Feeds:
Posts
Comments

The rule focused on for Week 7 of the Tranquility by Tuesday challenge was take one night for you. The purpose of this rule is to take some time off from family and work commitments each week to explore doing something that is worthwhile and fun. Think of it as a date night (or day) with yourself. This rule is a habit I developed many years ago (while teaching 2nd grade at HGCS) after reading Take Time for Your Life by Cheryl Richardson. I was burnt out; I felt like all I did with my time was work and take care of everyone else except me. Richardson suggested in her book to make some time each week for yourself, and that is exactly what I started doing at that point in my life. The activities I have chosen over the years have changed based on the opportunities that were available at the time; however, making time strictly for yourself is important and makes life more enjoyable. Additionally, the chosen activity does not have to take a huge amount of time; however, ideally it would be nice to do the activity on a regular day/night to have that time to look forward to each week.

Before the week started, I pondered the planning questions for Rule #7 that Laura sent us on Friday, 03 March and made a plan for the week.

  • Do you have any recurring fun-for-you commitments outside of work and family? (Examples might include a book club, choir rehearsals, or a weekly golf game.) YES! I attend an improv class on Thursday night from 6:00-8:00 p.m. I also run the Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club with my friend Kelsi, and we meet with our members on a Tuesday night once per month. I also buddy read books with my sister Rachel, and we generally meet one night per week to discuss the chapter(s) that were assigned for the week.
  • If you don’t already have a weekly fun-for-you commitment, what would you do with one night off (or an equivalent amount of weekend time) per week? n/a
  • If you are not currently taking a night just for you, what would you need to do to make this happen? If you are currently doing this, how have you created the space? I treat my one night for me as an appointment and put it on my calendar.
  • What might prevent you from taking one night off? At this point in my life, I really do not have anything that will prevent me from attending my improv class or book club meetings. Occasionally, another commitment with my family may come up at the same time as my activity. For example, my husband got a free night stay at a hotel, so we went to Orange Beach and left on a Thursday which meant I missed my weekly improv class. Spending time with my hubby is equally important, so I do not mind those type of conflicts. My sister and I adjust our schedules if either one of us have a confict. As for my book club, we either reschedule, or I miss that month’s meeting.
  • How can you address these challenges? Thankfully, I have a thoughtful and supportive spouse and helpful children who will step up if something should crop up that is not a family commitment or an emergency type situation.

RESULTS

As I have already mentioned, this rule was easy to implement. For this week, I did have an unexpected big adventure replace one of the nights that I take for myself. I also did fairly well with the other 6 rules. Giving myself a bedtime is still my weekly challenge. I do not see this changing until I can get a bit more organized overall.

REFLECTION

  • Did you take a few hours off from work and family responsibilities this week? What did you do with this time? YES! I met with my sister to discuss Chapter 7 of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck on Sunday evening at 7 p.m.
  • If you didn’t take one night (or another block of time) just for you during the past week, do you have an idea for what you might do with a night off in upcoming weeks? n/a
  • What effects did you see from taking a few hours for your interests? Positive effects galore! Meeting with my sister weekly strengthens our relationship. After we discuss the assigned chapter, we usually talk about other stuff like our upcoming trip to Sicily.
  • What challenges did you face while trying to take some time for your interests? I would not say this was really a challenge, but more of a choice to not take time for my weekly interest. I chose not to attend my Thursday night improv class because I wanted to attend the opening of Andrew’s Juried Student Exhibition at SLU. He had two photography projects selected for this exhibition. I am so proud of him and wanted to be at the opening to show support for him and for a few other students I know who had exhibits on display as well.
  • How did you address these challenges? n/a
  • Did you modify this strategy? If so, how? I replaced one of my nights for me with a big adventure. My night was still meaningful, fun, and something I wanted to do with my designated night.
  • How likely are you to continue taking one night for you? VERY likely because it is important to me
  • Did you observe a bedtime this past week? Not really, but better than last week; I went to sleep two nights by 10:30 p.m. or earlier; both of those nights I read before going to sleep. One night, I climbed into bed at 10:40 p.m. I worked on content, and then had to wait for my software to update; otherwise, I would have made it to bed on time. There were three nights that I made it to bed at 11:15 p.m., 11:05 p.m. and 11:20 p.m.; All three nights, I spent some time completing chores, taking my shower, and then went to sleep. The latest night was 11:50 p.m.; I was editing my vlog before turning in for the night. Even though I did not consistently observe my bedtime, I did NO scrolling before going to sleep any night during this week. I am wondering if I should adjust my bedtime.
  • Plan on Friday? Not on Friday, but on Sunday morning.
  • Move by 3 p.m.? Yes, three times; On all three days, I walked outside in my backyard.
  • Do your chosen activity three times per week? I read Choose Joy (3-minute devotions) 4 mornings. I got outside for at least 23 minutes, 3 times this week, for the #Outside23in23 Challenge. 
  • Create a back up slot? Yes, I had two back-up slots on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. I used Wednesday for a little adventure and Thursday morning to film an extra video.
  • Have one big adventure and one little adventure? YES, two of them each. My two big adventures were attending Kaitlyn and Marc’s wedding on Saturday night AND on Thursday night, attending Andrew’s Juried Student Exhibition at SLU’s Art Gallery; then, attending dinner with friends afterwards. For my little adventures, I got a pedicure on Saturday morning, AND on Wednesday night, Barry made it to Hammond, so we went to have a quick dinner at Chipotle (my first time eating at this restaurant).

With completing Rule #7, I finished Part 2 of Tranquility by Tuesday, dear reader. Rules 4-7 are meant to “make good things happen.” I will continue striving to implement all of these rules plus the first three. I am also looking forward to the third part of the book as well as the final two rules which are focusing on wasting less time. I am ALL for using my time wisely. Happiness!

