THE ROOT 9: 37.2

Impact of the Priority Label

I have probably written about this in some way before, but this one feels timely and relevant and is worth sharing again.

Dylan and I recently did an exercise on my home whiteboard (yes, you read that right, matching our family, professional, and personal goals. One of the things he prioritized was making our small apartment, which probably has too many things in it, feel like a more organized space to calm our minds at home.

To be fair, I am the one who may influence more of our clutter during the week. When I come home, I have always operated in a “log back on to finish work off” mindset, and I have never really questioned it. But that often means leaving my jacket propped on a chair or my meal prep container in the sink. Despite saying I’ll clean it before bed, on days I am tired, that quickly adds up, and before you know it, it’s Friday, and the ten minutes of cleanup I could have dedicated daily now feel like an arduous one or two hour task.

Our goal mapping made me realize the clean space was a bigger priority for Dylan than I had initially thought, and because we are a team and I contribute to the clutter, it became a more intentional priority of mine.

That simple mind shift has made the world of difference. For the past ten or so days, I have made a to do list item in the same space where I keep my work to dos: “Play favorite music and clean for 15 minutes.”

Instead of immediately plugging in my laptop when I come home, I take the time to just spend those fifteen minutes cleaning before I pick things back up. In a way, reframing the cleanup as a priority that I put the same weight on as any other daily task has made it a routine quite quickly. It is something I hope turns into a habit out of repetition that I do not even have to think about.

Hope this inspires you to reframe something you may have been putting off as a priority. Let me know if you do and if you see a shift in your behavior 🙂

Removing Microstressors (Outfit Edition)

I spoke about this briefly in my fashion segment last week, but the act of pre-planning my outfit every night (tied to the need to pack my gym bag for an early workout) has become a a wellness aspect I enjoy almost as much as my rice cake in the am (aaaalmost!).

Aside from the practical necessity (I’m simply not capable of sifting through clothes at 4:30 or 5:00 AM when I get up to commute, nor do I want to wake up the whole apartmen) this has brought more intentionality to my routine.

It’s been nice to incorporate this into my daily clean up after coming home from the office. It allows me to approach the next day knowing I have set myself up for success, effectively removing a point of friction before the day even begins.

This preparation also gives me room to get more creative and experimentative with my clothing choices. When the outfit is already packed, I don’t have to worry about whether trying a new shirt and pant combo will risk me being late for a meeting. The decision has already been made, freeing up my morning brain space.

I have been really trying to rework how I think about time and planning across all aspects of my life, and this small act of getting the outfit folded, picked out, and committed to removes a potential microstressor.

Have you ever tried laying your clothes out the night before and intentionally baking it into your routine, the same way we brush our teeth? 

Doubt Supergoop is new news to anyone, but I am currently obsessed with their Glowscreen.

On days where I want to wear less makeup to the office or just feel a bit more awake for an early morning walk, this has been a savior to me.

I actually got a compliment that my skin looked glowing (something I have rarely gotten aside from my wedding day, to be honest), and all I was wearing was this. I love how it makes my skin look instantly dewy and healthy with some color. Great little holiday stocking stuffer as they come around the corner!