Wait, there might be a solution
Oh, hi friends!
Yesterday I was complaining to Colin about something related one of my projects. It was a little thing, but just annoying enough to warrant a chunk of my day.
Later, I was sifting through a related Facebook group and guess what?
Someone had posted about the exact same problem.
Suddenly I realized….
Everything that’s bothering me right now has bothered someone else at some time.
And that means three things.
1. I’m not alone.
2. If they lived through it, so can I.
3. There might be a solution.
That, to me, is comforting. Now I’m off to find a solution…
“Every weekday for the past four months, we’ve chosen one task, declared it in a text message before 10:11 a.m. and worked on it until noon. That’s it. And it’s magic.
The 10:11 Club is a beautiful Frankenstein of productivity advice. You have an accountability partner, a deep work session and an ending time. And for people who are working from home, unemployed or furloughed, it mimics the ‘get up and go’ feeling of properly starting the day.”
From my Tip of the Week in the New York Times Smarter Living newsletter. (And if that brought you here this week, welcome!)
Honestly, of all the strategies and tools I’ve used working from home, this has been the most helpful. (And I do know many people start their days much earlier than this!)
When the to-do list looks like it’s going to topple over, having a regular start time and telling myself “just one thing” is all the clarity I need.
See you at 10:11?
Calling All Writers and Readers
My friend Andi Bartz helped organize this literary auction for racial justice nonprofits. There are tons of items for book lovers (deleted chapters, alternate endings, custom short stories) and writers (manuscript consultations, author AMAs, query critiques). There’s even an auction for a personalized advice column from “Ask Polly” writer Heather Havrilesky!
Bidding closes on August 31 so take a peek now to see what you can snag for a great cause.
And Speaking of Books...
My motivational journal DO IT FOR YOURSELF, a collaboration with Tessa Forrest, is going to be released in 11 days! That, uh, feels pretty crazy since I wrote it in spring 2019?!
A number of Brass Ring readers have offered to pay it forward and buy copies for people who might not be able to right now. If you’d like one, shoot me an email and we will get one sent to you. And if you'd like to pre-order a copy yourself, you can do that on Amazon, Bookshop, IndieBound, and directly from your local bookstores.
THANK YOU!
Do you like these daily emails? Please share with a friend!
You can also support my work by pre-ordering my motivational journal Do It For Yourself, coming out in the world on September 8.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara