Pace versus spin

These late-summer days have a slowness about them.

As we linger in the space between June–July possibility and September–October practicality, there’s a unique opportunity to reflect on the busier seasons of life.

Summer, fun and free as it may be, can disrupt routines, increase social activity, and involve demanding travel logistics.

Meanwhile fall, the time of getting back to business, can become over scheduled, pressure packed, and full of obligations.

On the surface, busyness is not a problem. What tends to trip us up is how we relate to the busyness.

I recently came across a distinction that I think helps reveal why sometimes a packed calendar feels invigorating and sometimes it feels like prison: Pace vs. Spin.

Just hearing those words, you may have an intuitive sense about which serves you and which gets in your way.

Pace is momentum—it’s moving forward.

Spin is stagnation—it’s running in place.

When you’re busy and on pace, each action you take compounds. When you’re busy and spinning your wheels, you’re burning energy without gaining ground.

Pace feels like flow and confidence while spin feels like agitation and anxiety. On pace, you’re swimming with the current. Spinning out, you’re circling the drain.

The difference between invigorating-busy and prison-busy is not about the things you have to do or the places you need to be or the people you want to please. It’s about the quality of being you bring to the things, places, and people in your life.

Pace is a steady drumbeat.
Spin is a screeching wheel.

As you emerge from the slowness of August and find yourself moving more quickly through the world, perhaps feeling overwhelmed by what’s being asked of you, remember that busy is not a problem. The question is:

Are you on pace or spinning your wheels?

Providence, RI
August 2025