“Committing to fun means the fun happens.” ~ Laura Vanderkam

The rule focused on for Week 6 of the Tranquility by Tuesday challenge was one big adventure, one little adventure. The purpose of this rule is to plan to have one big adventure and one little adventure in your week. According to Laura, “Big adventures require a few hours-something that might fit on a weekend day. A little adventure could take just an hour or so, as long as it’s something out of the ordinary.” The beauty of adding adventures to a weekly schedule provides some excitement to a normally routine-oriented week.

Before the week started, I pondered the planning questions for Rule #6 that Laura sent us on Friday, 24 February and made a plan for the week.

  • What “big adventures” (taking a few hours) would you like to try in the next month? List at least three. Attend my niece’s wedding; attend Romeo and Juliet at the Columbia and dinner afterwards; attend International Honor Society Event with Andrew; go see my friend Shanna perform in her first play; go book shopping at Friends of the Library store
  • What “little adventures” (taking about an hour) would you like to try in the next month? List at least three. Get a pedicure; take a walk around Southeastern campus; have lunch with my friend Sue; have coffee with my friend Tweety; attend an online book-related event for an hour
  • Think about this past week. Did you have any adventures, big or little? What were they? Big Adventure-Apply for passport and lunch with hubby and Daddy on Friday; Little Adventure-Sushi lunch with myself on Thursday after my dentist appointment
  • Now look ahead to next week. What big adventure would you like to have next week? When could you experience this big adventure? Shopping tomorrow (Saturday) with hubby for dress and shoes for my niece’s upcoming wedding
  • What little adventure would you like to have next week? When could you experience this little adventure? I’d like to meet up with my friend Jeff at the bowling alley close to my house. His son bowls for his school and has a game on Wednesday afternoon.
  • What obstacles might keep you from having these adventures? I can’t foresee any obstacles that would prevent me from going shopping. If Jeff can’t make his son’s game or something comes up with my mother-in-law or my children, we won’t get to visit.
  • How can you address these challenges? If I couldn’t go shopping on Saturday for some unforeseen reason, I could use a back-up slot to go during the week. Jeff and I would just have to check our calendars to see if there is another time we could connect if we can’t on Wednesday.

RESULTS

This rule was not difficult to implement because I tend to have big adventures and little adventures sprinkled throughout my schedule. I am a fan of seasonal fun lists, and I love participating in readathons/watchathons. In this particular week, I had two BIG adventures and two LITTLE adventures. Sadly, I did not do as well with a few of the other rules (mainly Rule #1) because I had an extremely busy week related to my content schedule, tech issues, and a doctor’s appointment with a wait that was WAY too long.

REFLECTION

  • What big adventure(s) did you experience this week? Two big adventures this week on the same day; On Saturday around noon, I went shopping with Shelly instead of Barry, so we made it a girls’ day. First, we ate a yummy lunch at Albasha. Then, we visited four stores where I bought two dresses and two pairs of shoes, knowing I could return one dress and one pair of shoes after modeling my purchases for Barry. HA! Later, that evening, Barry and I went to Shelly’s house where we hung out with Shelly, her husband, and Helen to celebrate Helen’s new job. Saturday evening was actually a back-up slot for last week’s rule.
  • What little adventure(s) did you experience this week? Two little adventures this week. I attended the FOMO Book Club Meeting online on Sunday morning to discuss Jamaica Inn (which I didn’t get to finish and still reading). I met my friend Jeff at the bowling alley for a short visit while his son was bowling. My friend Shelly came with me and Jeff’s wife came after work. It was fun visiting and catching up. I also attempted to help Jeff with setting up his blog. We were not very successful because of the technology he was using, and it was hard to concentrate in the bowling alley.
  • What effects did you see in your life from doing something out of the ordinary? It definitely enriches my life to add adventures into my schedule. It breaks up the normal routine.
  • What challenges, if any, did you face while implementing this week’s strategy? Did anything make it difficult for you to plan adventures into your life, or to have the adventures you planned? No challenges; I just make sure to block out the time for my adventures as if they are appointments. That mindset helps me keep those adventures since they are on my calendar.
  • How did you address these challenges? n/a
  • If you modified this rule, how did you do so? n/a
  • How likely are you to continue planning big and little adventures into your life? Very likely, considering I have already pretty much been doing this all of my life; I try to make a point of having both weekly ever since I did this study back in the spring of 2021.
  • Did you observe a bedtime this past week? Not really! It was a crazy week for me. I went to sleep three nights by 10:30 p.m. or earlier; two nights, I climbed into bed at 11:30 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.; Unfortunately, I went to bed at 1:00 a.m. the night I hosted my wrap-up sprints for Folklore February. I had a Book Club meeting I was hosting right before the sprints, so that’s why sprints were scheduled for 8:30 that evening; On Thursday, I went to bed at 2:00 a.m. because of tech issues with my Old School April Announcement video that was due to release on Friday. I had improv class prior to the tech debacle; otherwise, I would not have been up so late. Even though, I did not observe my bedtime as great as I have been, at least I did NO scrolling before going to sleep any night during this week. I worked on book reviews (Goodreads/Instagram)/content two nights, read two nights, and hung out with friends another night (showered once home and went straight to bed). 
  • Plan on Friday? YES, but this week on Saturday morning; I’m getting closer to planning on Friday.
  • Move by 3 p.m.?  Yes, but only two days; Friday-Walked & talked to my hubby for 15 minutesTuesday-Walked 10 minutes around my backyard.
  • Do your chosen activity three times per week? I read Choose Joy (3-minute devotions) 6 mornings. I got outside for at least 23 minutes only 1 time this week for the #Outside23in23 Challenge. It was Tuesday. I walked before 3 p.m. and later went out for 15 minutes to take photos of two of my books (recently completed) to post on Instagram.
  • Create a back-up slot? Yes, I had two back-up slots on Monday and Wednesday afternoons which I used both afternoons for editing.

