Sometimes a book finds you because of its subtitle.
I selected The Art of Pacing: A Guide to Balancing Short-Term Demands with Long-Term Thriving by Elizabeth Svoboda because it spoke directly to a question I’ve been exploring in my own writing: How do we manage today’s demands while still creating the space to build the future we want? I was curious whether the idea of “pacing” could offer a practical framework for living with greater stability, intention, and sustainability.
What Stood Out
The central idea is simple but powerful: we need to regulate our lives the way distance runners regulate their pace. Success isn’t about sprinting all the time. It’s about knowing when to push, when to recover, and when to simply stay the course.
One of the book’s strongest observations is that American culture isn’t naturally designed for pacing. From an early age, we’re encouraged to differentiate ourselves through relentless effort, constant productivity, and self-improvement. The result is that many of us spend our lives reacting to immediate demands, often chasing someone else’s definition of success rather than intentionally pursuing our own.
I also appreciated that the book didn’t stop with theory. It offers practical tactics for pacing, particularly in our relationship with technology. One passage that stood out was:
“In a world where online engagement is both necessary and corrosive, the best digital pacing strategies are less about shutting out the chaos entirely and more about charting a well-defined path through it – a path that furthers your own goals, not those of app creators eager to keep you scrolling.” – Elizabeth Svoboda
One pleasant surprise was the chapter on Collective Pacing. Rather than treating pacing as an individual responsibility, Svoboda argues that workplaces, communities, and families all shape our ability to pace ourselves. Healthy cultures make sustainable performance possible; unhealthy ones require collective change, not just individual resilience.
My Perspective
This book connects closely with a theme I’ve been exploring over the past several years: shifting from time management to energy management.
One quote captured that idea perfectly:
“The era of time management has passed; the term I use is energy management.” — Colleen Hacker
That perspective aligns with much of my recent writing. Three of my posts in this area include Understanding Personal Energy and Maximizing Daily Energy, and Managing Energy at Work. Rather than trying to squeeze more into every hour, I’ve become increasingly interested in protecting and directing the energy that allows us to understand and leverage our personal energy waves.
The book also introduced me to Abraham Maslow’s concept of “healthy selfishness”. The idea that protecting our own energy isn’t selfish at all. It’s what enables us to contribute more effectively to the people and work that matter most.
Perhaps that’s the real value of pacing. It’s about creating enough space to remember where we’re trying to go and having the energy to actually get there.
Who Should Read It
I’d recommend this book to anyone who feels like they’re constantly responding to the demands of the day instead of intentionally shaping what’s next.
If your calendar controls you more than your priorities do, The Art of Pacing offers practical ideas for moving from a reactive, defensive mindset to a more intentional and future-focused one.
Your Turn
Where in your life are you sprinting when you should be pacing?
What helps you recharge your energy instead of your schedule?
Are you pursuing your own definition of success, or someone else’s?