Welcome to the Saturday Summary.
What I’ve Posted – Blog Summary
This week, my favorite post is the final one on social prescriptions. If you can only squeeze in one read, pick this one. The first three help us navigate the ups and downs of projects. Enjoy!
A Blank Page. We’ve all been there staring at a page and not knowing how to begin. No ideas. No movement. The first post of the week provides a tip on what to do.
Quit vs. Persist. When we are in the messy middle of a project, it can be hard to tell if we would be better off pushing through or deciding to quit and cut our losses. This post explores the tension.
Persist or Pivot. Tied closely to the prior post, this one provides a third option – pivot. How do we know when moving forward with a slightly different approach might be the right solution.
Book Review: Hate the Game. The title explains this perfectly. While we all may hate some of the rules of life, realize that a game is being played… and play it well.
Social Prescriptions: A New Kind of Medicine. The last post of the week explores the five social prescriptions in the book The Connection Cure.
What I’ve Listened To – PodList
This week, there is a broad mix of topics in the PodList. If you can listen to only one, I would recommend the first one. While the title includes “marketing”, I think this applies to anyone in any profession.
The Marketing Profession is in Danger – Here’s One Solution. 21 minutes. This Old Marketing. Joe Pulizzi outlines why he believes working for someone else is risky right now and how the traditional “good job” model is falling apart in real time. This episode underlines why I’m so passionate about supporting others in becoming a MeEO.
The Science of Recharging on Weekends and Vacations. 30 minutes. TED Talks Daily. With the struggle to use our time off & actually relax, this podcast explores making time off more restorative.
Sheer Willpower Won’t Work If You Want to Change Your Habits. 11 minutes. Optimal Living Daily. This episode talks about how environment, systems, and identity play a greater role in shaping our habits than our willpower.
We Don’t Move On From Grief. 17 minutes. TED Talks Daily. Nora McInerny shares her perspective on shifting how we approach grief. The focus is on losing our loved ones. Yet, I also think there are some points here that apply to the grief experienced in job loss.
Reclaim Your Physical Power. Transform Your Life. 12 minutes. The Next Big Idea Daily. Anne Marie Chaker provides an overview of her book Lift. She wants to change how we think about aging, power, and what our bodies are capable of.
What I’ve Been Up To
On the professional front, I enjoyed a few networking sessions and email conversations with former colleagues. I find it great to catch up, discuss paths our careers have taken, and inspire each other with ideas for our work and life. If you haven’t recently connected with someone who isn’t in your day-to-day life, I highly recommend it.
Outside of work, I watched the Love Island finale and I’m admittedly glad to have a chuck of my life back…. Watching the show is a commitment! I also tried a “non-traditional” home maintenance approach doing laundry, grocery shopping, bills, and cleaning during the weeknights instead of on the weekend. I wanted to explore if keeping those tasks off my weekend made it feel more like a mini vacation. We’ll see what I think in a couple of weeks.
What Do You Think?
What do you think of the five social prescriptions?
Was there a podcast on the list that grabbed your attention?
What did you squeeze in last week to add some enjoyment to your summer?