Rule #6: One Big Adventure, One Little Adventure is one of my favorite rules because I love having adventures. Honestly, life is an adventure. There is always something enjoyable to do to make your days feel adventurous. There are only three rules left to implement. Next week’s rule is all about making time (at least one night) for yourself. Happiness!

“Adventures make life memorable, and memories can make time feel more rich and full.” ~ Laura Vanderkam

Note: Photo at the top is by Kevin Malik on Pexels.com.

The rule focused on for Week 5 of the Tranquility by Tuesday challenge was create a back-up slot. The purpose of this rule is to allot some open time in your schedule in case you have to reschedule an activity or work assignment. Laura Vanderkam states in a blog post about this rule, “Whenever something matters to you, designate more times in your schedule than you plan to use.” I really like this rule a great deal because it provides a safety net to ensure important tasks get done, planned personal activities can happen, and it allows for some flexibility if something fun unexpectedly crops up.

Before the week started, I pondered the planning questions for Rule #5 that Laura sent us on Friday, 17 February and made a plan for the week.

  • Think back over the past week. Have you had to skip something fun or important because something else came up? What was the priority and what came up? Yes. I had to skip breakfast with two of my friends, so my Daddy and I could take care of getting our passports. I had to apply for my first passport, and he had to renew his passport. We are traveling to Sicily in September. With the amount of time it currently takes to process passports and the amount of time you have to have a passport before traveling to Sicily, we had a short window of opportunity to get this done. In addition, because of the following week’s commitments for both of us and the Mardi Gras holidays, Friday was the only day we could go together to complete this task.
  • Look to the upcoming week. When could you build at least two hours of open space into your life? Identify a primary spot. Identify a secondary spot. primary spot – Thursday in between dentist appointment and improv class; secondary spot – Friday
  • What challenges might keep you from building open space into your life? Right now, none. I’m in a unique postion since I’m not working and can adjust my schedule as needed.
  • How can you address these challenges? n/a
  • If life went perfectly, what would you use your open time for? I’d like to say I would do something fun; however, I would more than likely use the time to complete unfinished chores/tasks or create more content for my YouTube channel or blog. I’d like to read more since I sometimes have trouble finding big chunks of time to read.

RESULTS

Honestly, this rule was easy, and I completed it with no issues. Additionally, I successfully completed the other four rules. I really like the flexibility of this rule. If I do not need my back-up slot because life goes perfectly, I like the idea of using the open slots to make progress on tasks that have been simmering on the back burner for awhile. The only drawback I can see with creating a back-up slot is that it could potentially lead to procrastination which I like to do from time to time. HA! However, I have been pretty busy lately that I have not had the opportunity to procrastinate which is a good thing.

REFLECTION

  • When were the back-up slots that you built into your schedule? I actually had fours back-up slots. Tuesday evening (2 hours); Thursday afternoon (4 1/2 hours); Friday (pretty much all day/evening); Saturday evening (4 hours)
  • What effects did you see in your life from building open space into your schedule? First of all, I felt less pressure on Wednesday to edit when I had to end up taking care of some financial stuff and run a few errands. I knew I had a back-up slot to edit (Friday). I was able to help my friend’s daughter Claire with a school assignment on Tuesday evening for one of the two hours which left the other hour for me. Since I did not need to make anything up on Thursday afternoon, I used the time to read Tranquility by Tuesday and work on content for my channel/blog. And, Friday night my open slot was spent with my hubby watching tv; Saturday night I used the open slot to spend with my hubby and friends to celebrate our friend Helen getting a new job. So, I did end up having some fun with the extra time after all.
  • What challenges did you face while implementing this week’s strategy? None!
  • How did you address these challenges? n/a
  • If you needed to modify this rule, how did you do so? n/a
  • How likely are you to continue creating back-up slots in your life? Very likely
  • Did you observe a bedtime this week? YES! I went to sleep five nights by 10:30 p.m. or earlier; the other two nights, I climbed into bed at 10:35 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.; I continue to improve with getting to bed on time most nights. I did NO scrolling before going to sleep any night during this week. I worked on book reviews (Goodreads/Instagram) one night, read five nights, and hung out with friends another night (late night). Winding down routine is improving!
  • Plan on Friday? YES, but again on Sunday morning. At least I am planning before Monday morning.
  • Move by 3 p.m.? YES! My goal was to move by 3 p.m. at least three days during the week, and I moved 4 times this week. Monday-Walked 10 minutes; Tuesday-Walked & talked to my hubby for 15 minutes (threw toy to Luna periodically); Wednesday-Walked and talked with Simon for 25 minutes (threw toy to Luna periodically); Thursday-Walked Tooty for 15 minutes
  • Do your chosen activity three times? YES for both activities! I read Choose Joy (3-minute devotions) 5 mornings. I got outside for at least 23 minutes 4 times this week for the #Outside23in23 Challenge. Some of the time was when I walked outside to move before 3 p.m. On Tuesday, I actually edited outside from 9:20 a.m. until 12:05 p.m. and did my walk and talk for 15 minutes when my hubby called me. It was a beautiful day, so I took advantage of the change in scenery.

Participating in this challenge almost feels like it is becoming a habit, dear reader. I am thoroughly enjoying reading Tranquility by Tuesday and having a terrific time trying out these rules a second time around. There are only four rules left to implement. Next week’s rule is all about adventures. You know me, I love adventures. Happiness!

“Anyone can make a perfect schedule. Time-management masters make resilient schedules.” ~ Laura Vanderkam

Note: Photo at the top is by Jess Bailey Designs on Pexels.com.

