THE WEEKLY PAGE 📝 No. 178
My simple routine for getting "unstuck" + this week's picks for work, wellness, and wonder!
I'm gonna be honest with you — I spent Monday mostly staring at my computer screen. My goal for the day was to update some info on my website…but damn…there were also 1007 other things I was thinking about and the next thing I knew I had basically spent the entire day stuck in a state of overwhelm (eventually I gave up, read on the couch, and took a nap).
I ended the day feeling guilty, but also determined not to lose another day to inaction. So what did I do? I sat down with some paper and one of my favorite “brain” exercises.
Here's my simple routine for getting “unstuck”:
Take out a piece of paper and set a timer for 5 minutes.
Write down ALL THE STUFF bouncing around inside your head. Be as detailed or vague as you want.
When the time's up, look at what you wrote and highlight/circle the things that are actionable (i.e. they'll require some sort of action in order to be solved/completed).
On a new sheet of paper, make three columns. Label them STUFF | NEXT STEP | DONE.
In the left column, list out each actionable item that was in your head.
In the right column, write down what it would mean for that item to be “DONE”.
In the center column, identify one small “NEXT STEP” for each “STUFF”. Remember to keep your “NEXT STEPS” small. If something feels time-consuming, stressful, or overwhelming — break it down further. Make it something that feels doable! Here's an example:
Now fold the paper vertically so you can't see the “DONE” column — this way, your focus can remain on the “NEXT STEPS.”
When you complete a “NEXT STEP,” add a new one. And repeat until you reach the result you identified in your “DONE" column. Remember…if a “NEXT STEP” feels overwhelming….make it smaller.
A variation of this that I created for a client allowed space for a post-it note in the center column that could easily be swapped. That's something you could try if it feels helpful.
After working through this exercise myself, I hit the ground running on Tuesday, and I'm ending the week feeling focused and at ease.
🥗ENJOY: Carbs + a good protein + a flavorful fat are sorta the trifecta when it comes to making my brain go, “DAMN, THAT'S GOOD!” Enter this shrimp rice bowl. I swear it really is just the perfect combo of flavors and nutrients and the pickled onions are SO easy to make but a fun “topping” to keep in the fridge. Here's the recipe.
🥛DRINK: Quench your thirst with this refreshing Grapefruit + Thyme mocktail from Flowers in the Salad. You could add your libation of choice to transform it into a cocktail (vodka or gin would fit well). Snag the recipe here.
📚 READ: Have you ever fought your uncle on Facebook until you were both red in the face? Just me? Allllriiiight. Well, if perhaps you have been known to partake in public discourse in a feisty manner I'd definitely recommend this book! It does such a great job of simplifying what is going on in our brain when we form beliefs — and what it actually takes to change them. SPOILER: being presented with facts or “proof” rarely works. If you have Trump or QAnon supporting loved ones that you have tried to break through to with no luck — this book feels like an absolute balm for the soul. Grab a copy here.
🎧LISTEN: I've been a Caitlyn Smith fan for a longgg time — and my fellow Midwesterners might enjoy knowing that the songbird hails from Cannon Falls, Minnesota. Anyways, she had a new album that dropped just in time for my recent flight back to the US, so I popped an edible gummy (👌🏻), took the album offline, and settled in for the best flight of my life. I get partway into the album when I swear I can hear none other than the man, the myth, THE LEGEND — Garth Brooks. I think I might have said “Oh wowwwwww!” out loud, and then almost asked the guy next to me to please have a listen to confirm my suspicion — but got distracted convincing myself that the plane's engines did not, in fact, turn off mid-air. Anyways, long story short: he sang backup on the song “Mississippi”, and their voices are really beautiful together. Yeah, that's right. THE Garth Brooks was a backup singer for Caitlyn Smith. Check out the music video here.
👏🏻WORDS: What if you thought about productivity less as output and more as the things you need to do in order to be the best version of yourself? I really resonate with this reframing of how we view “productivity” and am going to try keeping it in mind at the end of each day. (Original quote is from this Tweet by Dr. Mona Masood. Graphic was inspired by a post from @PoppyJamie. I loved the quote, sentiment, and way it was laid out.)
💬 Commment & chat! Anything in this week’s newsletter spark your curiosity? Have questions? Got a recommendation of your own? Pop it below.