Spiritual Intelligence: Anti-Productivity

Salaam!

Silicon Valley has promised us convenience for the last fifteen years:

• Save time on cooking by getting food delivered
• Save time on groceries by using Instacart
• Save time from doing work around the house with TaskRabbit
• … and the latest (and greatest): Save time on your work with AI

We have become obsessed with convenience and productivity, but to what end?

Why do we need to save 2+ hours on our work per day? What are we doing with the newfound time?

Here is the myth of productivity:

We want to be productive so that we have more time to "live." However, when we have more free time, we use that time to consume more (and sign up for more 'convenience' apps). Then we need to work more to pay for the new things that we consume, often ending up in debt and staying at the mercy of our 9-to-5.

This is how capitalism traps us under the guise of "productivity."

Productivity sees you as valuable only if you are producing something. As soon as we stop producing, we are no longer valuable to a capitalist society.

Ironically, in our attempt to be more productive and achieve things faster, we have made it less likely that we will achieve our goal and hence we are less "productive"

The slowest way to achieve your goal is trying to do it fast.

Here's the spiritually intelligent reframe:

In a time where everyone is running around being 'productive,' slowing down is a superpower. I call this being anti-productive or consciously slow.

All good things take time:

• The Qur'an took 23 years to reveal
• The Prophet spent 13 years teaching the basics of Islam to a few followers

Allah is also calling us to be consciously slow:

"Exalted is Allah, the True King! Do not rush to recite the Quran before it is conveyed to you, and pray, 'My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.'" [20:114]

Even when we are reciting the Qur'an:

"… and recite the Quran in a (slow) measured way." [73:4]

The productivity epidemic is on full display during Ramadan where, in their obsession with completing the Qur'an, some mosques would recite it so fast that one can barely hear or connect with it.

If you want to be elite, then look at the first generation of Muslims. The companions would memorize one ayah at a time and only move on to the next ayah once they've implemented it in their lives. That's major anti-productive energy!

Here are 7 ways to be consciously slow or anti-productive:

1. Uninstall work apps from your phone

One of the curses of productivity is this idea that we are always on. Applications like Slack, Messenger, WhatsApp, and email have ruined our mental well-being and push us to create lower-quality work. Because we are always on, always distracted, we're prevented from actually focusing to reach the flow state necessary to create high-quality work.

The irony is that true excellence comes from depth, not availability. When we protect our mental space, we create room for the kind of work that actually moves the needle. The most impactful work happens in focused blocks, not between two Slack notifications.

Even Allah prescribes boundaries on communication and meetings:

"O you who believe! Let your slaves and those among you who have not reached puberty ask your permission at three times: before the dawn prayer, when you put aside your clothing [for rest] at noon, and after the night prayer. [These are] three times of privacy for you." [24:58]

If people can reach you at all times and you have no boundaries around your communication, try uninstalling all the apps from your phone: Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack, etc. and only access them through the browser on your desktop computer. Don't worry, work will be there waiting for you when you come to your desktop.

2. Sit after Fajr with Allah

Everybody talks about miracle mornings, whether that's working out, reading ten pages, or taking an ice plunge. But I've found that the greatest flex is to stay in solitude and quiet with Allah right after Fajr prayer.

The Prophet (PBUH) would remain seated in his place of prayer until sunrise, engaged in dhikr and reflection [Sahih Muslim].

There's something profound about this liminal time between night and day. It's when the world is quiet enough to hear wisdom. While morning routines focus on doing, this practice focuses on being. It's in this stillness that clarity emerges: not through activity, but through presence. The answers we seek often come when we stop chasing them.

3. Take a guilt-free nap

The Prophet (PBUH) is famous for taking a nap after the Dhuhr prayer, sometimes called a Qailulah. Of course, afternoon naps have become a tradition around the world, especially the siestas in Spain and work-time naps in Japan. Research shows that a short nap has notable health and performance benefits.

This is all good and well, but what I want to emphasize is that rest is not the opposite of productivity - it is its foundation. That afternoon fatigue isn't a weakness to overcome; it's an invitation to invest in renewal. Too often in the pursuit of doing more, we end up achieving less. Instead, consciously taking a nap knowing that Allah has got us creates the clarity to help us focus on doing the right things as opposed merely doing more.

4. Do your craft daily but the "slow" way

I've recently started journaling again, and there is an immense urge to either use the computer or voice-to-text tools. But I've been trying to consciously write with a pen and paper.

There's a different quality of thought that emerges when we slow down the process. In my case, the slight resistance of pen on paper creates space between my thoughts; a space where insight lives.

