Fortunately we had childcare from about 9:15, so I was able to get most of my work done. Three of the five children saw Dogman. I finished a draft of a book chapter. I did a podcast interview. I am getting close to caught up on my time tracking emails (this was a project…I’m so glad that we had 1600+ people tracking their time in January but it has taken me longer than I’d like to get back to everyone).

Some content from this week…Over at Before Breakfast, I had episodes on “The case for a winter walk” and “Carpooling isn’t just for kids.” For the longer episode I interviewed Mary Laura Philpott about “Being patient until the right idea comes.” She talks about how she’s had a gentle year creatively as she figures out her next project. She’s approaching the process with curiosity, rather than a sense of hustle. There are turtle metaphors. Please check it out!

Over at Vanderhacks, I piggybacked on Groundhog Day and the associated movie to ask “Would you live today over again?” Related: “How to enjoy 6 more weeks of winter.” I suggested people “Try a 30-minute closet triage” and “How to (finally) make progress on your personal to-do list” (those two are behind the paywall).

The Best of Both Worlds Patreon community had a fun discussion of the best jeans (I have been informed that this was an expensive thread). We also talked early money memories, and favorite TV shows. Membership is $9/month (you can join here).

Thanks for supporting my writing and podcasting! I appreciate it. In the meantime, a tongue-in-cheek sonnet about big game football…

Some sixty thousand people in the stands
All scream alike as seconds tick to none.
The lights glow green, the crowd is slapping hands
confetti flutters, people start to run,

as fireworks explode into the air.
The players rush the field, their helmets tossed.
In this cold night, the revelers will dare
to claim that all is changed from if they’d lost.

And yet, a few blocks over, someone else
sits in her condo, watching Netflix, sure,
that nothing else has happened, and she tells
her friend that it’s a boring night, and you’re

on your way over right? Oh yes, I’ll try.
I see some traffic — but I don’t know why.

Photo: A different sort of bird, through the car window. Note: no snow.

Of course, in years of being cold, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. One of my favorite is to wash my face (and hands) with hot water. At one point I identified that the reason I never wanted to wash my face at night in the winter is that I didn’t like splashing cold water on my face. But the sink gets hot water too! Same with washing my hands. No need to just tap the cold faucet (the default) if the hot one is available.

It was 38 degrees outside this morning. Sadly, this means I probably won’t be able to wear my summer flats and jeans much longer. My daughter and I were discussing this when I drove her to the bus stop the other morning. She had been eager for fall weather, but she clarified that she liked just a little coolness, not being cold. But I guess it was inevitable!

I’m not sure if I’ll get to a content round-up post later this week or not, so a few highlights: Over at Before Breakfast, I interviewed Cal Newport! I’ve been running a longer episode every Wednesday where I interview someone about their time management strategies. He really embraces October and has quite the display going on his lawn…Please give that episode a listen.

Over at Vanderhacks, the post behind the paywall this week is about “Planning fatigue is real” — but here are 7 ways to take a beat and get back on track. I also reminded people that “If others can, you can.” Other, normal people tend not to have access to some secret font of knowledge that isn’t accessible to everyone else. You can probably figure it out!

In the meantime…Before Breakfast continues to feature four short (new) tips each week plus a longer episode featuring an interview. This week’s interview was with novelist Camille Pagán. She talked about making time for creative work, and how inspiration tends to follow the work. We don’t get inspired and then sit down and write a novel (or anything else). We sit down regularly to write and then we get ideas. I know this is true for me. I also suggested that people “Don’t sweat the seconds” and that you might “Browse for a project.”

The Vanderhacks newsletter continues to grow! Each week I share five ideas to make life better. This week I shared ideas to “Make journaling useful.” The post behind the paywall was about “How to lighten your mental load.”

This week’s Best of Both Worlds episode on new routines, whining, and preschool vs. childcare was so fun for me that I listened to it twice. Check it out! In the meantime, the BOBW Patreon community has been discussing planning fatigue, and if there’s actually any upside to waiting to make holiday plans…which has become a discussion of people who plan vs. people who seem allergic to making plans (and how, if those folks aren’t living in chaos, it’s often because they’re relying on other people in their lives to figure things out…).

Thanks for reading/listening! I appreciate it.

