☕️ Lifestyle
- Get Curious
- Talk to People
- Try Stuff
📷 Day 1 - Abstract
I was reading Amazon reviews of a book I was considering and noticed a couple of 1-star reviews and neither had anything to do with the content of the book or quality of the writing. One was regarding the shipping and the other was regarding a tear on the dust jacket. Even if I give the benefit of the doubt here and acknowledge a need to provide review feedback on such things, it would be nice to filter the review content to try and segregate substantive reviews of the content of the book from other reviews regarding shipping, service, or quality of the packaging. 🤷🏻
A lot of people have pointed out that a lack of a required personal finance curriculum is one of the biggest gaps in our public education system but, based on my recent interactions with some teens, it’s also clear they could benefit from learning how to use a calendar to manage their time.
Due to a fraudulent charge, I had to cancel the credit card I use for all my recurring monthly expenses. I’ve received my new card and am now updating my autopay settings for each vendor. A relatively minor inconvenience for sure but I wish there was an easier (batch or automated) way to do this.
According to Adam Grant:
“Seeing leisure time as wasteful is bad for well-being.
New data: people who see play as unproductive enjoy it less—and are more likely to be anxious, depressed, and stressed.
Even if you don’t see fun as productive, it’s worth remembering there’s more to life than productivity.”
As I exit the weekend and begin my Monday feeling less than refreshed, I realize I need to work on accepting and enjoying leisure time. Perhaps, even intentionally schedule leisure time? Something to consider.
As I anticipate my youngest entering her last year of high school, I realize some preparation is required to handle this transition well. For the past couple of decades, all my “free” time has been spent supporting my kids in their activities (sports, theater, music, etc.). I need some new hobbies.
Due to some folks in the neighborhood working through their fireworks supply until 3:00am this morning, I’m operating on 2-hours of sleep today. Not ideal considering that, after my workday ends, I’ll be making the 5-hour drive down to Eugene today.
I’ve been running and strength training a few days per week for the last few months. I’ve been feeling relatively healthy. This weekend my back seized up and I’ve barely been able to move. Not from exercising or being active. I was simply putting on my shoe. I guess I’m that age now.
He’s thinking, “this thing isn’t going to throw itself”. 🐕
The loneliness of convenience
When the pandemic took hold in March 2020 and we were all locked-down into a "shelter in place" mode, I did what many other people did. No, I didn't purchase a Peloton. But I did invest in establishing the foundation of a garage gym. At the time, the only piece of exercise equipment was a treadmill and a TRX system. During the initial months of the pandemic, I added a rack, barbell, plates, bench, dumbbells and some padded flooring tiles.
Over the past two and a half years, I've enjoyed the convenience of being able to step into my garage and get a good workout in without the barriers of driving to the health club, waiting my turn for a machine, or feeling judged for my relative inexperience or lack of strength.
However, the cost of that convenience has started to add up and it feels like only recently that I've become aware of the actual price I've paid. The cost I'm talking about is not the dollars and cents. I've already added up my total expenses for purchasing the equipment as well as calculated what I've saved in monthly membership dues. And, I'm happy to report that the payback period on my home gym investment has already been reached. But there is another cost that, for whatever reason, I never anticipated. I'm lonely.
Perhaps I would feel differently if I was still commuting to an office building everyday and working shoulder-to-shoulder with my coworkers. But, given that I've spent the past 2.5-years working from home, I've started noticing that my walk into the garage to start my workout no longer feels convenient but rather, isolating.
There was a time I perceived the effort to get ready and commute to the gym as a barrier to working out. Now I feel as though it would be a welcomed ritual. To go somewhere else, outside my home where I now spend what feels like 90% of my time, and be around other people. Maybe it's taken me longer than others (I am an introvert, after all) but I'm really starting to feel the effects of being in the same physical space for so much of my day, every day.
I don't think this feeling is about where or when I work out. I think the home gym is simply the context where I first took note of these feelings. I think what I'm missing is what at one time would have been referred to as a "third place". But for me, working and working out at home has left me without even having a second place. And, if the cost of having that place is an extra $50-100 per month, I'm starting to feel like it might be worth the investment.
Design the Life You Want
As someone who has spent the majority of my career in product, I'm familiar with the concept and process of "design thinking". In fact, a former colleague who attended the Stanford d.school was kind enough to share much of what she learned there with me and a few others through a series of design thinking workshops about a half-dozen years ago. So, when I stumbled upon the following Tedx Talk by Bill Burnett, I knew it would be well worth the 25-minute investment.
Bill is one of the founders of the Life Design Lab a Stanford and the author of, Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life.
In this talk titled, "5 steps to designing the life you want", Bill discusses how design thinking principles can be applied to help you design your life.
Even if you decide to not invest the time and energy in following the five steps and even if you don't intentionally apply design thinking principles to your life, I believe there is value in adopting the simple encouragement offered at the close of the video.
I don't know about you but I would do well to use those three bullet points as standing "to-dos" on my daily calendar.