Spending energy to get energy.
Plus: really good Amazon finds, jewelry storage, that butter yellow trend!
Hi, hi!
It is getting hot in Charleston and my motivation to do anything is waning. It’s never work that is the problem, it’s all the other stuff. Exercising, moving my body… honestly? Leaving the house! I just want to hide out in the AC, lounge, and be a couch creature.
I am built for comfort, not speed. I like long walks and yoga. I like exercise as a social activity. But mostly I do it because of how I feel afterward and because I know it is good for me. More of an “eating your vegetables” thing than something I bound out of bed looking forward to (I am so jealous of those people!). Anyway, add to that the ninety degree heat and intense humidity and I am not feeling so motivated.
I saw something in my (beloved) James Clear newsletter that I found really helpful and am going to put it into practice over the weekend and next week.
"One of life's counterintuitive lessons is that you will often gain energy by spending a little bit of energy.
When you feel lethargic and like you want to lay around all day, it is usually the case that getting up and moving will make you feel better than simply sitting around. Getting outside for 10 minutes or doing the first set of a workout or simply stretching on the floor for a moment — anything to get your body moving — will often leave you feeling more energized.
If you want to get your day going, then get your body going. It's harder for the mind to be sluggish when the body is moving."
Good advice, right? Kind of along the lines of “just begin!" I also think about the idea of inertia. Inertia is the tendency of objects in motion to stay in motion and objects at rest to stay at rest, unless a force causes its speed or direction to change. Be the force!
(On that note, I sometimes feel like I am a walking ad for James Clear but his advice is always just so spot on, at least it is for me. Simple, practical, powerful! I love his book and featured it on my list of life-changing reads).
I hope your week is winding down nicely. It has been slow and steady over here. I got a much needed haircut, I had one of my favorite dishes (the tomato tart at FIG), my sister had a housewarming party, I watched the debate. (I wrote this post before watching the debate so let’s hope that wasn’t too much of a mess).
I have to confess, the thing I’ve been looking forward to most all week is watching A Family Affair later today when I finish up work. This is the new Nicole Kidman/Zac Efron film on Netflix and the trailer (below!) actually looks pretty funny? It could go either way, I guess we’ll see. I am excited but managing my expectations. I’ve missed goofy romcoms and am glad the genre is (seemingly) back!
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On The Stripe (my blog!) this week.
Butter yellow is shaping up to be this summer’s “it” color! Here are our favorite pieces, and how to wear it! (I love pairing it with white, tan, emerald green even).
I am always craving color and love all these bold summer POPS.
This month’s Amazon favorites are of the more basic variety. Practical but pretty. Things that have genuinely made my life easier, hooray for that!
An elegant jewelry storage solution.
This Week in Reading:
I absolutely devoured The Next Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. If you read and loved the original, it’s a must. So satisfying. All of our old favorites (shitty Jackson, conniving Amber, lovely Daphne) are back, plus someone new! This book is very soapy but utterly unputdownable. I loved it and am sad it’s over!
I am still listening to The Art of Small Talk by Jessica St. Clair and Casey Wilson. This has been a really fun listen! It’s making me see small talk a little differently (as something valuable vs. annoying) and it’s also very funny.
On paper I am reading Swan Song, by Elin Hilderbrand. As with all Elin Hilderbrand books, it’s great so far. Her books are always such a treat. This one is a mystery set in Nantucketk surrounding a glamorous couple who move to the island and purchase a $22 million dollar home. The book opens with house burning down and their employee going missing. I’m about 150 pages in and know I’ll finish it this weekend.
A quote I keep at my desk that always helps me is "Start where you are, Use what you have, Do what you can." from Arthur Ashe
Have never related to a sentence more than “I am built for comfort. Not speed” !!!