The rule focused on for Week 4 of the Tranquility by Tuesday challenge was three times a week is a habit. The purpose of this rule is to devote more time to activities that will enrich your life. These activities may be hobbies, spending quality time with others, or developing a spiritual practice. According to Laura Vanderkam, “Anything that happens three times a week has a solid place in our lives.” She also believes that “if you’re already doing something one or two times per week, you can get to three.”

I am pretty excited about this rule because there are several activities I want to incorporate in my life. Exercise being at the top of my list. For the purposes of this challenge, I am starting small with this rule.

Before the week started, I pondered the planning questions for Rule #4 that Laura sent us on Friday, 10 February and made a plan for the week.

  • Think of some activities you’d like to do more frequently in your life. Exercise, Blog, Scrapbook, #Outside23in23, Read Choose Joy Devotions
  • Choose one specific activity to focus on for the next week. I actually chose two activities, #Outside23in23 and reading devotions from Choose Joy.
  • When did you last do this activity? I have been doing both activities sporadically since January. We were at the beach, so I walked on the beach, collecting seashells. The last time I read from Choose Joy was on Wednesday, 02/08.
  • Looking forward to this next week, when could this happen? List at least three times. My three times would work best between Monday and Friday.
  • What obstacles might prevent you from doing this activity three times a week? As always, ME. Both activities are easily doable and do not require much effort.
  • How can you address these challenges? I want to combine #Outside23in23 with Move by 3 p.m. I am planning to use this as a transition between tasks, sort of like a brain break. I generally like to read in bed while drinking my morning coffee, so my Choose Joy book will be set on my night stand, so I can read my devotion first before reading something else.

RESULTS

I am very excited to share that I not only completed Rule #4 successfully, but I also completed the other three rules for this week. I find I am being more intentional with my time. I am also incorporating the Strategy of Pairing with some activities. For example, if someone calls me, I pop my earpiece in my ear and do a walk and talk. If the weather is nice, I can go outside as well.

REFLECTION

  • What activity did you choose to focus on three times this week? #Outside23in23 and read devotions from Choose Joy
  • Did you spend more time on your chosen activity this week than in previous weeks? Yes
  • If so, how much more time did you spend on it? I got outside three days and read Choose Joy four days.
  • What was the impact of aiming to do this activity three times per week? Doing both activities brought more joy to my day. Reading the passage from Choose Joy in the morning set the intention for the day and getting outside helped me transition between tasks more smoothly. On Friday, we were at the beach, so I went outside after breakfast and walked the beach, collecting seashells. Then, I sat for a few minutes and enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells of the beach. It was so relaxing to start my day that way.
  • What challenges, if any, affected your ability to do this activity three times this week? Honestly, I had no challenges. I think in part because both activities were easy to do in the midst of my crazy schedule.
  • How did you address these challenges? n/a
  • Did you need to modify this rule to work for you? No
  • How likely are you to continue doing this activity three times per week? Very likely; as I get more organized with my time and home environment, I will consider implementing this rule with the other activities I want to do more often (exercise, blog, scrapbook). I feel confident that with Daylight Saving Time being just around the corner, I will be incorporating more exercise in my 168 hours.
  • Did you observe a bedtime this past week? YES! I went to sleep four nights by 10:30 p.m. or earlier; the other three nights, I climbed into bed at 10:35 p.m., 10:45 p.m., and 11:15 p.m.; I am doing much better; however, I did scroll on social media for 15 minutes after editing my video the night I went to bed at 11:15 p.m. Thankfully, it was only 15 minutes. Otherwise, I either read (3 nights) or prepared for the next day, having read beforehand.
  • Plan on Friday? YES, kind of! I actually planned on Sunday morning. We were traveling home on Friday, and I proctored the ACT early Saturday morning. I still planned and put it on paper.
  • Move by 3 p.m. most days? YES! My goal was to move by 3 p.m. at least three days during the week. I paired this with #Outside23in23. On Friday morning, I was walking on the beach. On Tuesday (1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.) and Thursday (9:25 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.), I walked Tooty.

Overall, dear reader, I am excited about my results. I am making more of an effort to incorporate these strategies throughout the week. I have to remind myself that this challenge is NOT about perfection. It is about being more aware of where my time is being spent and being more intentional in how I am spending it. In addition, it is making me more aware of the activities I am doing daily, weekly, monthly. Time tracking along with doing the Tranquility by Tuesday Challenge has also been extremely beneficial. It feels like a daily habit now. Finding success this week with these four rules has been a HUGE happiness boost, and I am looking forward to next week’s rule. Happiness!

“Things don’t have to happen daily, nor do they have to happen at the same time every day, in order to count in our lives.” ~ Laura Vanderkam

It is my first reading wrap up of 2023, and I am late writing about what I read in January. Back in January, I announced that my goal on Goodreads for this year is 75 books. I completed only one book in the month of January and that was No Exit by Taylor Adams. It was FANTASTIC! This suspenseful psychological thriller was chosen for the Chills, Thrills, & Kills Book Club that I host with my friend Kelsi. It was the perfect winter read to start off the new year. I found it engrossing, action-packed, and at times, quite brutal.

Darby Thorne is attending college in Colorado. The story begins with her heading home to be with her dying mom in Utah. Due to an intense snowstorm, she is forced to make an unexpected detour to a remote rest stop in the Colorado Rockies. There, she encounters four strangers, who seem to be experiencing a similar fate. Shortly after arriving, she makes a horrifying discovery that will forever change her life. Now, it becomes a race against the clock to not only save herself, but to also attempt to save a total stranger. I loved it! I loved the setting (cold and isolated), Darby (flawed but strong), and the intensity throughout the entire story. What a terrific introduction to Taylor Adams! 5-star read for me.

Although I only completed one book in the month of January, I began the new year reading quite a bit. I started five other books for various projects I am participating in for this year. Except for Stardust (finished in February), I am currently still reading the books on the following list.

