!
WORK DAYS PER WEEK
2 days + a few hours on the weekend + 6 hrs on the flight
🔼 less days overall!
FOOTNOTES
This was an unusual week, but it felt great slowing down a bit. Looking forward to more ease this upcoming week.
Where you can take this…
Focus on Your Work Structure
Reconsider…
Where am I defaulting to "just squeezing it in" instead of designing my time?
Ask yourself:
Am I setting up the proper environment to help me do this task well?
If I believed that doing one thing well was enough, how would I show up differently today?
If I believed my best work happens in depth, not speed, what would I change first?
Multitasking can become an invisible habit of self abandonment—stretching yourself thinner and thinner without realizing you're trading depth for busyness.
On the other hand, multipurposing asks you to slow down and be more intentional. It helps you honor your energy by weaving your actions thoughtfully, with room to breathe between them, so you can build momentum that feels like expansive, not exhaustive.
At this moment, tune into what feels right to you. Start turning up your awareness and make subtle, incremental tweaks to discover what truly works for you.
Experiments to explore
🧱 If you're feeling STUCK…
You might be trapped in the loop of scattered multitasking, chasing every task with equal urgency, and wondering why your energy feels so depleted. Let’s start with noticing how often you’re context switching.
Try this:
Have a sheet of paper and a pen nearby (yes, something physical), and set a timer for 30 mins. Each time you switch tasks (such as any action or thought that is not what you’re currently doing), pause and draw a tally mark.
The act of interrupting yourself to physically mark the switch slows the momentum just enough to make the pattern visible.
You’re not trying to change anything yet. Just gather evidence.
See if noticing the cost of context switching makes you naturally want to protect your focus more fiercely. You might be surprised how quickly awareness alone starts recalibrating your brain’s craving for scattered dopamine hits.
🧪 If you want to EXPLORE…
You’re beginning to notice moments where you could link actions together more intentionally—but old habits of multitasking still sneak in.
Try this:
Pick one low stakes task pairing today, like walking + recording voice notes, listening + capturing insights, etc.
Tip: Set a clear "primary action" and treat the second as supportive, not competing.
Notice how it feels to stay centered in one dominant flow rather than bouncing between tasks equally. Remember, you’re not doing more. You’re focusing deeper.
📐 If you're ready to REFINE…
You’ve tasted the difference between scattered multitasking and focused multipurposing. Now, let’s weave it into your work structure with more intention.
Try this:
Audit your current workflow: Where are you still multitasking by default?
Where could you redesign the sequence—batching similar tasks or layering complementary ones with clear focus anchors?
Look for 1-2 places to intentionally switch from multitasking to multipurposing this week. Protect your capacity for deep focus. Ease scales when you choose where your attention lives, on purpose.
Every small moment you reclaim from scattered busyness is worth celebrating.
You don’t have to overhaul everything overnight. You just have to keep tuning in and choosing with intention, step by step.
Remember, momentum comes from trust, not speed.
P.S. If this gave you something to rethink or try, tap the 💜. Share or restack this post to support someone else who's ready to leave scattered focus behind and move with more intention.