Hey, there! Before I talk about what’s been changing my life this month, did you check out this podcast I was a guest on? It’s a fun discussion if you want to hear how my book idea came about, what I do to manage the hardest time of day, or about the magical power of stick figures…
You can also share it with friends! Just click share and write: “Hey! My friend is on a podcast! She’s a great writer and you should also follow her on Substack!” Sharing is caring. 😉
Okay, back to what’s been changing my life this month. I know “Changing My Life” seems dramatic, but when we think about it, aren’t our lives always changing? In ways both small and big?
In this blur of a month that has been June, here are a few things that are shifting me:
Work Mode
Managing distraction can be a full time job in this day and age. I’ve got “big goals” for my life (Write a book! Certify as a life coach! Grow the readership of this Substack! Backpack a very long trail!) but staying focused on those for long enough to move the needle on a day-to-day basis can be so hard.
This month I experimented with setting my phone to “Work Mode” from 6 am-2 pm as part of my consistent efforts to wrangle my time more intentionally.
Maybe you’re familiar with Do Not Disturb? That’s the moon button on your phone that sets it so that notifications don’t come through. It’s handy for naps, or maybe you’re watching a movie and don’t want anything pinging you.
BUT it doesn’t really change how your phone looks. And what shows up on your phone when you pick it up unconsciously for the 34th time in the morning can mean the difference between a 45-minute rabbit hole and a gentle, but firm, reminder, “Hey, remember you wanted to get a bunch of writing done today?”
So now, this is what I see when I pick up my device every morning. It’s very clean and focused. No notifications come through except the very select few that have to do with my kids’ safety.
I don’t know how much it’s changing my life just yet. But attempting to transform my phone into a friend to my highest and best intentions, as opposed to a monstrous foe bedeviling me at every turn, seems like a step in the right direction.
Savoring Summer Project
Quick, what’s here now and will be gone in a blink of an eye?
It’s summer! Are you savoring it?? My husband always jokes that July goes so fast it doesn’t even exist, and I have to agree with him every year when I wake up on July 2 and it’s suddenly August.
I decided to make a list of things that sing “Summerrrrr!” to me, so I can keep tabs on all the luscious ways I intend to savor this summer.
Here’s the current list:
-Read outside in the sun
-Eat outside
-Hangout outside after dinner
-Float in the pool
-Sit on a beach
-BBQ with friends or family (We had two on the same day this past weekend so I’m feeling pretty good on this one!)
-Watermelon, nectarines, cherries, strawberries, apricots, nom nom nom.
Making a Savor Summer List isn’t a way to shame or pressure myself into doing MORE things or the RIGHT things. It’s my way of leveraging the power of anticipation. To help me pause and recognize a moment I’ve been looking forward to. To lean in and deeply feel that a particular flavor of seasonal happiness as it’s happening.
I have quite a few things from this list scheduled for next week when the kids are off to their first week of sleep away camp, and I am relishing the dizziness of anticipation each day!
Wise Words
These are the words that have been knocking around my head and reshaping my insides this month:
This beautiful conversation with Vivek Murthy on On Being with Krista Tippett
I loved this conversation so much I printed out the transcript to highlight and take notes. Here’s one quote:
“Wholeness isn’t something we acquire by stacking achievements or checking boxes or acquiring products or consumer goods… And what I worry about is that right now the world tells our kids and all of us that to be successful, you need one of three things: to be powerful, to be famous, or to be rich. But we all know people who have all three of those — who are wealthy, powerful, and famous — and profoundly unhappy, who don’t feel whole. And so I worry that many of our kids are being led down a path that will not make them whole or fulfilled…
I think to truly feel whole — it’s not about acquiring something that we don’t have. It’s about remembering who we fundamentally are.”
There is so much more richness to be found in this conversation. If you give it a listen, you won’t be sorry.
To whom are you responsible for your life?
I love the Kelly Corrigan Wonders podcast because she’s a beautiful writer who wants to go deep. Her most recent five-part series was a book club with Claire Danes and Kate Bowler on this book, Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most.
I have yet to read the book, but there’s some time spent in the first couple of episodes talking about this question-To whom are your responsible for your life? and about our lived values vs. our stated values. Yikes. It did not take long for me to make a quick assessment and talk with my husband about some ways to keep stretching ourselves to live our values as a family.
That’s one powerful question! Apparently the introduction to the book does warn: “This book may wreck your life.” Maybe you’ll listen or read this decide you need to switch jobs. Or throw yourself more deeply into local political activism. Deciding to live a life worthy of your humanity is probably ultimately a good thing, though fair warning, it might be a bit disruptive in its initial applications…
The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control
I started reading this and was like, “Whaaaaattt are you saaaaying? Perfectionism can be a… superpower?!” Have not fully digested what my life would mean if I decided to believe and live this thought. It’s taken me a week just to wrap my head around the first chapter. Will report back as I read and think a lot more.
Ok, lovelies, go forth and savor the last days of this month! Drop a comment below and tell me what’s on your Summer Savor List, or about the words & stories that are knocking around your heads and reshaping your own hearts. ❤️
I share the same items that you savor in the summer, and also add Daylight Savings Time. Staying lighter later helps facilitate some of those other savorings and it just makes me happier!