There's a Hole In The Bucket
Issue 66 is a fix
Ladies, Gentlemen, and those who don’t identify as either—there’s a hole in the bucket.
Two weeks ago, I invited you to an event I’m hosting on January 26th. One week ago, I added a reminder to this very newsletter. Today, I came to find out that my rsvp system is flawed (namely, my poll game is off). A greater person wouldn’t admit such shortcomings—alas, I’m not that great.
Good news: The event is sold out. Bad news: I have no idea who’s coming.
Three people have Venmo’d me. Thank you, you’re confirmed. Please reply to this email and let me know if you’d like to attend. There’s room for about 10, so I may be hosting round two on another day (gold-plated problems, I’m totally okay with).
Let’s get to this week’s letter, if you’re still here…
Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule
Our brains use different “muscles” to make things and manage things. Maker days are the days you’re free-flowing with little interruption (as if). You’re in the zone, writing, painting, and creating in whatever form it takes.
On manager days, you’re spinning plates—sitting in meetings, going to the grocery, and having the dog groomed (I don’t have a dog, but I bet you do).
Our brains don’t want to bounce between the two modes. Sometimes, having one meeting on our calendar can keep our minds tied up with meeting prep and wind down. The day gets choppy, all because of one 11:00am meeting. Been there? So have I.
Why not designate your days according to maker or manager? I worked with one company with a rule of no-meeting Wednesdays. Wednesdays were sacred. We all loved Wednesdays.
Schedule your meetings on manager days and get into the flow on maker days. It’s a great goal to shoot for. I haven’t mastered it, but you’re a quick study. Go for it.
Curious? Paul Graham describes his concept better than I do.
PS: If I followed my advice, Tuesdays would be maker days.
Question, Answer | Action, Surrender
I was chatting with a friend about my word for 2023… surrender. See what you think:
Q: I find it difficult to surrender. I struggle with setting goals, letting go of them, and taking action. That’s a constant challenge for me. How do you reconcile action with surrender?
A: We associate surrender with passivity. Therefore, letting go opposes everything we’re taught about goal setting and productivity.
Let’s take one’s desire for a romantic relationship as an example. Here’s what action and surrender might look like:
Surrender looks like acknowledging your desire for a relationship, perhaps speaking it, and absolutely allowing it. What does allowing it mean? Noticing and following the signs that support your desire.
Here’s where that gets tricky: you don’t get to decide whether you like or dislike the signs, whether they’re valid. That’s not surrendering. That’s control, holding, and constriction. No, no, and no. Get out of your way.
When you surrender, you trust that what comes in support of your desire, whether you deem it good enough or not, is worthy. If sleep begets sleep (an old parenting adage), accepting signs begets more signs.
Let’s pretend someone wants to go on a date with you. Take notice of their request. Thank them. God forbid going on a date with them even if they’re not perfect. It’s an action toward your higher good. They put themselves in your path. You’re one step closer to your desire. Say yes! Take the next step toward your desired outcome. Put your preferences on the back burner. Move in the direction of your want and trust with all your might, whether they’re “right or wrong,” life will take care of it. Your only job is to go towards what’s presenting itself in service of your desire. Period.
Surrender to action.
Surrendering to action is saying yes to what comes. Follow the momentum life gives you. Trust. Ease yourself of the burden of knowing it all. Just let go.
Do you think I’m crazy to suggest you keep your likes and dislikes at bay? It’s bananas, I know. But do it. Letting go of your preferences takes practice and discipline. It will feel wrong at first. Horribly wrong. Then, one day, you’ll see you’ve been stopping your flow. Afraid. Positive, you know best. But you don’t. You know nothing (which eventually becomes a giant relief :)
Follow life’s lead, even with some discomfort and uncertainty (if you want a different result, you’ll have to do things differently). What if you don’t know what’s best for you? Oh, the freedom this thinking brings.
So, give life the steering wheel and tap on the gas as opportunities present themselves. Surrender to action.
Questions, comments? Please shoot me a note. I’d love to hear from you.
“Infinite Spirit, open the way for my great abundance. For I am an irresistible magnet for all that belongs to me by Divine Right.”
— Florence Scovel Shinn, writer, and philosopher from the 1920s.
Tip Off the Ol’ Block
Do you want to know where to put the apostrophe when abbreviating words (or numbers)? Did you know there’s a ‘right’ way? You will soon.
Drum roll, please. The apostrophe goes in place of the letters you’re cutting. For example:
Good ol’ days (the apostrophe replaces the d).
Happy ’23 (the apostrophe replaces the 20).
Go get ’em (the apostrophe replaces the th).
It’s that easy. Did you learn something?
Baby, Mama
Love my maker days!