“I really should get around to…”
Oh, hi friends!
So you have your daily tasks.
And you have your yearly goals.
But where do funky little medium-sized projects fall on your to-do list?
The ones that aren’t urgent, but necessary. Like picking up your guitar again or getting an agent or changing up your exercise routine or reconnecting with old friends.
The medium projects fall through the tiniest cracks. One way to tackle them is by turning them into smaller daily or weekly tasks. Instead of feeling like you need to get together with every person you’ve ever met, email one old friend every Monday. Contact one prospective agent. Pick up the guitar for 30 minutes once a week.
These tasks might feel insignificant—uhh, what am I really doing anyway?—but they’ll help you build slow and steady progress you wouldn't have achieved otherwise.
Speaking of slow and steady progress, here's how Greta Gerwig decided to direct Ladybird, from her conversation with director Barry Jenkins, on A24’s new podcast. (h/t Sujay Kumar)
I'm like, "You're not directing a film, you're just telling someone that you're going to." I just kept doing the actions over and over again. I built my lookbook. I had the paintings that I liked, I had the influences, I had my playlists, and I was like, "Just keep pushing the ball down the road.”
Taking tiny micro steps. Telling yourself the story. And pushing the ball.
CNN is looking for a full-time tech editor in NYC—someone relatively senior with editing experience who will find, assign, and edit stories and manage a team of reporters covering technology. Here's the official listing, but let me know if you're applying (or know someone who is) and I'll pass along your name.
Are you a great writer who can meet tight deadlines and loves Parts Unknown? My friend Stacey Lastoe is looking for two writers to collaborate on writing recaps of Anthony Bourdain's show. Email her at stacey.lastoe@turner.com with your info!
TIME is looking for a writer/producer for a weekly live show focused on news, politics, the economy, personal finance, and sports. They're expected to bring a deep understanding of news, finance, sports and pop culture topics for coverage—show's launching next month. More details!
***Bonus Round***
I wrote about my new favorite trick—email batching—for The New York Times’ Smarter Living section. (Subscribe to the SL newsletter! You won’t regret it.)
If that sent you here, welcome! I’ll be in your inbox at 7:30 a.m. EST on weekdays. Topics include but are not limited to: work and careers, productivity, balance, money, Sondheim songs, and trying to keep your head up. I’ll recommend jobs that might not be terrible and videos that might make you laugh or think or cry.
We won’t discuss the news, but I will share a bit about my own failures and successes as a writer/editor/playwright/screenwriter living in New York. (More about me.) I’d be glad to hear about your failures and successes, too. Because we’re all in this together. Hit reply anytime.
Do you like these daily emails? Please share with a friend!
Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara