THE ROOT 9: 39.2

Painting Done

At work this week, we were discussing a various group of workshops we are organizing to inform our perspective on something we are exploring. In talking about what success looks like for the output of those workshops, my manager reframed the goal as all reflecting on "painting done." I had never heard the phrase before, so I asked about it and instantly fell in love with the concept.

"Painting done" is essentially taking the idea of "what success looks like" to another level. It is a commitment to thoroughly defining and communicating expectations before a task begins — a powerful tool for success and for avoiding future issues.

It means detailing every aspect, not just the final output:

The core lesson is that this clear communication builds a strong foundation for effective collaboration by ensuring complete alignment and accountability. It removes ambiguity and ensures everyone sees the same final picture.

I really love this concept and want to start thinking this way more…taking things one level deeper in my own life and wor, so I thought I would share the idea with you. We can eliminate friction simply by having the courage to fully define the period at the end of the sentence.

Self Check Ins

When we were in Hawaii this past weekend, I knew I wasn't feeling my absolute best. I also knew that, being on vacation, I would feel a bit of social pressure to stay up late, hang out with people more, and not prioritize my sleep when dinners wrapped up. But with my immune system still recovering, prioritizing rest, getting sunlight early in the day to improve my mental health, and generally feeling like my best self needed to be the absolute priority.

This experience symbolizes a practice I’ve tried to incorporate in asking myself before any social event or commitment:

"How do I want to feel when this ends? And how do I want to have made the people around me feel?"

For me, that simple two part question has helped ease a lot of the social pressure I used to put on myself — the pressure that sometimes justifies people pleasing in moments when: 1) it will probably impact how I feel a bit more negatively later, and 2) it probably has low impact on how people are truly feeling.

Think about it: if you are active and present in the conversation at a dinner, will people really remember if you told the waiter you didn't want a glass of wine? If you were engaged and present in your conversations, are they going to remember if you left twenty minutes before everyone else, or are they going to remember that they simply enjoyed their time with you?

This small act of pre-event reflection has lifted a weight off my shoulders by allowing me to prioritize my wellness without guilt. Try asking yourself this before you are entering work, a social event, or whatever it may be.

With Halloween candy abundant in the office in October and remnants of it tickling into November… my guilty pleasure of a Crunch bar is something I’ve been tapping into frequently. Then, what felt like too good of a consequence, the Hormbles Chormbles ads kept popping up on my socials, and I finally picked up two bars when I was at the Vitamin Shoppe a couple weeks ago.

Oh my…they are like a protein version of a Crunch bar. Sign me upp!

I’m hooked. It satisfies sweet craving and has macros that help me achieve my macro goals even when I’m snacking. I will be purchasing three boxes tomorrow during their Black Friday sale, and you should too 🙂 It is the perfect post workout treat or afternoon pick me up.