​LauraEarnest.com​

Deliberate Living Made Simpler.

Making Time For Connection We all lead busy lives. And that means that often times we are scurrying from task to task, place to place, with little thought to making connections. Social interactions start being by default: people at work, church, or other adults at child activities. And while that may be enough, that routine of seeing the same people by default is not how I want to spend all of my social interactions. My church started Fabulous First Fridays a few years ago, with the aim of bringing people together in a social setting. We eat dinner, then typically do a craft or play board games. And while there are people that I enjoy hanging around with, one dose of getting caught between the two Karens was enough (one who lectured me on how detrimental it is to plants to let my dog pee outside, and the other telling the professional chef how he should have made the dinner). I decided to take the same thought but make it so that it was with my friends. I have 3 close women friends, and our husbands are friendly. So I implemented Fabulous First Fridays with Friends. The goal was to have deliberate interaction and catch up. Sometimes is just the women. And sometimes our husbands join us. If someone is out of town, that is OK. We get together anyway. We often will meet at a restaurant or activity (putt putt anyone?) or if someone feels like hosting, we will gather at a house. We’ve been doing this for over a year now, and I can definitely say I feel more connected to these friends that I have so much in common with.

Quick Productivity Tips

1. Check The Weather For Clothing: "There is no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing." --Norwegian saying. Nothing can ruin productivity faster than being too hot, cold or wet. Today, check the weather before you get dressed and leave the house, and make sure you are dressed appropriately.
2. Clean Your Computer Screen: Computer screens are a magnet for dust at best, and fingerprints at worst (in my opinion). Today, take five minutes and clean your computer screen. And if you have a stand-alone monitor, clean the back of it too!
3. Make A Sanctuary Box: We all need a place where we can relax. Props help. Today, assemble a box or basket that includes things that help you relax. Mine include a set of headphones, a fluffy blanket, a vanilla-scented candle, and a coloring book with pencils.

From My Experience

It seems to me that when I did stupid things when I was younger I was less likely to have a bad outcome. I did things that I look back on and wonder how I survived to adulthood.

But now I am finding that when I do marginally stupid stuff it backfires on me. This spring has been taking up with intense physiotherapy. The first stupid thing was that I wore heels to work and wrenched my hip. The second stupid thing was that I was carrying a laundry basket, my water bottle, a soft drink, my phone and a piece of paper down the stairs in bare feet….and missed a step.

Luckily I was not seriously hurt from either incident. But I will have a lot of PT exercises to do to get myself back on track.

So let my experience be a lesson: we can’t do all the things that we could do even 10 years ago.

Articles This Month:

• ​The Power of Saying No: Boundaries as a Productivity Superpower: I learned that saying no is a productivity superpower by setting clear personal boundaries to protect my time and energy from becoming overwhelmed.
• ​How To Do A Productivity Reboot I rebooted my stalled productivity by closing tasks, taking a break, and restarting with only what truly matters.

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