  • Stardust by Neil Gaiman (Cozy Cottage Book Club – January)
  • The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F%#k by Mark Manson (Buddy Read with sister Rachel)
  • Tranquility by Tuesday by Laura Vanderkam (#20 on 23 for 2023 List; participating in the Tranquility by Tuesday Challenge)
  • Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley (Year of Christie project)
  • Choose Joy: 3-Minute Devotions for Women by Barbour Books (on my 23 Books to Read in 2023 List)

Overall, dear reader, I am pleased with where I am at with my reading in 2023. February has been a terrific reading month because of Folklore February, my very first readathon I hosted on my channel. I look forward, sometime in the next couple of weeks, to share everything I read for Folklore February as well as what I read for other reading events throughout February. My book club selection for February is The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay. To see my current book reviews or books I have read in the past, follow me on Goodreads at Katherine Loyacano. Happiness!

“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.” ~ Mortimer J. Adler

The rule focused on for Week 3 of the Tranquility by Tuesday challenge was Move by 3 p.m. The purpose of this rule is to move by 3 p.m. by doing some form of physical activity for at least 10 minutes in the first half of the day (Monday-Sunday). Laura Vanderkam leaves it up to you how you move, but many of her suggestions are fitness-related activities (push-ups, sit-ups, walking, bicep curls, etc.). However, running around the yard with your dog or child can count as well. Personally, I think anything that requires your body to move, including grocery shopping, vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, etc. can also count for this rule.

Vanderkam acknowledges this rule may not work for everyone; however, she states in a blog post, “Even if you get no other activity, building in a 10 minute walk break will allow you to focus for the rest of the workday. Choosing to move in the first half of the day means the day is less likely to get away from you.”

Is 10 minutes before 3 p.m. worth it? Well, 150 minutes per week of aerobic activity is the current health recommendation. You are almost halfway there with the daily 10 minutes before 3 p.m., so if you add another 11.5 minutes later in the day, you could hit the 150 minutes per week mark. Take it even a step further and go outside, add a few more minutes, and you can count it for Gretchen Rubin’s #Outside23in23 which is a perfect way to use the Strategy of Pairing to achieve those two goals.

Before the week started, I pondered the planning questions for Rule #3 that Laura sent us on Friday, 03 February and made a plan for the week.

  • On average, how much exercise do you currently do per week? When do you exercise and what kind of exercise do you do? Sadly, I am currently NOT exercising – ZERO, ZILCH, NADA
  • What sort of physical activity could you do for 10 minutes before 3 p.m. during an average day? Walk. I love walking, especially by myself while listening to a podcast.
  • Think about today: When could you do this activity today? Between 10:00-1:00 (Friday)
  • How about tomorrow? When could you do this activity tomorrow? Morning would be best. Ideally, I’d like to go walk after my cup of coffee, but before breakfast.
  • What challenges might keep you from building more physical activity into your life? ME
  • How can you address these challenges? I would really need to plan this 10-minute break into my schedule, but even then I’m not sure if I will honor it because it really depends on how involved I am in whatever I am working on at that moment in time.

RESULTS

I did awful with this rule. I did not plan on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. I lived by my calendar and a to-do list if I even made one. I knew I was going out of town on Thursday, so I used every moment to get videos filmed and edited while prepping for an audition, and completing other necessary tasks. Now, that does not mean I did not move on a couple of evenings. On Thursday evening, Barry and I walked on the beach for about an hour before we went to dinner.

REFLECTION

  • About how much exercise did you get this week? When did you do this and how much did you do? One day on Sunday from 9:00-10:00 if you count grocery shopping at Walmart on Sunday. I did walk on the beach for an hour with Barry on the night we arrived at the beach (this was not before 3 p.m.).
  • What effects did you see in your life from moving by 3 p.m. most days? None, because I failed at this rule in the context of setting a specific 10 minutes per day to be physically active before 3 p.m.
  • What challenges did you face in implementing this week’s strategy? My only challenge is myself and my lack of planning. Honestly, I really didn’t give this rule a second thought this week with everything I had going on as well as preparing for my overnight trip out of town.
  • How did you deal with these challenges? n/a
  • If you needed to modify this rule, how did you do so? I guess I modified it by including grocery shopping as a physical activity. HA!
  • How likely are you to continue to move by 3 p.m.? Highly unlikely; however, instead of 7 days per week, I may strive for at least 3 days per week. No promises.
  • Did you plan on Fridays? Unfortunately, NO.
  • Did you observe a bedtime this week? YES! And, I feel like I am continuing to improve with this rule. On all 7 nights, I was ready for sleep by 11:20 (only 2 nights I read before lights out; 1 night I watched YouTube videos; 1 night I was posting a book picture on Instagram; 1 night I was doing some chores; 1 night I took my shower and went straight to bed; and the night at the beach I was downloading video clips from our traveling adventures onto my iPad). I did NO mindless scrolling on social media on any of the nights before lights out. Overall, better than the first week as far as scrolling on social media; my winding down routine is still a work in progress, and I was asleep no later than 11:20PM.

With completing Rule #3, I finished Part 1 of Tranquility by Tuesday, dear reader. I still believe planning on Fridays is the key, so I will try harder with this rule. I will still continue working on giving myself a bedtime, and I will try to move by 3 p.m. at least three times during the week. These first three rules are meant to “calm the chaos.” I am looking forward to the second part of the book as well as the next four rules. Happiness!

