Redefining Productivity Through Movement
The Week I Thought I Was Falling Behind
A few weeks ago, I started to worry about my half marathon training.
My race is coming up, and I had a plan.
The problem? My body seemed to have a different one.
For nearly two weeks, my energy was low.
Not “I need a nap” low.
More like moving through mud low.
I still exercised. I still did some HIIT sessions. I still went for a few shorter runs. But I wasn’t following my training plan the way I had intended.
Part of it was my cycle.
And if you’re a woman, you probably know what I mean when I say it wasn’t just my period.
It was the week before and the week of.
Nearly two weeks where my energy, motivation, recovery, and confidence all felt different.
A familiar voice started whispering:
You’re losing momentum.
You’re falling behind.
You should be doing more.
I listened to it for a while.
Then this week, something shifted.
My energy returned.
The excitement about my half marathon came back.
So I put on my running shoes and headed out for a 5K.
I wasn’t expecting much.
In fact, I was half expecting confirmation that those two weeks had set me back.
Instead, I ran a personal best.
25 minutes and 31 seconds.
I stood there afterwards laughing at myself.
Because the story I’d been telling myself was completely wrong.
The fitness hadn’t disappeared.
My body wasn’t failing me.
It was recovering.
The Productivity Lesson Hidden in My Running Shoes
That run reminded me of something I see all the time with the women I work with.
Most productivity systems assume that energy is linear.
Show up every day.
Perform at the same level.
Maintain the same output.
Stay consistent.
Many training plans assume the same thing.
Run the miles.
Hit the pace.
Trust the plan.
But what if the problem isn’t our discipline?
What if the problem is that we’re trying to follow systems built around the assumption that energy remains relatively stable?
For many women, that’s simply not true.
Our energy shifts.
Our capacity shifts.
Our focus shifts.
Our recovery needs shift.
Yet we often judge ourselves against standards that leave little room for those realities.
For years, I interpreted these fluctuations as a personal failing.
I thought I needed more discipline.
More willpower.
A better planner.
A better system.
What I’m learning instead is that awareness is often more useful than force.
The workout creates the stimulus.
The recovery creates the adaptation.
The work creates the progress.
The rest allows us to access it.
Maybe consistency isn’t doing the same thing every day.
Maybe consistency is continuing to show up while adapting to the reality of your capacity.
Not every season is for pushing.
Not every week is for growth.
Sometimes what looks like falling behind is actually your body doing exactly what it needs to do.
And sometimes the most productive thing you can do is stop fighting that reality.
What losing focus really costs a small business
The ability to focus has become one of the most valuable — and most scarce — resources in modern business.
Every context switch, every half-clarified decision, every reactive morning costs more than it appears. For a founder running a small team or a solo practice, this isn’t abstract. It shows up as:
● Offers that never quite launch
● Client work that takes twice as long as it should
● A calendar that’s full but a business that feels stuck
● The persistent sense that you’re working in the business, not on it
That’s not a willpower problem. It’s a systems problem.
Productivity Through Movement
This is one of the reasons I’ve become increasingly interested in the connection between movement and productivity.
Not because movement helps us squeeze more work into our day.
But because movement teaches us to listen.
To notice.
To adjust.
To trust our bodies instead of constantly overriding them.
Running has taught me things no productivity app ever could.
It has taught me patience.
It has taught me recovery.
It has taught me that progress isn’t always visible while it’s happening.
And perhaps most importantly, it has taught me that sustainable productivity isn’t about forcing more output.
It’s about working with your capacity rather than against it.
Listen: Mindfulness in Motion Podcast
I recently had the pleasure of joining Cori Myka on the Mindfulness in Motion Podcast to explore exactly this topic.
We talked about:
- How burnout and overachievement disconnect us from our bodies
- The shift from proving your worth to moving with self-compassion
- Why mindful movement can become one of your most powerful productivity tools
- Rebuilding a relationship with running after years away
- Creating structure without losing freedom
- The role of nervous system awareness in movement, focus, and productivity
If you’ve been pushing through burnout, feeling disconnected from your body, or questioning your relationship with productivity, I think you’ll enjoy this conversation.
Because sometimes the next level of productivity isn’t doing more.
It’s learning to listen better.
A Reflection For You
Have you ever mistaken a need for recovery as a lack of discipline?
I’d love to hear your experience.
Leave a comment below or send me a message and let me know where in your life or business you’ve experienced this.