Last week was a ‘I’m going to choose chaos even though I know better’ week.
On Monday, I decided to redesign, order, and install new furniture in our family room by the end of the week. When I get fixated on an idea, very little will stop me from making it happen on an insane timeline (and below budget).
It came out better than I had hoped. I’m also off the dopamine roller coaster that this project gave me, and am ready to choose focus and presence this week.
I’m going to do my proper Sunday setup, and am sharing a few extra practices that help me stay grounded during busy times or when I’m feeling overwhelmed and distracted. I hope they help you as much as they’ve helped me!
We have our family meeting every Sunday. This practice helps us start the week strong, and lets the kids make decisions for themselves and our family (what we eat for dinner, who’s picking them up or dropping them off, what we do during cozy time, and what days Nana (our longtime nanny) is coming).
I do my own Sunday planning while the kids are in karate. I place the grocery order based on the dinner plan, plan out my content for the week (though the planned posts have slipped over the past few weeks), and add my week’s workouts to my stack on the Peloton app. If I have time, I clear out my inboxes as much as I can.
I love to start the week with a clean slate, and I mean this literally. I change our sheets, sanitize all of my devices with these cloths, wash my makeup brushes (I take them in the shower with me and clean the brushes while my conditioner is soaking in), tidy my desk, and make sure all the clothes are put away (I have this ‘cleanish’ basket that I throw the things that can be reworn, which helps keep them off the dresser tops or chairs).
I refill my pill case for the week ahead (usually before bed).
There’s a Monday practice I want to move to Sundays—setting my work priorities for the week. I set a goal or intention for Rhoshan Pharma and for content (either That Desi Spark, Substack, or Instagram) and 2 big things I’ll do in service of that goal or intention.
I’m sharing a few practices (some tried-and-true, some newer ones) that help me reset when I feel myself veering into chaos mode:
I review my to do list and mark the two most important tasks—my two-do list, if you will (a practice I learned from Amanda Goetz)
I close out all of my tabs and apps on my computer and restart it. When I log back in, I work on a single tab (or two, if I’m referencing another window or app) until that specific task is done.
I review my priorities list and check in to see what’s important and urgent, and what can be moved. I’ll check in with my team members on their bandwidth and the status of their projects, and re-prioritize deliverables based on their feedback.
I reset with tiny rituals:
I prepare a cup of tea and try to focus on a single sense during the process—the sound of the water filling the kettle and it boiling, the feel of the steam and the slight texture of the cup, the smell of the tea as it brews. Use one of your ‘special occasion’ tea cups or one you haven’t used in a while for this ritual.
I color. I found this adorable coloring book that I had bought months ago (and immediately put away and forgot about), and will grab some of the kids’ colored pencils and fill in a section or two when I’m feeling overwhelmed.
I put my phone in the drawer and do a tiny anchor ritual
light my Hotel Lobby Candle in Spa (this has been my work candle for years, and the scent helps me lock into focus mode)
play this Odesza playlist or this sound bath one
grab the mini legal pad I keep on my desk, and do a quick brain dump. I try to end the brain dump with a few affirmations (you are focused, you are strong, you do great work, you are in control)
Do you have a Sunday setup routine? Let me know in the comments!
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Catch up on the latest:
little things on my holiday wish list: a two-tone necklace, a restock of my Elemis travel-sized sunscreen and night cream travel sizes, and this magazine subscription,
I’m in my plotting phase for the next chapter of my writing and speaking career, and have been studying Mel Robbins a lot. I learned a lot from this article, this video (and the summary from the video, as well as the host’s public apology and lessons learned from Robbins).
If you’re in the market for a new winter coat, I love this coat from Land’s End. It’s a Goldilocks winter coat—not too hot but not too cold, not too bulky but not too thin, and I love the color options (I have the burgundy one). It’s up to 60% off right now as well!
Some books I read and loved lately: The Midnight Taxi (I will be talking about this book for months, preorder it/request it from the library ASAP), Poisoned Ivy (the perfect fall academia romance with a twist), Illusions of Fire (I’m very much in my adaptations of Hindu epics, and this is one of the best), and The River Has Roots (one of the most gorgeous audiobooks, with original music performed by the author).
I’m adding all these books I haven’t read yet to my TBR list.
I’m revisiting my own ‘wintering’ advice in preparation for the post-holidays slump. My best advice is to pull out some of the things you’ve been saving for a special occasion, and use them intentionally and regularly (the candle that’s still in its box, the pajama set you haven’t taken the tags off yet, the handwash-only mug that’s tucked in the back of a cabinet).
If you enjoyed this weekend’s letter, please consider:
Wishing you a wonderful week.
xo,
HPN
