One of the biggest challenges I faced when I initially started working from home was productivity. When you’re in the comfort of your own home, it’s easy to get distracted and before you know it, you’re looking at an article about a guy who edited Disney characters into his photos. Over time, I’ve learned that integrating some fun distractions into my workday allows me to enjoy my time and still be productive. This month we managed to do just that: get a few important things done while enjoying ourselves.
Watching | Ant-Man & Ant-Man and the Wasp
> Sometimes the key to productivity is allowing yourself a little downtime. We found ourselves faced with that earlier this month and decided to rewatch these Marvel movies. And we’re glad we did. We had forgotten how good Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly are together.
Reading | The Flip Side
> While I have my own political opinions, it’s important to me to understand what others might be thinking. The Flip Side is a FREE daily email that presents both the left and right viewpoints to the top news stories. What I like about this site is that it doesn’t tell you one side is right or wrong. It curates both views and presents them side by side for you to decide. They also explain their curation methodology so you can determine if it meets your standard.
Remembering | Estate Planning
> We haven’t forgotten about this project. Keith recently wrote an article about our estate planning takeaways so far as we update our wills and health care directives. Let me add a 4th takeaway to his list: it takes time. When it comes to budgeting your resources, keep in mind that even updating an existing will does take time.
Working On | Cleaning up digital photos
> One of the things I love about my iPhone is that I can take a picture whenever I want. The downside to this is that I quickly accumulate a lot of pictures! So, I came up with a plan to organize them. My productivity trick is to schedule an hour a day for a few days and before I knew it…photos organized, and project completed.
Feeling | Ready for some cooler weather
> I’m probably not alone in thinking it would be nice for some cooler temperatures right now. While I love sunshine and warmer weather, there’s a point where I’m just, “…on to autumn, please”. I know this year will be tough, given that we’re still trying to practice social distancing but I’m looking forward to wearing sweaters and soup season.
Planning | Flu Shots
> We always get a flu shot. I realize it doesn’t protect us 100% but in my book that’s better than 0%. And I find that if I do catch something, it doesn’t seem to stay with me very long. I’m planning to have a very productive fourth quarter and staying healthy is a necessary part of that plan.
Loving | Jot
> When I work from home (which is all the time these days), I like to enjoy a small cold brew in the afternoons. Helps with my afternoon productivity! I’ve been trying all sorts of cold brew concentrates and recently found Jot Coffee. It comes with a tablespoon for you to measure the perfect amount. Then just add water. BTW – you can turn it into a pumpkin spice cold brew with just a little bit of Coffee Mate pumpkin spice creamer.
Geeking | Peloton Update
> I mentioned last month that we got a Peloton and I thought that I would provide a quick update. We’re both really liking it. We were unsure about the whole notion of “biking in the house” thing but there are hundreds of classes to choose from. We can always find something to fit the mood we’re in. And the most important part? We are regularly getting exercise, which helps with our productivity!
What’s UP with you?
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Anaheim, CA
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