On the docket this weekend — my peak long run (for the half-marathon I’m running in 3 weeks…), more birthday celebrations, hearing the 17-year-old sing the Star Spangled Banner for an athletic event, and family photos. The photos will be an experience — the 4-year-old already complained about the sweater he will be wearing BUT I know my remembering self will be glad to have these photos, and I’m not sure the 17-year-old will really participate in formal family photos after this. So we should take them.

In the meantime, this week’s content round-up…The Before Breakfast podcast featured an interview with productivity expert Chris Bailey talking about the Rule of 3 and his point system for building good habits. I also suggested (quoting Jodi Wellman) that people “Make bit-sized bucket lists.”

Over at Vanderhacks I preached the virtues of vowing to “Leave the party while you’re still having fun.” Also, thinking about endings, I suggest people “Begin by thinking about the end.” I began a foray into video posting with one called “Send a note to your Future Self.” The (print) post behind the paywall this week was about how to finish the year strong and “Make the most of the next 100 days.” Please consider a free or paid subscription!

Over at the Best of Both Worlds Patreon community we are discussing how much time we spend outside and (in another outdoor-related topic) how we manage bad weather days (i.e. when kids are out of school). If you missed Sarah’s interview with Sam Kelly about how to get kids to notice what needs to be done, you can check it out here.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my writing, you might also like my books. I’ve written several on time management topics. The most recent is called Tranquility by Tuesday: Nine Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters. I really enjoyed writing this book about my favorite time management strategies, and what happened when 150 people learned them over nine weeks. Please check it out!

Lately, however, some changes in the podcast industry have nudged me to try to shake things up. So I’m excited to announce that, starting today, Before Breakfast will feature one longer episode per week. These episodes will likely run on Wednesdays, and will usually feature an interview with a fascinating person sharing advice on how they take their days from great to awesome and how we can too.

I’m launching the series with none other than Sarah Hart-Unger! Not only is she very productive, she has lots of great tips. And, I’m pretty used to talking with her, which I figured would make me less nervous for producing this thing.

So if you’d like to hear her morning routine and life hacks, go check out today’s episode. And please consider subscribing to Before Breakfast. Each week features four new short episodes, plus the interview, and then on the weekend I rerun “classic” episodes from the past 5.5 years. We call those “Second Cup.” You know, morning coffee themed…

While I’m shaking things up…I also decided to add a video component to the Vanderhacks newsletter. Starting next Tuesday, I’ll do one video post a week, sharing a quick tip. You can go here to subscribe.

Thanks for reading, listening to, and watching my work! I really appreciate it.

And while you’re here, how about a September-themed sonnet, called “Remembering”…?

September blue is different, brighter, thin,
the sky a hue that August can’t quite match,
the trees aglow as light begins to bend.
A wisp of wind blows stronger, tries to catch

a twirling leaf, the first of many — scouts
the landscape, finds a spot on cooling ground.
I find myself nostalgic, hereabouts,
recall Septembers past, those days first bound

by early night, by waning heat, by gold
on sidewalks — I once walked these pathways, new.
I watched the city brace itself for cold,
I pondered dreams that only I then knew.

What can I catch? A leaf, a hope, I may —
but others, just like autumn, drift away.

Photo: Believe it or not, this was one of the promotional images I snapped for Before Breakfast back when it launched in 2019…

Over at Vanderhacks I wrote that “No one wins a misery contest” and that “Smart categories create variety.” Being creative about how you make your lists can nudge you to make better choices. The post behind the paywall was about “3 ways to make any work day more enjoyable.” Not all work is the same by any means, but I think these three strategies can make the vast majority of work days better.

The Before Breakfast podcast suggested that life might be better if we “Cultivate a Saturday vibe.” I suggested that “If you can’t get out of it, get into it.” For those who are looking to spend more time with friends and boost focus I suggested people try to “Work side by side.”

The Best of Both Worlds podcast was about rest and trading off. Over at the BOBW Patreon community page we’re discussing strategies one member can use while her husband will be away for 3 days every week for the next 3 months. We’re also sharing lists of things that are fun for us…and NOT fun for us (even if they are for other people). Please come join us!

Also, I write a weekly newsletter that comes out on Saturday’s (“A Week’s Worth”) and one that comes out monthly (“Just a Minute”) — the latter will be published August 1st. You can sign up for either/both here.

Finally, I was just reminiscing that 15 years ago I was putting the finishing touches on the manuscript of what became 168 Hours. Let me know if you’ve read it (and when!)