Experimenting with a Shift in Pace (Share 4 Somethings)
—Share Four Somethings February 2026
I’ve been experimenting this month with my One Word—Shift—in a slightly different direction: pace.
Not doing less or doing more, necessarily, but adjusting the speed—faster or slower—where it felt possible. Paying attention to the rhythm of my days. Speeding up things that didn’t need dragging out. Slowing down things that deserved to be stretched.
I’m also sharing my last month’s One Second Everyday video.
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1. Something I Loved
- “Name One” Brunch
Last weekend we hosted a brunch for the families of our book club participants. I see the women every week, but not their kids and partners. It’s always fun to expand the circle.
Everyone brought one item that represented something about themselves—and a story to go along with it. We played a fast word game Blank Slate and shared a photo from our phones that made us smile.
It felt enriching to have all morning to shift our pace, lingering over stories and really noticing each other. It helped us see how the unique things about each person are also the very things that bring us together.
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2. Something Sustaining Me
- A Colorado Weekend Retreat
At the beginning of the month, I spent a fantastic weekend in Colorado with a few online friends who are now in-person friends.
Our two hosts thoughtfully planned meaningful activities for each day, allowing plenty of breathing space in between for casual conversations or quiet solitude.
On the final night, we made a gorgeous mandala from objects we’d been creating throughout the weekend—such a slow, rich closing to an intimate weekend of treasured community.
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3. Something Carrying Me Forward
- Time Tracking for a Week
Once every year or so, I keep a time log for one week, thanks to Laura Vanderkam’s enthusiastic recommendation and annual challenge. This year I chose a week in February to track my time.
It’s a little bit of a hassle, but using the wonderful Toggl app makes it almost fun. And definitely quicker than keeping up with it by hand.
At the end of the week, I was curious (and slightly nervous) to see the breakdown of how I spent my hours. Toggl provides you with wonderful charts of your week.
As expected for anybody, sleep was my largest category (53 hours).
The big surprise (to me, maybe not to my husband?) was what came in second: reading in bed, clocking in at 9.5 hours for that week—mostly centered around 6am and 9:30pm. Those bookends of the day are some of my favorite slow times to read without looking at the clock.
I don’t use time tracking to pass judgment on how I spend my time, but rather to notice my rhythms and pace, and figure out any adjustments I’d like to make going forward.
As with most things, shifts often start with awareness.
[Read more: Four tools to live with time, not against it]
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4. Something I’m Making Space For
- The Alabama Solution
My husband and I spent a Sunday afternoon at our local public library to watch The Alabama Solution (you can also watch it on HBO).
It’s a sobering documentary (it received an Academy Award nomination!) about the deadly abuses inside Alabama’s prison system.
Watch the 2-minute trailer here.
It felt slow. And hard. But important to witness.
Part of shifting my pace this month meant sticking with uncomfortable things, if they were also valuable things. This film fit that category.
Other than contacting state officials, there’s not much I can do about the problem, but I can at least stay informed. And that is something.
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This month reminded me that shifts don’t have to be drastic to be meaningful. They can happen around a brunch table. In the mountains. In a spreadsheet of hours. With a community watching something hard.
All at a human pace.
A Question for You:
Where would you like to slow down—or speed up—this week?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
I’m linking at these blog parties
I like that your word shift has affected how you see the varied pace of different days, Lisa. What a great retreat you enjoyed, too, as well as your book ladies bringing your families together for some fun times. Hope your March is just as full of opportunities. Blessings!
Thanks, Martha. I hope you have a great month ahead too. February is ending as a beautiful, warm spring-like day!
That blogger retreat sounds absolutely wonderful!
Getting together in “real life” with online friends has been such a joy every time it’s happened so far!
Enjoyed reading all this, Lisa, and watching….including my second-long claim to fame! Ha! Michael and I loved meeting you and Jeff. Truly you can find soulmates online. How wonderful that some of *yours* got together in real time, in Colorado, no less!
The prison system is horrifying, and if you ever have the time and attention to get through that dense book on the American justice system, which my pastor recommended to me, you’ll realize how truly unjust it is. Obviously, we can’t have dangerous criminals on the loose (if I speak with compassion, people assume I’m pro-criminal, anti-American–or *something*; I understand the need for the law and its enforcement)! Still, Jesus said to show compassion to prisoners, to visit them. He did not allow us to treat humans like animals. Don’t get me started on CECOT either, to where we were unjustly shipping immigrants–to a real hell hole. Thank you for having a heart and calling injustice to our attention.
