Today is a gloomy day, but the rain is supposed to stop by this weekend, which is good, as there is an outdoor concert on the list. And a long outdoor run. Here’s hoping the forecast is accurate!
My 17-year-old had his last high school choir concert last night. I have been to a great many of his concerts, so this was a little sad, but I do think he will likely sing in college. And I think the 5-year-old will start singing with the children’s choir at church next year. So there are more choir concerts in my future (the 3 middle kids have chosen to do band instead of singing). He has also now allowed me to share that he will be attending Northeastern University in Boston this fall. He was accepted into the honors college there, so that is quite exciting. And Boston is a great city for going to school — plus easy to get to for me! I’m very proud of him and looking forward to seeing what he does next.
Various content this week: Over at the Before Breakfast podcast, I suggested people aim to “Reduce your toggling tax.” Switching between applications takes time and energy. Some switching can’t be helped. But some can! I also suggested “Consolidate your meetings.” If it’s possible to put all meetings in one part of a day and leave other time open, it might be possible to focus more deeply on things that require it. Sometimes meetings need to happen when they need to happen. But other times we get to choose, and this episode has a framework for thinking about how to choose.
For the longer Wednesday interview episode I talked to Melody Wilding about “Managing Up.” She is the author of a smart new book by that name that looks at how to get what you want from the people in charge, and use what agency you do have in your career to advance and be more satisfied. Lots of great advice in there!
Over at Vanderhacks, my Substack newsletter, I wrote that “There is always downtime” — even a jam-packed day might have a few minutes open, and it’s good to think about how to use those minutes to feel rejuvenated. I wrote an essay called “If you do nothing else” about how daily habits can rescue a bad day. Behind the paywall I wrote an essay about how to “Make this your most productive summer ever” — there are ways to get things done even as you embrace the laid back nature of the season. Please consider a free or paid subscription, and thank you for supporting me and my work.
Tips for going to school in Boston are also appreciated!
Congratulations to you son! A new chapter.
@Connie C – a new chapter indeed! We are excited for him.
Congratulations to your son! A friend’s daughter graduated from Northeastern and had a great experience. The co-op program there is great. it will be a fun place for you to go for Parent’s weekend, too!
@BethC – thanks! We are excited for him and looking forward to having a reason to get to Boston more frequently for sure.