February Productivity Rebellion: What Deserves Your Energy?
This is The Productivity Rebellion.
Once a month, I send you an email designed to feel like settling in with your favorite magazine — something you tuck into with your coffee on a Sunday morning. Real stories, deep thinking, and permission to do things differently. One focused topic. No overwhelm.
Get it delivered on the 1st of every month:
I was getting “the itch” towards the end of my 2 weeks of unplugged time last month.
The itch to organize, declutter, learn - a feeling most entrepreneurs know well when you’re refreshed and ready to dive back into your business after a break.
A famous (in the productivity space) YouTuber whose content I love was running an online summit the first weekend in January about planning and business. It seemed right up my alley and I filled out the registration form with the best of intentions.
And then…over the next several days his email marketing poured into my inbox like cheap beer from a keg at a high school party out in a field somewhere.
By the time I unsubscribed from that chaos, he had sent me 22 emails in 14 days.
I was so irritated, not only did I unsubscribe from his emails, but I sat down and took an hour to unsubscribe from almost every email list, newsletter, and business in my inboxes (both business and personal accounts).
And that hour of effort freed up HOURS of time for future me to not be distracted or exhausted by open loops in my inbox.
It also inspired this month’s rebellion…
This Month: What Deserves Your Energy?
February is often the month that January’s momentum and energy crashes into the reality of your life. In last month’s issue, we talked about releasing what drains you with a “Not This Year” List and clearing the clutter of what doesn’t serve you.
If you did that - fantastic. Now it’s time to learn how to pay attention to the ebb and flow of your energy.
The Energy Audit You're Avoiding:
Most high-achieving women know what costs them energy. They can list it in detail: difficult clients, endless Slack notifications, being everyone's backup plan, holding the mental load for everyone.
What they don't know? What actually replenishes them.
(And no, a bubble bath doesn't count if you're stress-scrolling Instagram while you're in it.)
This month, your job isn't to subtract more—it's to pay attention to your energy patterns like you'd pay attention to how many likes you got on that last Reel:
Track it for one week:
What days do you feel most energized? What were you doing?
What time of day is your brain actually functional for deep work?
After which activities do you feel recharged vs. resentful?
Which clients leave you energized vs. completely drained?
Then make one operational change based on what you learned:
If you're sharpest in the morning, stop scheduling calls before noon
If Tuesdays consistently wreck you, block that day for admin only
If certain client types drain you, stop taking those projects (even if they pay well)
If you're fried by 3pm, stop pretending you can do "just one more thing"
Your tiny rebellion this week: Notice your energy without trying to fix it yet. Just gather data. Where does your energy go? What gives it back? You can't manage what you don't measure (or don't pay attention to).
Behind the Chaos: My Nervous System Doesn’t Like Social Media
Sometime during my holiday break, I had the realization that I wasn’t having any food reactions when I ate. For those of you who know, for the last 3+ years I’ve struggled with Lyme, mold, and infections -- and one of my main symptoms has been having histamine reactions and blurred vision when I eat.
Despite having too much sugar and not really being strict about foods I know I am sensitive too, I was just fine - no issues. “I’m done with all that!” I thought…
…then the Friday before going back to work, my brain shifted into work mode. I started thinking about my bursting inbox, my social media marketing plan, customer journeys…
And I started reacting to every👏single👏thing👏I ate.
I was pissed. What did I eat? What was different and what had changed?
And it hit me like a lightning bolt -- the food reactions were tied to my nervous system processing the thought of getting back to social media and being online for hours a day. And when I sat with that thought and possibility, I knew it to be true in my gut (no pun intended).
Wow.
And so I’ve put a giant pause on social media while I ease into this year. I’m writing a lot, (3 new blogs just in January), I’m working on a book, and I’m keeping my inbox clear and cleaned out.
I’ve realized that a business that requires social media the way everyone else does it is not a business I want - so I’m doing what I do - questioning the rules and making my own.
“Most of us would rather read a book than stare at our phones, but we’re so tired that mindless scrolling is all we have energy to do.”
Ask Cara: Get Featured on the Podcast
Got a question about your business, your schedule, your sanity—whatever you're struggling with?
I answer subscriber questions on the Ditch the Chaos podcast. Think of it as free expert coaching without the commitment.
If This Resonated
I’ve started a monthly series on my blog called Monthly Reset Series: Slow Living for Women Entrepreneurs.
Each month, we tackle one aspect of building a business without burning out. No hustle. No overwhelm. Just sustainable momentum that you can rely on when life gets chaotic and schedules change throughout the year. You can find each month’s published issue here.
It’ll publish on the first of each month, just like the Productivity Rebellion, with ideas and inspiration you can use to mindfully build a more intentional life and business (think more tactical and how-to’s, specific to the month).
On The Podcast:
Build a Sustainable Business Without Burning Out
(are you sensing a theme here? 😆)
If you’ve been trying to keep up with a business that’s moving faster than your actual life can, you’re not alone. This episode breaks down how to build a sustainable business that won’t burn you out — even if you’re used to running at full speed.
You’ll learn how to simplify your systems, set real boundaries, market with depth, and finally create a business that supports your life instead of consuming it.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
What a slow business actually is (and why it’s the antidote to burnout)
How to simplify your workflows and stop juggling 12 different tools
Why marketing with depth beats posting daily
How to set boundaries with clients and collaborations
Why rest is a business strategy (not a luxury)
How to make space for insight instead of constant action
→Listen on Apple.
→Listen on Spotify.
That's it for February my friends. I hope you got a little joy, compassion, and feeling of being seen from this month’s issue. If you feel like this year is already barreling full steam ahead like a crazy train, this is your permission to get off, look around you, and take stock of what’s happening.
See you next month!
Here's to creating white space in your calendar and breathing room in your brain 🖤
xo,
Cara
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