At the start of the pandemic, I had to learn how to work from home. I've always worked in an office, so losing the commute and coworkers was a big change for me. It only took a few weeks for me to learn that I needed to establish a routine if I was going to get into a rhythm of working from home.
One of the routines I added was to make Friday my "admin day."
After a week full of Zoom meetings and far too many e-mails, I realized that admin work was all my brain could tolerate by Friday. I use Fridays to clean out my inbox and follow-up folder, update my required monthly report, empty out my voicemail, clean up my Trello and Toggl, work on random "I've been meaning to organize this" projects, and set plans for the following week. If there's time, I also tackle my massive professional reading pile and watch webinar recordings.
My organization is back to work in hybrid mode now, but I am keeping my admin Fridays. I found it to be a productive use of my time that was not too taxing on my mental capacities.
What pandemic induced change are you going to keep?
I’ve mentioned The Sample before but I wanted to share it again. Every day, you get a different newsletter in your inbox. If you like it, you can sign up with one click. You can also rate the newsletters to help it learn your tastes. I have found so many wonderful newsletter from this resource and the recommendations just keep getting better. Check it out here.
I should wrap up my reading of The Rose Code some time this week. It’s a really dramatic read that actually had me in tears at one point this week. This is going to be one of those books where the characters sit with me long after the story is over.
Honeybees are amazing. [NYT]
In praise of the galley kitchen. [TASTE]
The infuriating wealth gap of the super rich - to scale. [MKorostoff]
Prisons are keeping books from incarcerated people. [Protean]
Millennials are saving something - holiday cards. [WaPo - gift link]
When does a model become a mannequin? [The Daily]
The dauntless Angela Merkel. [NPR]
How palm oil got in everything. [Gastropod]
Outwitting redlining and segregation to build black neighborhoods. [99% Invisible]
Is a Stradivarius the best? [Planet Money]
The Japanese art of wood joining is incredibly satisfying and beautiful. [Colossal]
How glass ornaments are made. [Science Channel]
How bags are loaded on to planes. [Insider]
Now I want a soft pretzel. [Eater]
Bread almost too pretty to eat. [@pal_dough_pal]
The most enjoyable Hallmark movie we watched this week was Next Stop, Christmas. It involves time travel, over acting, and Christopher Lloyd. But it comes across as a delightful romp because it doesn't take itself too seriously. [Hallmark Channel]
I have a nostalgic love for tortellini soup. In my memory, my mom made this a few times each winter and it soothed my soul every time. When I made it this week, it wasn't as good as I remember. I blame me, not my memory. Definitely need more salt. Also, the stewed tomatoes are key. [My Evernote]
Well this is just plain fun. Type a Tone lets you use your keyboard to make little ditties. You can import text, change the style of music, save your score, and share what you make online or through QR code.
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This week, I am going to start doing all my strategic planning for next year and working on setting up my 2022 bullet journal.