Each day, try to create the "slow" way, whether that's writing a post, analyzing the chart, or reading a paper. Keep your skills sharp and unlock a deeper level of expertise by slowing down.

If you really feel like AI is helping you produce higher quality output, I suggest you slow down and study the AI output and compare it to something you created the "slow" way. What are the differences? What do you like about the AI output? Can you recreate it on your own now that you have studied it?

Doing things the slow way gives you insights that you can't attain when you're optimizing for speed. In the startup world, this is called "doing things that don't scale". Why is this encouraged? Because when you do things that don't scale, such as calling every customer or shadowing a user, you will learn things that you just can't do if all you care about is speed. Some insights can only be unlocked by slow, deliberate practice.

5. Try a conscious walk

Take a walk without your phone, without music, without a destination. The Japanese practice of "shinrin-yoku" or forest bathing has been shown to reduce stress hormones, lower blood pressure, and boost immune function.

Movement without agenda creates space for emergence. When we stop trying to be productive for fifteen minutes, we often discover what actually needs our attention. The solutions we've been forcing often appear effortlessly in the space between steps. There's a reason why many leaders take walking meetings (e.g. Steve Jobs, etc.) Here's a simple practice to try:

Walk bare feet on grass, sand, or dirt (any natural surface). Focus on each step. When put your right foot on the ground say in your head "I am here now" and feel the grass on your foot. Try to feel as much of the grass as possible by putting your full attention on the soles of your feet. Next, repeat the same process with your left foot. Try walking back and forth a few times and watch your clarity and gratitude soar!

6. Celebrate the wins

As an entrepreneur and creative, I've noticed that the highs are rarely as high as the lows are low. In an era obsessed with the next milestone, we barely pause to acknowledge our successes before rushing to the next goal. We've become so addicted to the chase that we've forgotten that it's about the journey, not the destination. If we fail to celebrate during the journey, what's the point?!

There's another reason why the wins don't feel as good: in the back of our minds, we're often waiting for the other shoe to drop. The win might not last. Something might go wrong. This success might reveal itself as a failure or "a trial". I call this the "worry default state", where anxiety feels more familiar than joy, so we unconsciously return to it even in moments of triumph.

However, without slowing down it's almost impossible in this time and age to appreciate the wins. Failing to appreciate the wins, is the fastest way to start racking up L's

"And when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more. But if you are ungrateful, surely My punishment is severe.’" [14:7]

One way to be consciously slow with your blessings to is create a "Win Protocol." When something good happens - a closed deal, a breakthrough, a goal achieved - stop everything and perform two rakah of shukr (gratitude prayer), or share the news with someone who genuinely cares about your growth, or write it down in a dedicated "Wins Journal" with the date and what it meant to you. The act itself doesn't matter as long as it helps you slow down, be in the moment, and experience the win in your body and spirit.

Slowing down to genuinely celebrate our wins isn't about bragging or "getting ahead of ourselves," it helps us expand our ability to receive. The more deeply you can receive today's blessing, the more capacity you create for tomorrow's.

7. Do "nothing" for five minutes

The Qur'an repeatedly calls us to reflect on the signs in nature:

"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding" [3:190].

If you're a high achieving Muslim you are already analyzing markets, studying patterns, and making strategic decisions daily. But when was the last time you applied that same analytical brilliance to something that wasn't on a screen or in a report?

There is tremendous power in singular focus: putting our attention on a single object while tuning out everything else. Being in awe of Allah's creations is such an underutilized superpower that unlocks massive benefits.

When we study something deeply, we begin to see patterns and connections we missed before, but more importantly, we are consciously choosing to ignore the world in favor of contemplating on the Divine.

This practice is inspired by the book "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari." Take any natural object - a leaf, a flower, even a piece of wood. Set a timer for five minutes and study it like you would a critical business document. Notice its structure, its efficiency, its design principles. No phone, no notes; just observation. Ask yourself: What would this teach me about my business? What patterns am I seeing? How does this mirror the challenges I'm facing? The same intelligence that designed this beautiful flower or leaf is available to design your next breakthrough.

Ironically, by zoning our the world, we are able to see it more clearly. The same principles that govern nature govern everything else. Sometimes the most sophisticated insights come from the simplest observations.

In a world that profits from your constant productivity, choosing to be consciously slow is an act of resistance. It's a declaration that your worth isn't tied to your output, but to your existence as a creation of the Divine.

The impact that you are seeking isn't found in doing more, faster. It's found in doing less, deeper.

Reply to this email and let me which of the 7 suggestions are you excited to try?

What's your way of consciously slowing down?

Peace and blessings,

James