We finished another school year! All three of the big kids went to the same elementary school this year, which was wonderfully efficient. One bus! One parent-teacher conference schedule! Next year we will have four children in three schools, so it will be…different. I’m looking forward to fall 2020 when we will again have a 3-kid-1-school convergence.
On Monday night this week, my husband took our 11-year-old to the local school board meeting, where he was recognized as a finalist (out of 600 entries!) in an essay contest called “There Ought to be a Law.” He called for the broader use of solar power. We didn’t even know he had entered until we got the letter from our representative. I was very proud of him. We are all headed to his 5th grade promotion ceremony today. I have memories of giving a speech at my 5th grade graduation many years ago; funny to think he may look back on these days in the future. (I somewhat wonder, now that I do this professionally, whether my 5th grade speech was any good.)
I went for a run on Tuesday on the Schuylkill River Trail in the middle of the day. I was on a hunt for patches of honeysuckle, and there were plenty. I love June.
Lots of links this week. Book launches are always fun for that. (Please pick up a copy of Off the Clock! And if you have read it, would you please leave a review at Amazon or wherever you purchased it, and on Goodreads?)
Business Insider has had a series of wonderful articles on the topic, including A counterintuitive change to your daily schedule can help you feel happier and less busy.
Over at Fast Company, Stephanie Vozza talked about finding time to read 12 books in a month, and savoring Off the Clock as the capstone of the experience.
(I was also at Fast Company this week writing about the one question that can make you feel like you have more time.)
Rebecca Gale ran a Q&A with me at Slate. On a slightly different side of the spectrum, I was on the Federalist Radio Hour with Joy Pullmann.
1-800-CEO-Read published an excerpt of Off the Clock as a “Change This” manifesto. TED Ideas also ran an excerpt on savoring.
(My TED talk has now been watched 6.3 million times! If you aren’t one of those 6.3 million, I promise it only takes 12 minutes.)
I was on a bunch of wonderful podcasts. Whitney Johnson covered my entire career journey in her Disrupt Yourself show. Kindal Boyle of Fit Womens Weekly interviewed me to help her listeners find more time to train. Mike Carruthers’ Something You Should Know also shared the message (I appear after the guest talking about marital infidelity…my interview is not nearly that juicy, but hey…a good lead in!).
More links to come next week as this is starting to be an overwhelming number for anyone to click on!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend planned. I’m going to be spending a lot of time in the car.
Laura, I have almost finished Off the Clock and I have really enjoyed it. My husband and I both enjoy spontaneity and adventures, within the confines of our suburban life with 2 little kids. Your book as inspired me to not just make memories, but to play with them in my mind to make them more vivid.
I had a long, wonderful Off-the-Clock week with the following daily vacations:
Monday: Walked 1.0miles to Starbucks with my 2 little kids, then had dinner outside at a fancy restaurant with my husband and kids. We live in the burbs but we are 1.0miles from an area with shops/restaurants.
Tuesday: All you can eat Korean BBQ with my family and 3 colleagues, followed by some lingering at a Korean cafe with delicious desserts
Wednesday: My daughter’s end of the year picnic, followed by playtime with her cousin on the playground
Thursday: Half-hour lunch with my best friend from med school and a long meeting with my boss where we discussed career development
Friday: Another Starbucks date with the kids- a new board game to spice it up!
@Virginia- what a great week! Sounds like a lot of memory making – the adventures don’t have to be much. I’m so glad you enjoyed Off the Clock – please tell people – friends, colleagues, professional groups, etc.