Today we just got back from hearing a talk by a precious Hiroshima survivor. She’s 92. Her Japanese accent was fairly thick so it was a little hard to understand her at times, but one understands the horror she and her family experienced. I am ordering her memoir.
The US was attacked by Japan. Still, there are victims, everyday people just living their lives on both sides of a war. She was in the 6th grade. We call people like her collateral damage. It was eerie to hear her speak today as the US is orchestrating more collateral damage in an enemy nation. I get that we are not friends. But was there not diplomacy? Was there not some other way (at least the legal declaration of war by Congress) and not the unilateral act of one man?
I’m still processing all this, like a shifting kaleidoscope trying to find the right perspective, and it keeps changing patterns!
Lynn
I’ll always treasure the time we got to spend with you and Michael! So special to get to actually give you a hug and spend time in person!
How wonderful that you got to spend some time hearing the Hiroshima survivor. I can’t even imagine the horror she experienced. Poignant timing as today began more bombing around the world. I hated to wake up to that news this morning.
I totally understand your viewpoint on both prisons and war. Yes, we need law and order–most certainly. And also yes, we *could* still treat people as human beings even in the midst of enforcing consequences. Sigh.
I still haven’t gotten a physical kaleidoscope to go along with Shift for this year, but I will come across one somewhere (online, if nowhere else). It definitely is a shifting world every morning (and I know even more so for you with vertigo!).
Take care, friend! Much love to you.
“Speeding up things that didn’t need dragging out. Slowing down things that deserved to be stretched.” I love this so much! I also like that you tracked your time for a week, and I am sure it was great to see where/how you spent your time. I am also sure that it probably felt a little bit like a chore, even though the end result would be worth it. I love that your book club got the families together too, what a neat idea! Have a wonderful week!
You’re right that tracking time felt like a chore, but yes, it was worth it. It always amazes me how time adds up for things like meal prep, or getting ready to go somewhere, or even getting ready for bed. lol.
So true, that lost time you don’t think about, LOL!
Oh this, Lisa, right here –>’Paying attention to the rhythm of my days. Speeding up things that didn’t need dragging out. Slowing down things that deserved to be stretched.’
Perfect. That’s where I want to be as we move ahead.
Watching my pace was definitely an interesting experiment for February – it actually is something I would benefit from all year long. Hopefully I’ll keep a little of that awareness as time goes on…
Such a thought provoking post Lisa! I will sit with these thoughts that have been provoked mulling for awhile.
By the way I loved your video.
Blessings, Jennifer
Thanks, Jennifer. The videos are always fun for me to look back on!
A lovely post, Lisa. I always enjoy seeing your one second every day…and your little guy.
What a blessing that you host the brunch for your book club participants. It sounds like so much fun.
Thank you, Dianna. My little guy is growing up way too quickly. It just goes by in a flash; I know you know that feeling!
What an interesting collection today! That game sounds like so much fun and it doesn’t surprise me that reading scored so high for you. You are an inspiration!! Going on retreat is such a vital practice too – my next one is early May, then another one end of August. My soul is overdue for longer stillness and silence!!
Yes, I shouldn’t have been surprised that reading was one of my top activities of the week. The most surprising thing was how much of it was spent in bed – not sure what that says about me. lol. I’m always inspired by your retreats, Jean. I appreciate you sharing with us how they go!
Love what you’re doing with your word Lisa. You are so intentional and deeply exploring.
Thanks so much for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month my dear friend. I’m so happy you’re here.
Thank you, Paula. I appreciate you hosting the Sweet Tea & Friends linkup. I’m always happy to see so many links there – you’re doing a good work!
I really need to get my back to participating in the Four Somethings linkup because I learn so much from reading the posts of others.
I hope you do get back to it, Barb. The 4 Somethings that people share are some of my favorite posts to read around the blogosphere!
So thought-provoking, Lisa! “Paying attention to the rhythm of my days. Speeding up things that didn’t need dragging out. Slowing down things that deserved to be stretched.” I need to explore my pacing
In my little pacing experiment I’m discovering that, more often than not, I need to slow down more than I need to speed up. I can get in too big of a hurry at times. It takes me back to when my 2020 word was Linger. I still need to microdose that. 🙂
This has been such an eye-opening investigation for you—and I’m intrigued!
Some of the directions it is taking me are definitely surprising ones. That’s one thing I love about our words – they each have a bit of wildness about them that refuse to be controlled too tightly.