Happy Friday, y’all,
A friend sent me a book that is rocking my perspective. (Thanks, M!) It’s called 4,000 Weeks and it’s about time management. But not in the way that you might think.
The first striking thing is the title. 4,000 weeks. What is 4,000 weeks? It’s the approximate amount of time we get to be alive. (Hopefully.)
Yeah. Holy shit.
I’ve not finished the book yet, but there are things that are already shaking my worldview in a wonderful way. The first is this:
You definitely won’t have time for everything you want to do, or that other people want you to do — so at the very least, stop beating yourself up for failing.
My endless to-do list as a solo entrepreneur running two companies? Yeah. It’s never all going to get crossed off. Sisyphus and the boulder have been replaced by Inbox Zero. No amount of effective time management, no Pomodoro technique, or Bullet Journaling will mean that everything gets done, and it’s asinine to even have that as a goal. So, I need to get comfortable with the discomfort of this reality. There is something massively freeing about embracing finitude.
And then there is this:
When you render the process more convenient, you drain it of its meaning.
When we make things convenient, we take them for granted. It’s why camping is a thing. There is nothing more inconvenient than camping.
Do you know what else is inconvenient? Bringing an animal into your home that you need to feed and walk and play with, vacuum their fur that sticks to everything, and stay awake to rub their bellies when they are puking all night — and all that with zero chance that they will care for you in your old age. That’s inconvenient. And that’s the most special thing in the world.
It’s the inconvenience that gives the meaning.
Like any decent Canadian, I love tea. Like, I really love it. It’s a significant portion of my identity and my DNA. I also like good tea, the loose-leaf stuff that is a pain in the ass to prepare but tastes so much better than the tea dust that is swept off the floor at the Twinings factory and poured into convenient tea bags.
So go ahead and ask me: When was the last time I made myself a cup of proper loose-leaf tea?
It’s been years.
That’s ridiculous.
When I started to get busier with my work, I switched away from loose-leaf tea, because cleaning the tea infuser took four minutes out of my day. I decided that I was very busy and important and I should instead spend those precious moments on Instagram content while dunking sub-par tea dust.
But the content creation will never end, and I’ve robbed myself of something I truly enjoy. I let the wrong thing win.
Why did I never realize this before?
Because, as 4000 Weeks reminds us, the fish don’t notice the water in which they swim.
So yes, for the things that don’t matter to you — make them as convenient as possible. You don’t need to go out and beat your clothes against a rock in the river or something. But maybe we can remember that efficiency is not the goal of life. Not everything needs to be optimized. We’re not trying to do things fast, so we can do more/make more/buy more, and then die.
Maybe let’s just make some meaning by sitting together and drinking a really good cup of inconvenient tea.
Here’s what else happened this week:
I am still recovering from Covid, but I’m definitely on the mend. It’s been a long process and I’m taking things slow. Meaning: there’s a lot of TV on this list.
What I’m watching
The After Party - just started season one but I love this show and can watch Sam Richardson forever. (Yes, I’m a sucker for adorkable men.)
What I’m also watching
Painkiller - I’ve watched way too many versions of this real-life opioid nightmare with the corrupt Sackler family, but for some reason, I want more of it. Great cast.
And I’m watching this too
The Silo - The acting is bad. The writing is worse. Yeah, I’m not sure why I’m watching this one. I think it’s because the story is interesting and it brings up sociological dilemmas that I find fascinating. But I should have just read the book instead.
What I read
My Ugly Bathroom By Sarah Miller - The Paris Review
“I don’t think having an ugly bathroom makes me a good person. It just makes me someone who is able to feel satisfaction with one specific place that is far from perfect.”
Here’s a tortoise stretching to make you happy
I was out for a bit with Covid, but I’m now back to teaching weekly yoga, meditation, and office hours for our pay-what-you-can Blue Mala members, so I hope to see you there!
Take good care, friends. I hope you make one thing in your life a little less convenient this week, and I hope you enjoy the hell out of it.
Much love,
~Lisa