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Hi! You may be here because you’re a friend interested in seeing what this is all about, or (hopefully in due time), this was recommended to you. Like me, you may be someone who finds comfort in structure while attempting to savor spontaneity and balance our chaotic day-to-day environment without feeling thrown off.
Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. seek discipline and find your liberty.
The Stoic principle of liberty through discipline is one that has grown to resonate with me more powerfully year over year, and Herbert’s quote encapsulates the principle masterfully. For me, a plan tends to free my mind and allow me to enjoy the present. I tend to celebrate (& feel more proud of) consistency & discipline over a reward.
In a different vein, I can struggle being truly present in my day-to-day life and managing all the things I want to do if I’m too tunnel-visioned on one goal. My week-to-weekend can start to resemble a transition from a list of “Professional” and “Personal” to-dos to “Social” to-dos pretty quickly, making life subconsciously feel like an elongated list of tasks I’m crossing off without a moment to catch my breath and truly appreciate the moment.
I’ve realized that to balance my appreciation for discipline with practicing mindful presence, I need to restructure how I think and go about my week. What’s made the most sense for me is splitting the week into thirds:
Mondays: I motivate myself for the week, reminding myself of my mental, physical, and professional goals. My ‘pregame’ for the week, if you will. I lock in.
Wednesdays: I reflect on what I’m learning from the week, how I’m feeling, and try to remind myself of what I’m driving towards if I feel a bit stumped. A mid-week check in!
Fridays: I focus on taking some weight off my shoulders and try to remove some self-imposed pressure, thinking about what I’m looking forward to savoring over the weekend.
So, in honor of a dedicated attempt to balance the serenity structure gives me while savoring the special moments, I wanted to create a community for others to unlock some of our more “Type A” traits to reduce the stress we may put on ourselves.
I plan on publishing content that flows with how I get myself through the week, in hopes it resonates with you too. Hence, Root 9. You’ll get three newsletters a week on three topics, timed with the cadence of how our week typically flows:
On Mondays, we’ll lock in together: I’ll share a motivational tidbit that inspired me, music I have on repeat, and a perspective on movement I’m focusing on.
On Wednesdays, we’ll reflect: I’ll share some of what I’ve learned from the week to inspire reflection, a well-being soundbite, and a view of my wish list / recs / things I’m currently obsessing over.
On Fridays, we’ll take a breath: To bring in my love for retail therapy and apparel, I’ll comment on a fashion item / trend / purchase I’m loving or eyeing, a fun activity to consider, and leave you with some food for thought.
If you find this resonates with you over time, I’d be very grateful if you spread the word to help grow a community, but even if this leads to us connecting more in real life, then I’d say this is already a success. You can join The Root 9 Community here.
Let’s do it :)
All the love,
Y