Hi there,
Iāve been thinking about what it means to stay focused on only the 1-3 things that matter each day ā I donāt know about you, but that practice is simple to understand but incredibly tough to master. Iāve got a project Iāve been working on for years, and Iāve been wracking my brain lately why I donāt make more traction on it āĀ because it is super important to me. Why donāt I cross the finish line?
As always, an epiphany came in the shower last night: I think in order for me to finally finish the thing, I need to cultivate the habit of not needing immediate feedback or instant gratification. Our āeasy everywhereā culture has trained my brain to want dopamine hits all day long, and yet long projects donāt see their reward for a long time until after theyāre completed. I need to relearn what it means to find satisfaction in the dayās work being done, and thatās it. Iām accidentally addicted to the dopamine treat of approval after the tiniest of daily dog tricks. Iāve become a puppy in my need of a reward.
The work that lasts is usually the work that takes its time.
5 Quick Things āļø
1.Ā šĀ New episode of A Drink With a Friend!Ā šĀ When you grow up hearing that this world will one day fade away, itās hard to reconcile why, then, thereās so much astounding beauty everywhere. Seth and I unpack why our invisible souls arenāt the only things that matter.
2.Ā This essay posits a really good idea for handling that ābackground hum of stress, but is just sustainable enough that you can keep it up for years.ā 20% less might be my goal next year.
3.Ā Iāve never heard of the term āskinimalism,ā but I definitely love my years-long, almost-nothing skincare routine and Iām routinely asked what I do because my skin looks healthy. (The answer is disappointingly easy.) Why do we do so much to ourselves?
4.Ā How do you know when your work is ready? I like these three questions.
5.Ā And finally, here are ten photography tips that are simple to remember but hard to implement. (I definitely do #10 the best.)
Currently Reading, Watching, Listening šŗ
Supernatural (because apparently this showās been around forever with 300+ episodes and Iām only just now checking it out)
Quotable š¬
āDonāt just do something, sit there.ā
ā Sylvia BoorsteinĀ #
Inside The Commonplace š”
The above quote was from Commonplace subscriber Rachel, in answer to my request for timeless wisdom this week. As always, you guys did not disappoint:
You Might Like To Knowā¦ š
Whenever people want me to talk more about practical tips for living simply with less, I point them instead to my friend Joshua āĀ in particular, his workshop thatās open only three times a year. Itās called Uncluttered, and itās a 12-week course to help you systematically declutter your home.
It happens to be open right now, and it sounds like the price is going up after this year. Nowās the time to get it if youāre hankering to declutter your home + recenter your mindset in time for the holidays! Uncluttered has my seal of approval.
Elsewhere š
Question For You to Ponderā¦ š¤
What was the best thing that happened this week?
Have a good weekend!
xo, Tsh
p.s.Ā Some big news on the podcast next week āĀ you wonāt want to miss it! Stay tuned.