Mixed Signals: The space in between

No. 12 – 27th of September, 2020

Over the last two weeks, we seem to have returned to some normality, and still had enough time left over for a return to a bit of abnormality.

The kids went back to school, then shortly after we went into local lockdown.

After-school clubs started back, then shut down.

We could eat out and go away for the weekend, then we couldn't leave our city.

Generally, I cope well with change.

It's the space in between I struggle with.

Still, having the kids back in school (for now) has given me the space to think, not to mention the time to stay on top of things around the house, to read, and to actually work without distraction (luxury!).

If there's one thing I've got better at this year... it's learning to enjoy what I do have. I'm choosing to be grateful for the space in between.

On with the links...

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📚 Things I've been reading...

+ Vanlife is Just Caravanning with a Hipster Filter. As someone who got their break into digital by running a camping website in the early 2000's, this made me laugh (and nod along throughout).
+ Anne-Laure Le Cunff has some great thoughts on mindful productivity.
+ Courier Magazine. Subscribed a few issues back and have loved every single one. The latest (issue 37) is particularly good.
+ I had 'The Psychology of Money' by Morgan Housel on pre-order. It hasn't disappointed. With help from books by Ramit Seithi and my friend David Sawyer, I've completed changed my outlook on personal finance.

📺 Things I've been watching...

+ Des. The unsettling three part drama about serial killer Dennis Nilsen. Great (but so many ads!).
+ These wonderful free videos on positivity and wellness from BJ Fogg's community.

🎧 Things I've been listening to...

+ I've been raving about Cal Newport's Digitial Minimalism since I read it over the summer, so it was great to hear that he was previous guest on Dr Chatterjee's excellent podcast.
+ Lisa Feldman Barrett on The Knowledge Project. I'll need to listen to this again as it's jammed with loads of incredibly interesting info. I love how Lisa talks about how our bodies respond to certain situations, and how we feel those as 'emotions'.

🧸 Things I've been playing with...

+ The sleep tracking on my new Whoop Strap. For someone who is increasingly sleep-obsessed, this could be dangerous!
+ I initially thought this was just another collection of good-looking websites, but Really Good Stores goes into more detail (+ there's likely more to come from this fab in-house Shopify team).

📝 Things by (or about!) me...

+ A blog post about how busy isn't the problem.
+ An interview by my friend Patric.