Schedule what matters. (Also: cute sleepy otters.)

Published: Fri, 08/28/15


Earlier today, I took a long, beautiful woodsy walk with my friend Nicole.

We talked about life, work, fitness, love, and money. We laughed about weird jobs we had in our teens and early twenties. Our boots got dusty. We paused occasionally to gawk at nature and wave our arms around excitedly ("This river is so beautiful! This is insane! How is this real??!"). Also (side note) we locked our phones in the car before we set out for our walk. That was a good move.

I left our time together feeling energized and clear-minded.

My biggest takeaway from our conversation was:

"Schedule what matters."

Meaning: if something is truly important to you, don't just keep it stored "in your head." Put it on your calendar and treat it just like it is an important class, interview, appointment, or a doctor's visit that you must attend.

Schedule your workouts. Schedule your work-projects. Schedule your personal art projects, too (this is something I always forget to do and then I feel confused when I "don't have enough time" to work on my latest novel or collection of poetry). If you've signed up for a course or program, schedule your study-time. Don't just "wing" it. Devote yourself to it. Plan it. Commit.

This doesn't mean that you have to rigidly adhere to a minute-by-minute agenda that is totally restrictive and makes you feel miserable. It just means that... if something really matters to you? Don't just "contemplate" doing it "someday." Block out that time. Mark down that time. Fight to protect that time — fiercely and lovingly, like a mama bear protecting her cubs — so that the time you've set aside doesn't get wasted, forgotten, misused, or just dribble-drabble away.

If you can't bring yourself to schedule something because you feel saturated with resentment... well, maybe you don't really want to be doing that thing in the first place. See if you can let it go.

"Scheduling" is such a simple practice, but it can make such a difference. Maybe "scheduling" doesn't work for everyone but I know it works for me. That is why I have scheduled some time today to sit down and schedule the next few months of my life, blocking out big portions of time for the priorities that really matter to me. I feel good about this. Dusty-boot, open-heart, rambling-river GOOD.

Thanks for reading this walk-inspired missive.

If you'd like a few more things to read and listen to, here is a BIG list of my latest articles and podcasts, plus a couple of client projects that I think you'll enjoy. Peruse at your leisure...

- The Phone People. [are you one of them?]

- Real Talk Radio with Nicole Antoinette. My aforementioned friend Nicole has a new podcast and it is amazing. She invited me to pop on as a guest and we talk about... everything. Books we love. Strange obsessions. Life, etc. Check out Season 1 — 8 episodes in total — right here.

- Danika wants to know, "What does the world need more of in order to heal?" She invited dozens of people to write a response. This is mine.

- Is it possible to run a business without using social media? [I posted this about 8 days ago and I've gotten so many interesting emails in response. It's a hot-button topic, for sure...]


- How to cleanse and de-clutter your calendar: part one and two. [I published these awhile ago, but something urged me to re-share them again today.]

- After getting rejected or defeated, it can be tough to find the motivation to keep trying. My friend Ellen and I have some advice for anyone who is feeling deflated and stuck.

- Side note: Ellen has a course called Miracle Worker that she co-created with my friend and former client Gala Darling. I helped to write & edit some of the materials and I'm very proud of how it turned out. It's a program for anyone who has ever thought, "I want to find meaningful, exciting work... except (a) I don't know what kind of work I should be doing OR (b) I know what I want to be doing, but for some reason I'm struggling to take action." The course starts pretty soon. If it sounds like your thing, you can sign up here (... and then schedule your study-time, of course. :)

- Last but not least: my client Melissa wrote a blog post sharing smart tips on how to write a bio or "about" page for your website. So clever and fun. She's a doll.

I reckon that's enough for today. See you in a week or two.

I hope you are doing well and if possible, try to get up close & personal with a rock, tree, or river today. Clouds work, too. Nature misses you.

Love,

-Alex

PS. I deeply enjoyed listening to Marc Maron interview my personal hero / spiritual leader, RuPaul. You have to pay a few dollars to listen to the recording but it is money well spent!

PPS. This soothing jazz playlist is perfect for busy, frantic days when you have too much to do and really need to chiiiilllllll and be groovy, man.

PPPS. In  a previous newsletter I mentioned (incorrectly) that I had a cold sore. My boyfriend insisted that I issue a formal public correction: it was a canker sore, not a cold sore. I did not know the difference! In any event: it's gone now. (Salt water gargling really helps! Now you know waaay too much information about my life and oral health. Hopefully you've stopped reading by now. No? Well, good news for you, because here is a sleepy otter who doesn't want to wake up. Thank you, Jeremy, for sharing this video clip with me. That is all. Bye guys!)