“Committing to move by 3 p.m. also nudges you to pay attention to how your energy ebbs and flows during the day, and the control you can exercise over your energy levels.” ~ Laura Vanderkam

The rule focused on for Week 2 of the Tranquility by Tuesday challenge was Plan on Fridays. The purpose of this rule is to set aside 20 minutes on a Friday afternoon to consider how you want to spend your upcoming week (Monday-Sunday). Laura mentions, “when the session occurs depends on personal preference” (38). However, if you do not already have a designated planning time or a preference, she recommends Fridays because most people are wrapping up a week instead of starting something new. Monday mornings are more productive because whatever is on the schedule can be attended to first thing in the morning. Weekends can be tentatively planned a week ahead and upgraded if necessary. And, the Sunday scaries can be kept at bay because last minute planning the night before will not cause unnecessary anxiety, especially if someone has to be reached to schedule an appointment first thing Monday morning.

After assessing your commitments, think about what you want to achieve with the time you have left in your time bank for the week. Remember, we all start with 168 hours. Laura suggests making a list with three categories (career, relationships, and self) and listing a few items under each category that you want to do when your schedule allows the time. The items on this list are important; however, they are not urgent. You want to do them even if you do not have to do them. This is also where creating a List of 100 Dreams can come in handy.

Back in 2019, I created a List of 100 Dreams. This activity can be found in Laura’s book, 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think as well as in this chapter of Tranquility by Tuesday (pages 53-55). I actually enjoy making lists, and making this particular list was invigorating because it includes all the things you want to experience or want to add to your life. Like her list of planning categories on Fridays, Laura suggests dividing your list of 100 dreams into the same three categories: career, relationships, and self. I highly recommend this activity.

Before the week started, I pondered the planning questions for Rule #2 that Laura sent us on Friday, 27 January and made a plan for the week.

  • What does your planning look like now? I plan sporadically; usually on Saturday or Sundays, more so on Sundays when I plan a schedule; unfortunately, there are some weeks where I just follow what is in my monthly planner
  • This rule is about creating a designated weekly planning time. When, approximately, can you schedule a weekly planning time into your life? If you are planning to use Fridays, when on Friday generally works? Friday or Saturday mornings
  • How much time do you think it will take to plan the week? at least 30 minutes, maybe longer
  • What benefits do you think you would see (or do you see) from a designated weekly planning time? It allows you to be a better steward of your time. You can make more time for what is important to you.
  • What obstacles might keep you from a regular planning practice? Unexpected things can crop up during the planning time, especially in the afternoon. There is also the possibility that I will just forget because I’m occupied with something else.
  • How can you address these challenges? For me, I will strive for Friday mornings; however, Saturday morning will be my back up planning time.

RESULTS

The first step I took was creating my list of things I wanted to do for the week. While I am not currently working a job outside my home, I still have skills I am working on towards career goals.

  • Career: 1) Create Youtube Video 2) Learn StreamYard
  • Relationships: 1) Buddy Read with Sister 2) Lunch with Sue
  • Self: 1) Eye Appointment 2) Improv Class

Then, I used different colored pens to write my commitments and the activities I wanted to do for the week on my weekly planning page. Using the colored pens make planning a bit more fun. It adds a bit of whimsy.

REFLECTION

On Thursday I received reflection questions from Laura to review how well I did with planning on Fridays.

  • How did planning on Friday (or your chosen planning day) affect your week? Planning on Friday really made the week run more smoothly.
  • What challenges did you face while implementing this week’s strategy? I had no problems implementing this week’s strategy, partly because I knew I was participating in this challenge. However, it did take me longer than 20 minutes.
  • How did you deal with these challenges? n/a
  • Did you need to modify this rule? If so, how? The way my planning page is set up, I planned Sunday-Saturday instead of Monday-Sunday.
  • How likely are you to continue to plan on Fridays? Very likely; however, I will designate Fridays for planning (preferably in the morning with Saturday mornings as a back up.
  • Did you observe a bedtime this past week? Somewhat. On 5 nights, I was ready for sleep by 11:30 (4 nights I read before lights out; 1 night I watched tv). On the other two nights, I either scrolled on social media (Tuesday) or worked on a video (Thursday). Of course, I had improv on Thursday night, and I worked on a video after my shower. Overall, better than the previous week as far as my winding down routine and reading before sleep.

Two rules down and seven more to go, dear reader. Remembering to plan on Fridays will be the key. I will also continue working on giving myself a bedtime. Both of these rules take a small amount of organizing and require strategies within themselves to prompt reminding me to implement them. At least, for me anyway. As with developing any new habit, it takes a little time, plenty of commitment, and a whole lot of patience. I keep striving towards making life better by being a good steward of time. Happiness!

“As for feeling tired and distracted, remember that planning work takes less energy than actually doing the tasks you’re planning. It is far easier to write “call three prospective clients” in a planner than to actually call those clients. That Friday-afternoon fatigue is precisely why this is a good time for planning.” ~ Laura Vanderkam, Tranquility by Tuesday

Note: Photo at the top is by Content Pixie on Pexels.com.

The rule focused on for Week 1 of the Tranquility by Tuesday challenge was Give Yourself a Bedtime. I knew from the start that committing to a bedtime was going to be tough for me. Since the beginning of the new year, I have been going to bed whenever I feel like it, and sometimes it has been 1:00 in the morning by the time I climb into bed for my evening slumber. I no longer have an established morning routine, and I rarely set an alarm since leaving my instructional coaching job, but I manage to get enough sleep.

Laura mentioned (in a recent blog post about Rule #1) that she chose it first “because it’s important to get enough sleep and a regular bedtime gives structure to the day.” I could not agree more and was happy to start with this rule because as I mentioned in my post, “My RESULTS of the 2023 Time Tracking Challenge,” I want a more structured daily routine (M-F), especially in the mornings and throughout the day. 

Before the week started, I pondered the planning questions for Rule #1 that Laura sent us on Friday, 20 January and made a plan for the week.

