I reset my brain
It’s nice to see you again / Issue 1,203
Oh, hi friends!
Last week I reset my brain.
I knew the vibe was going to be quiet, so I took the week off from writing the newsletter. I pretty much only did two things: I ran and I wrote.
My insightful friend Janine had shared the weekly cadence of a writer’s residency she did this summer:
Write: 10am-12:30pm
Lunch: 12:30-2:30pm
Write: 2:30-5pm
Oh, I should do that, I thought.
And then, Wait, what if I did do that?
So I worked for five hours a day on Marathon — the project I said was important to me all year. I wrote to the end. Far from finished, of course. (It’s a musical, after all!) But more progress than I’ve made on one project in…years?
During the extra-long “lunch” I ran errands and checked my email and texts and percolated and spent time with Colin and Lula. I also had two invigorating Launch the Plane sessions after my writing hours and…that’s all.
In five short days I learned so much about what actually makes me happy, how I like to spend my days (and how I don’t), and what I want the new season to hold.
(Another insight: My iPhone screen time decreased by two hours per day. Wow.)
I also finally felt like I was walking the walk.
I write a lot to you about working consistently on your most meaningful projects. Heck, I wrote an entire guide on setting boundaries (pls preorder!).
And yet…was I? Was I actually moving those projects forward?
Not really. Ohhh, irony!!!
Right before my break, I talked with professional organizer Linda Samuels, and her advice on entering a new season deeply influenced that week and how I’m thinking about the next few months.
I loved our podcast chat so much, and it came out this morning. Listen to Today with Linda Samuels: Helping You Reset for the New Season on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or my website.
And so now I ask:
How are you feeling?
What do you want more of this month?
What do you want less of?
What would you like to reset?
We have a lot to talk about this season.
We have a lot to do.
(And not do!)
And I love that we’re going to do intentionally, with clarity, and at a pace that feels right for each of us.
It's nice to be back.
All good things ahead.
Are you ready?
I'm blown away by how you found and leaned into your groove last week. And how awesome that you permitted the focus of two- running and writing. When the focus narrows, it's much less stressful. Congratulations on the progress you made on your musical, your reduced screen time, and aligning your 'talk' with your 'walk.'
It was such a joy talking with you on your 'Do It Today' podcast about resetting for the new season. Thank you for inviting me. When I walked out of the front door this morning, the block was full of cars. At first I was surprised until I realized that today was the first day of school. We live right around the corner from the elementary school. I could feel the excitement and seasonal shift.
Here's to sharpening the pencils, filling up those blank notebooks, and finding your groove for this new season!
This was very inspiring, thank you! I once saw Sean McCabe speak, and he said he and his team take every seventh week off, which I also LOVE the idea of...