Hello friend,

In my last email, I mentioned I was taking a short trip to the UK to run a 10K race through Chester Zoo (which is why you didn't receive a digest last weekend, and I've been quiet on social media).

At this point, I always feel the need to explain that I am not a proper runner because I run slowly, and I'm, ahem, not exactly "built for running"...

However, I will stop myself there because the stories we tell ourselves matter (I am taking my own advice). I've run two 10K races in the space of a month and will be training for a half-marathon next year. I might not run to win, but I am running for my health and wellbeing. Frankly, that's worth celebrating (even if I am still secretly annoyed that exercise actually DOES make everything better as I've spent years avoiding it!)

I share these thoughts not to draw attention to myself and my achievements (awkward), but in case you need to hear it too. So, repeat after me:

We're doing great!

Since I'm already feeling awkward, I'm sharing a before-and-after picture from the race. Before pic = Anxious. After pic = Red-faced, sweaty, bald, and happy! 😄

In other news, I hope you saw my email earlier in the week; if not, I'll provide a quick recap.

I am considering moving this newsletter to Substack (just the newsletter, not my website or any other content), and I would appreciate your thoughts on this approach. If you are not familiar with Substack and are concerned, please be assured that you would still receive the newsletter by email every weekend, so the change would not be significant.

If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to complete my survey. Thank you. I am still in the early stages of considering this move, so your feedback will inform my decision.

Onto the digest...

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✏️ Doodle Essays

My doodles and essays from the past fortnight are shared below.

The first doodle was inspired by a feedback workshop I delivered for a client and explores the idea of praising in public and providing constructive feedback in private. The second shares one of my favourite rules for life: control the controllables.

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📚 Read

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

• ​What is Productivity Guilt? (And How Can You Prevent It?): From Scott Young's archives; I especially liked his reminder that "your starting point is always here".
• ​I Tried Every Todo App and Ended Up With a .txt File: Even though I'm a diehard Todoist gal, I thought this was a great read, and I totally understand the desire for simple productivity systems. Everyone is different, and I love how the author found something that worked for them.

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

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📺 Watch

Here's something to accompany a two-hour deep work session, just in case you need it:

​

If you are looking for healthy lunch ideas, I recommend watching Fayette Nyehn's YouTube shorts. My lunchtime salads this week have been delicious.

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🎧 Listen

Thank you to everyone who recommended podcasts to me. Here are two recent discoveries:

• ​Squiggly Careers (I recently participated in their AI sprint, which was fantastic).
• ​Busy Doing Well (a new show from Kate Horwood).

I highly recommend the most recent full-length episode of the Feel Better, Live More podcast with Dr Rangan Chatterjee. It's an interview with Oliver Burkeman (I'm a huge fan), and I took lots of notes. Keep an eye out for future doodles inspired by this episode.

​This interview (Simon Sinek speaking with Rob Lowe) was a blast, but please be mindful, as there's quite a bit of swearing from the start. If that's not for you, please skip it.

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That's all from me today. Have a great week, and I will be in touch again next weekend.

Best wishes,

Martine

P.S. I currently have capacity for one more short-term coaching client. If you're curious about how it all works, reply to this email and we can have a no-obligation chat.

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Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help:

• ​Coaching: Book a free call to learn more about one-to-one coaching.
• ​Events: Join my practical, online workshops for individuals.
• ​Skill Sessions: Book a one-hour session for your team.
• ​Training: Let’s discuss bringing sustainable productivity to your people.

Read some nice things people have said about working with me here.