  • What time would you like to wake up most mornings? 6:00 AM
  • About how many hours of sleep do you need on an average night? 7 hours
  • What time do you generally need to be in bed in order to get this amount of sleep? 11:00 PM
  • About how much time do you need before your bedtime to relax and get ready? 30 minutes
  • What might keep you from going to bed at your bedtime? working on video projects for my YouTube channel
  • How do you plan to address these challenges? no idea

RESULTS

    I am thrilled that I continued time tracking along with this challenge because I averaged 7.5 hours of sleep not 7 hours. This is huge because I now have to readjust the time I start winding down and going to sleep by a half hour or decide to wake up at 6:30 instead of 6:00 in the morning.

    My time tracking log also revealed the reasons for staying up later than 11:00 PM. On Friday night, I showered at 10:30 and from 11:00-11:45, I played on my phone, scrolling through social media. On Monday night, I showered at 10:15 and from 10:35-11:30, I edited a video. On Tuesday night, I showered at 8:45 and from 9:15-11:45, I was either scrolling on social media or watching YouTube videos. On Thursday night, I attended my improv class from 6:00-8:00; showered at 9:25, and from 9:50-11:50, I edited a video.

    REFLECTION

    On Thursday I received reflection questions from Laura to review how well I did with giving myself a bedtime. I did not go to sleep one single night at 11:00 PM. I missed the mark EVERY single night. Boy, do I have my work cut out for me!

    • How did observing a bedtime affect you this week? more conscious of trying to go to bed on time
    • What challenges did you face in implementing this week’s strategy? me (only see this after reviewing my time tracking log)
    • How did you deal with these challenges? sadly, I didn’t deal with it, but I can from this point on
    • If you were not able to observe a bedtime, what prevented you from doing so? getting sucked into playing on my phone (effortless fun) and continuing to work on my videos past my bedtime
    • If you needed to modify the rule, how did you do so? n/a
    • How likely are you to continue observing a bedtime? very likely; I need to take this rule more seriously

    Additionally, I realized that I do NOT have a good winding down routine. I did try to set an alarm to stop working on Monday night; however, when the alarm went off, I was right in the middle of what I was working on and did not want to stop. I still think an alarm is effective; however, I will need to set it for at least 15 minutes earlier than the time I ideally want to stop and start winding down before bedtime. I also think I need some sort of transition to signal my brain that it is time to wind down for the evening. Of course, this will take trial and error over the next few weeks.

    Participating in this challenge has been enjoyable, dear reader. I am discovering some interesting information about myself. This is definitely a know yourself better experiment. Going forward with Rule #1, I need to readjust my bedtime if I want to wake up at 6:00 AM, be more intentional with observing a regular bedtime (set a timer), create a transition to wind down before bed, and eliminate phone time prior to winding down. With a bit of practice and the right attitude, I really think I can make giving myself a bedtime a good habit. Happiness!

    “If you would like to experience the additional energy and optimism that comes from being well rested, choose a time that you would like to go to sleep more nights than not. Then, commit to getting in bed by that time unless you have a compelling reason not to.” ~ Laura Vanderkam, Tranquility by Tuesday

    Note: Photo at the top is by Kristin Vogt on Pexels.com.

    Once upon a time, dear reader, Kat came up with the idea to host her very first readathon on her channel, Kat’s Novel Adventures. With tender care and lots of hard work, that idea soon blossomed into a month-long adventure of reading folktales, fairy tales, and fables. That whimisical adventure starts tomorrow, February 1st.

    I have had a blast planning the reading prompts, creating graphics and thumbnails, choosing the books I want to read throughout the month, and seeing the books others in the booktube community are planning to read for this event. Many of the books I will be reading are picture books which I absolutely adore reading. I have a middle grade retelling on my list called Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin. It is based on the Brothers Grimm’s tale, “Snow-White and Rose-Red.” Fairy Tale by Stephen King is also on my list. Even though it is a dark fantasy thriller, it does include fairy tale elements. I am super excited about my pile of possibilities for the month.

    Dear reader, if you are interested in joining me for Folklore February, I have a graphic with the reading prompts as well as a graphic where you can keep track of the books you read throughout the month on the highlights section on my Instagram, katherineloyacano. I will also include the reading prompts below. Additionally, not all nine prompts require reading, but instead encourage watching folktales, fairy tales, and fables. I am planning to watch Guillermo del Toro’s Pinnochio. It was released on Netflix on December 9th.

    Folklore February Prompts

    • Read a Folktale.
    • Read a Fairy Tale by Hans Christian Andersen.
    • Read a Fairy Tale by the Brothers Grimm.
    • Read a Fable.
    • MOOD READ or WATCH
    • Read or Watch a Retelling of a folktale, fairytale, or fable.
    • Read a Fractured Fairy Tale. Read a Folktale from a country other than your own.
    • Watch a screen adaptation of your favorite folktale, fairy tale, or fable.

    To kick off Folklore February, I am having my first livestream on my channel that will include reading sprints. Basically, sprints are designed to give you time for reading or other productivity tasks. The sprints will begin at 4pm CT. In between sprints, we will chat and see how everyone is using their time. My goal is to do 3 sets of sprints, starting with 30 minutes for the first sprint. If you have never done sprints, dear reader, I encourage you to join me. They are a great deal of fun and a terrific way to be productive.

    While I am exploring whimsical worlds through folktales, fairy tales, and fables, what will you be reading in the month of February, dear reader? To see my current book reviews or books I have read in the past, follow me on Goodreads at Katherine Loyacano. Happiness!

    “The narrative of so many fairy tales are timeless in so many different cultures, and they have been since the dawn of man. They represent escapism, but they all feature themes that have such poignancy in a modern world.” ~ Lily Cole

    I know I am a tad bit late, dear reader, with sharing all of the books I read in December; however, I want to complete my year in books for 2022. December was another outstanding reading month for me! I completed books and 3 short stories in the month of December, finished Melissa’s 7th Grade Book Challenge, fulfilled one prompt for Cloak and Dagger Christmas, and completed the Christmas Evil Readathon. I completed a total of 75 books in 2022!

