Discover how balancing hustle and leisure can help you make meaningful progress on what matters most, without burning out.
Many of us struggle to live a well-paced life and find ourselves perpetually oscillating between two extremes: intense effort and lethargy. At one extreme, we jump headfirst into big, critical projects, only to end up burned out. At the other extreme, we get sucked into black holes of social media scrolling and Netflix binging and fall far behind on our goals.
Science writer Elizabeth Svoboda’s The Art of Pacing explores how navigating the full range of the pace spectrum, not just the furthest ends, can transform the way you reach your goals. Blending memoir, cutting-edge psychology research, and interviews with Olympic athletes and entrepreneurs, Svoboda artfully uncovers the nuances of pacing so you can effectively balance ambition and rest, making subtle pace adjustments with ease.
Elizabeth Svoboda is an award-winning science writer who's contributed to Scientific American, the Boston Globe, Discover, Psychology Today, Aeon and the New York Times. Her work has appeared in the Best American Science and Nature Writing anthology, and she is the author of What Makes a Hero?: The Surprising Science of Selflessness. Her most recent book, from Simon & Schuster, is The Art of Pacing—a scientific and contemplative look at how to pace ourselves in different domains of life. The Art of Pacing was featured in the Wall Street Journal and Inc. magazine, and it just won a gold medal in the 2026 Living Now Book Awards. Elizabeth grew up in Rochester, New York, and now lives in San Jose.
Dr. Sweta Chawla is an author, keynote speaker, and leadership coach who helps people recognize their unique brilliance, find their voice, and create paths aligned with who they are. She is the author of I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For…Now What? and a contributor to the award-winning anthology She’s Got This: Essays on Standing Strong and Moving On. A former professor, Sweta brings curiosity, connection, and a love of meaningful conversation to her work.
Curated by Janine Kovac of The Writers Grotto, a community of working writers and narrative artists who connect in physical and virtual space, pooling their talents to support each other, mentor and teach others, and engage the wider world. The Grotto fosters a literary culture that is generous in spirit and deeply inclusive, elevating writers of all backgrounds.
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This program is part of Grotto Nights at the Library.
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