Ever have one of those weekends where you have a to-do list about 37 items long and you do exactly zero of them?
That was me this past weekend.
I’ve been go-go-going nearly non-stop since January, and I kinda just hit a wall on Saturday morning. I sat down at my desk to bang out a few work-related things and I just couldn’t. Couldn’t put words to paper, couldn’t reply to emails coherently. So, I laid down on the sofa in the living room with the dogs and just watched the birds at the bird feeder outside my window. I watched mindless stuff on YouTube. I puttered around the kitchen. I cleaned out a drawer of stuff I never use in my dining room. I worked out with my trainer. I took myself out for lunch at the local Indian buffet on Saturday and met dear friends for lunch on Sunday. I read a whole book in one sitting.
I forget how much I need these nothing weekends sometimes. It’s so easy to get caught up in the “If I do this stuff now, on Saturday, it will make next week so much easier to handle” trap. So, I gave myself two days off and now I feel so much more refreshed and ready to tackle everything that needs to get done this week. And, it’s a busy week of client writing deadlines, three events I’m producing, teaching, Hill hearings to follow, and a brainstorm session to plan.
I’m ready for the week. Ready to kick its ass and give myself permission to end the workday on Friday afternoon and give myself another two days off next week. Definitely something to look forward to.
Here’s a little look at some things I’m reading, listening to, or otherwise consuming this week:
What I’m listening to: Sarah Bareilles released a new album last Thursday, Amidst the Chaos and it’s GORGEOUS. I can’t stop listening to it. It’s so well done, and I think it’s her best work yet. That first track, Fire, is well…. FIRE.
What I’m reading: Queenie, by Candice Carty-Williams. Reviewers have called it “Bridget Jones meets Americanah” and I’m here to tell it it’s SO MUCH MORE than that. I’m only a third of the way through, and I already can’t wait to read all the other books this author is going to write. The narrative is really well written, and I love the characters and context of the story so far. It’s been wonderful to have some time to read fiction this year, and I am glad I picked this one up. I heard about it on the Professional Book Nerds podcast.
What I’m watching: #The100DayProject on Instagram. So many beautiful, creative, lovely things. I’m doing my own version of the 100-Day Project, but not posting it (not yet, anyway) for public consumption. So far (I’m only 8 days in), it’s helping me retrain a certain creative muscle that’s long needed attention. Go check out what people are doing on Insta — it’s inspiring. And, it’s a wonderful way to engage with new people, follow others’ work, and be part of a new community!
What’s canceled: Joe Biden. You know why, and you know I’m right.
What I’m learning: Statistics. I KNOW. 2019 is a year where I’m trying new things to see what kinds of new hobbies I might want to pick up. It’s also a year of education, and I’m purposely trying to tackle subjects I, historically, have been very bad at. Probability and statistics is one of those things. I’m taking a class to try and better understand it and see if I can maybe possibly even a little bit understand it. I love math and have always done well in math classes, but my brain never really fully grasped statistics, so I’m giving it another go.
What’s making me think: “Your Life in Weeks” from Wait but Why. Click on it. Try not to panic.