Hello friend,

I hope you've had a good week.

I'll be honest, mine has zoomed by faster than I'd like, so I am planning on slowing things down this weekend. One of the ways I hope to achieve this is by reading (Oliver Burkeman style, as per my latest doodle). I'll also spend a little time on my current cross-stitch project, or maybe make a start on the entrance to my new ACNH island (ahem... secret, middle-aged gamer over here!).

Participating in the August Break photography challenge last month reminded me how important getting creative is for my wellbeing. I wonder if you can relate.

Before we get to the digest, I have a quick question for you.

I’m thinking about bringing back my live, online events this autumn in a slightly different format. I’m considering one-hour online get-togethers where we gather to learn from each other. I’ll share a structure for the session and a few ideas on a sustainable productivity topic to get us started. Then you’ll join a small group to reflect, share strategies, and explore what might work for you.

Would you be interested? Just hit reply to let me know.

Now, here’s your digest…

✏️ Doodle Essays

Here are my doodles and essays from this week: The first is about saying "no", specifically when to say it. The second takes inspiration from Oliver Burkeman, who advises us to avoid information overload by treating our "to read" piles like a river, not a bucket.

💬 Voice Note

I have a new podcast episode for you, too: Could You Benefit From a Thinking Day?

This voice note was recorded on Monday while I was in the middle of my Thinking Day. Please have a listen to find out what that is and why I was doing it.

If you'd like to subscribe to the podcast in your favourite podcast app, you can find instructions here.

📚 Read

Here are some articles from other creators I thought you might enjoy:

Organization: This is an end-of-month recap post from Scott Young, who has been working on organising his home and life. The post includes book recommendations, short learning summaries, and general reflections.
The Logic of the "9 to 5" Is Creeping Into the Rest of the Day: A thought-provoking read from Julie Beck about the link between leisure and labour.

If you're curious about the books I'm reading, you can see my library in Tana here: Library.

📺 Watch

Cal Newport’s recent podcast episode (#368) is really worth a watch (or listen). He responds to the idea that if you want work/life balance, you’re "doomed to mediocrity". I loved Cal’s argument, and I’m keen to explore the concept of personal definitions of success further.