East Bay Bookshelf

Happy Friday! This week I’m providing a quarterly reading update and reflecting on a few of my favorite topics like time management, competitive sports, and daily rituals. I’m also spotlighting one of my favorite authors.

• Q3 Reading Update •

July, August, and September brought some new-to-me genres that I would not have picked up without a book club nudge. I read 9 books this quarter, putting my 2024 total at 29 books! (For reference, I read 20 books last year and 32 books in 2022.) My goal is to read about 900 pages per month, so when I look at Q3, I definitely surpassed that goal. For the year, I’ve read 8,138 pages, so I’m right on target to meet my annual goal of 10,800 pages. I’m excited to see what Q4 brings!

• Time Management•

I love talking all things planning and time management especially when it comes to those moments where I’m just not sure where to start on a task or I’m just completely overwhelmed. When I start feeling this way, I set a timer for twenty minutes and dedicate 100% of my brainpower to that one task. A few things might happen during this time:

• Clarity. If it’s a project where I didn’t know where to begin, after twenty minutes I usually have a good idea of the framework for the remaining tasks.
• Momentum. Sometimes I can make such meaningful progress within twenty minutes that it doesn’t make sense for me to stop what I’m working on.
• Completion. Most of the time, I finish the task and I’m always surprised that it didn’t take longer than twenty minutes!

Next time you feel stuck, set a timer and see what you can accomplish!

• Author Spotlight •

I first heard of Laura Vanderkam when I was a few months post-partum and back at work; you can listen to that episode of What Should I Read Next. When I think of books that changed my life, I definitely put hers in that category. Her work really has helped me reframe how I view time. She always reminds readers there are 168 hours in a week. My favorite book of hers is I Know How She Does It. I also love her article about enjoying winters in really cold weather. I read it before moving to Wisconsin a few years ago and I set a goal to have fun in the winter months – and I did!

• Competitive Sports •

Last weekend I was standing on the sidelines of my son’s soccer game discussing competitive sports with another mom. I started thinking about my own experience as a competitive gymnast growing up. I know what it means to train 25 hours per week on top of going to public school full-time. People always want to know if I regret quitting gymnastics. The short answer is: no. The long answer is: I do wish that I had known at the time how to stay close to the sport for fun. Could I have had access to the equipment and coaches without ever competing again? Could I go to practice just one or two days per week for just a few hours? I don’t know. At the time, I probably needed a clean break from gymnastics so I could move on to other sports and make new friends (and I did). As an adult, I hope kids who do competitive sports are encouraged and have access to those sports throughout their life (for fun)!

• Daily Rituals •

Over the past nine weeks, I have been more intentional about daily rituals. A “ritual” is defined as an act or series of acts regularly repeated in a set precise manner. Almost every morning I have the same routine of getting ready, exercising, listening to the same playlist, drinking coffee, and eating the same food. This lasts from about 6:30am-8:00am. At 8:00am, my day can go off in a million different directions! I’ve been doing this routine in almost the same order every single day whether it’s a weekday or weekend. When I don’t do it because of kid activities or early work meetings, I get excited about when I do have the opportunity to do it again. There is something about doing something every single day at the same time in the same order that feels good. I’m sure at some point I will get tired of this ritual, but I hope it’s not anytime soon.

I’d love to hear about your daily rituals or any time management hacks you have!