1. I make to-do lists to help manage anxiety, but then when they get too long or I don’t check off as many items as I thought I would in a day, I get anxious about that. This system seems genius:
I tend to be very overwhelmed and demoralized by what I have to do, so I created a system where I have a list of things that require a lot of mental bandwith and a list of things I can do at the end of the day when my energy is depleted. There’s an easy column and a hard one. My daily goal, which is ridiculously low, is one item from each category. On most days I will do well more than [that], but I find it useful to set the bar really low in order to not get demoralized.
If it’s before lunch time and I’ve already done one from each column, then I find that motivating and get more done. But if I set a less achievable goal of 3-4 from each column, I’d halfway through the day realize that this wouldn’t happen and then it’s like “well, I broke my diet, so I might as well have two beers and chocolate cake” type of situation.
(From Rad Family, via Jocelyn Glei’s newsletter)
2. I’ve been on a 70s kick (more on that later) and these photos of NYC parks in the summer of 1978 are fantastic, even if the article gets a little excited in places. Scenes Unseen: The Summer of ’78