Week in Review
After last week’s interior flood, this week’s focus was on rebuilding and it often started with 7am sawing. I’m sure my neighbor’s love me.
After four days of non-stop repair, yesterday afternoon the contractors gathered their tools and bid adieu. I thanked them profusely, exhaled, and began moving furniture into its’ proper spot. Tops of pens, file folders, plants, books, and kitchen appliances were all coated in a grainy construction dust, so we cleaned while finding homes for all the displaced items.
This 600-square-foot Pink Palace now feels so spacious. Living out of 300 square feet wasn’t impossible, it was actually quite cozy and felt like camping. But stepping over piles of flooring and contractor tools while wrangling three pets in a space where all the furniture was pushed into one corner felt, well, less than tranquil at times.
And gathering all our necessary belongings to be out of the house for twelve hours was also an interesting challenge. Thursday I was basically homeless as I toted my laptop, Daybook, Moleskines, pens, and a book from Starbucks to cafes to appointments before ending up at the studio for much-needed yoga. Friday we were holed up in the bedroom while the contractors worked late, so we ordered Chinese takeout and watched a documentary, Holy Hell.
This week I collaborated with clients, did yoga (and doga), met with an insurance adjuster, coordinated with contractors, penned love notes, had brunch, tea, and dinner dates with friends, finalized the TranquiliT look book, penned September’s dreams, saw Unlocking the Cage, took Belle for her long-awaited dental (she’s down 15 teeth), biked all over DC, set up a Facebook event for the upcoming Tranquility du Jour Live, wrote lessons learned for the upcoming Hip Tranquil Chick 10-year event, sent a TranquiliT newsletter to subscribers, ate saltines and drank ginger ale to get through a belly ache, practiced loving-kindness while out and about, got tickets to Barktoberfest, and napped.
My weeks are filled with trivial details (saltines and ginger ale), efforts toward creative projects (TranquiliT look book), meaningful work (clients), passions (Unlocking the Cage), and relationships (family and friends). Most days I knock off the scheduled to-dos. Yet each week I pull over many of the projects from the former week into the new one hoping to do better. Get more done. Be more productive.
But I wonder if that’s really necessary. If I’m all about creating experiences, isn’t it important to accomplish those MITs (Most Important Tasks), meet deadlines, and work toward future projects while also nurturing relationships, eating good meals, and enjoying a documentary? Balancing experiences and productivity is a delicate act worthy of my deepest attention.
And yet productivity can happen within experiences. As I check this post off my to-do list, I have two pets on my chair (don’t ask), a rose candle burning, cuppa peony tea within reach, and twinkle lights glowing. Making the mundane beautiful helps bring balance to this dilemma.
May my weeks reflect intentions and values. May I give ample weight to creating experiences in everyday. And may I know that to-dos don’t define me. Resonate? Best wishes for a beautiful holiday weekend. Bisous. x
Pics in Review
- Sweet 8-page feature in Bella Grace {thanks Christine Mason Miller for writing!}
- Avocado toast and tea morning date
- Mookie getting ready for his weekly doga date
- Writing
- More writing
- Belle after dental surgery
- Penning September dreams into my Daybook
- Belle in her tutu
- TranquiliT’s fall look book is up
Savvy Sources
Want to Create Things That Matter? Be Lazy.
Robert Frost on How to Read Intelligently and Write a Great Essay
The Cost of Holding On to Grudges
Three Simple Ways to Pay Attention
The Most Charismatic People Are Also the Quickest Thinkers
16 Best Books About Writing
8 Ways to Have More Time5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Next Mental Health Day
Weekend Wish List
Playtime with family
Put home back together after last week’s water damage
Eat lots of plants
Go for a hike
Brunch with family
Savor DC’s quiet state
Prep for the Daybook 5.0 launch
Finish two books
Picnic in Rock Creek Park