    Since I quadruple dipped with one book for the different challenges, I will wrap up the month by Readathons instead of my normal categories. Needless to say, I successfully read a nonfiction book, several children’s literature books (#Read21in2021 Challenge), and a book written by Stephen King for Year of King. We did not have a selection in December for my Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club.

    #Book Challenge & Cloak and Dagger Christmas

    I read two terrific books to fulfill the last three prompts to complete Melissa’s 7th Grade Book Challenge.

    • Read a Book Suggested by Mrs. Morrison (Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige )
    • Read a Book That Has a Mystery to Solve (Crooked House by Agatha Christie)
    • Read a Book a Classmate Suggested to You (Crooked House by Agatha Christie)

    Dorothy Must Die is a YA novel and a retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It is also the first book in the Dorothy Must Die trilogy. It was a 4-star read for me. Crooked House is an adult mystery and one of Agatha Christie’s standalone novels. This book was suggested to me by my friend Amy to read for this challenge, and it did not disappoint. Definitely a 5-star read! I also used it to fulfill one prompt for Cloak and Dagger Christmas, which was 3 French Hens: Read a Translated Work or from a Different Country from Your Own. Crooked House begins in Egypt and takes place in England.

    Christmas Evil Readathon

    Kelsi co-hosted the Christmas Evil Readathon on her channel alongside four other co-hosts (Crystal, Katrina, Michelle, and Kelly) on their channels. I completed the entire board! Woo-Hoo! This readathon was super fun and had so many additional activities happening throughout the entire month of December (movie nights on Discord, picture prompts, a virtual Christmas party).

    • Black Xmas (Witches Copse by Math Bird)
    • Krampus (The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil by Al Ridenour)
    • A Christmas Carol (The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand)
    • A Gifted Book (It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies! A Book of Christmas Carols by Michael P. Spradlin)
    • Mood Read (“Little Monsters” and “Dinner is served!” from Christmas Evil by Mark L’Estrange)
    • Slay Bells (Crooked House by Agatha Christie)
    • Winter Wonderland (The Shining by Stephen King)
    • Santa’s Little Helper (Dead Voices by Katherine Arden)
    • Reindeer Ride (“The Adventures of the Blue Carbuncle” by Arthur Conan Doyle)

    Dear reader, if you want to hear more about my thoughts on any of the books I read in the Christmas Evil Readathon, please check out my YouTube channel, Kat’s Novel Adventures. In addition to my December Reading Wrap Up, I have two more videos where I share my thoughts on the other books I read in December along with more bookish content.

    Year of King

    Kelsi and I chose The Shining for December. This wonderful novel was a reread for me, and I enjoyed revisiting it so much. The Shining was also the last book for our Year of King project.

    After losing his teaching job, Jack Torrance, a recovering alcoholic, secures the winter caretaker position at the Overlook Hotel. His wife and young son will join him. It seems like a fresh start the aspiring writer and his family need; however, the hotel has an unsavory past and a penchant for preying on the vunerable.

    The Shining is one of my favorite Stephen King novels. It has its ghosts and suspenseful moments, but it is also a story about fear, addiction, loss, love, and redemption. It will always be a 5-star read for me.

    Kelsi and I had a marvelous time discussing The Shining (novel, film adaptation, three-part television series, and documentary called Room 237) on January 15th. Dear reader, you can check out the recording on Kelsi’s YouTube channel.

    January is almost over which is hard to believe since it feels like the new year just started. I took a break from readathons in January, so I could catch my breath after three back-to-back months of intense reading and to prepare for a special project I am hosting in February. I finished No Exit by Taylor Adams for my book club. I am currently reading Stardust by Neil Gaiman for the Cozy Cottage Book Club and really enjoying it. I am also reading Tranquility by Tuesday by Laura Vanderkam and participating in her Tranquility by Tuesday Challenge. My sister and I are buddy reading The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach To Living A Good Life. We are currently on Chapter 3: “You are Not Special” which we will be discussing this Sunday evening, 29 January.

    Speaking of this Sunday, Kelsi and I are having a live chat on Sunday, 29 January at 2PM CT to wrap up our Year of King. This project was a super fun collaboration between Kelsi and me. I loved revisiting King’s classics and discovering new stories along the way.

    Thanks, dear reader, for stopping by and reading another long bookish post. I am hoping to share my February reading project with you very soon. February will be a whimsical month of reading. To see my current book reviews or books I have read in the past, follow me on Goodreads at Katherine Loyacano. Happiness!

    “Books and doors are the same thing. You open them, and you go through into another world.” ~ Jeanette Winterson

    Marcelo Oleas

    Living Physically and Mentally Fit Over 40

    The Cozy Burrow

    Books, Writing, & The Cozy Life

    In Dianes Kitchen

    Recipes showing step by step directions with pictures and a printable recipe card.

    Conversations on finding and loving who I am

    Let's have an open conversation about life.

    gracethoroughgoodbeauty

    Beauty and lifestyle Blog

    Edge of Humanity Magazine

    An Independent Non-Discriminatory Platform With No Religious, Political, Financial, or Social Affiliations

    HappierHealthier.Blog

    Creative personal growth toward better health and happiness

    Health Matters

    Healthy Living

    The Kat Files

    Finding Adventure in Everyday Life

    Never Alone

    Empowering Oneself

    DeHarts Web Solutions

    Effective Websites Focused on Results

    Get On With It

    Writing and drawings about work, family and the stuff in-between

    theleadlesspencil

    Doing the best that I can, at writing, running and living

    Daniel J Bockman

    Businessman, Author and Speaker

    Li. A. Wake

    Author and Screenwriter

    dastardly.reads

    procrastination.queen

    This West London Life

    Attempting to live a better story ... and scrapbooking it.