If The Sunday Spark is being sorted into your Promotions tab, or Spam folder, drag this email into your Inbox. It’ll help future issues reach you.

Hi friends,

 

When I arrived to the office this morning, I opened my planner and checked the time blocks I set for myself before leaving work two days ago.

Here’s what my schedule looked like:

This pre-blocked schedule helped me start work right away on the first workday of the week! If you work in an office and have a two-day weekend, you know how big of a deal this is.

 

I won over the morning fog—that sluggish mental state we all experience when starting our workday, especially at the beginning of a new week.

 

I encourage you to take care of future you by leaving notes for yourself at the end of each workday. This small habit builds momentum faster and sets you up for success. Listen to my podcast episode to learn more.

 

 

After last week’s newsletter about setting the stage, I had an amazing week of small wins. Trying to convince you that 15 minutes of progress is enough actually convinced me too!

 

Here’s what I accomplished:

 

✔ Two 15-minute decluttering sessions
✔ Fell back in love with my short morning routine—a mix of planning journaling and gratitude journaling (20-30 minutes)
✔ Restarted evening journaling—including another round of gratitude journaling and a one-sentence journal for my baby (5 minutes)
✔ Picked all my outfits the day before—down to the earrings! This made my mornings so much smoother
 

And a big win for the week → I recorded two podcast episodes! 🎙️ I plan to start publishing new episodes in April—stay tuned!

 

📌 Evening journaling doesn’t work if I leave it until right before bed—I’m too tired by then. Best time: around 8 PM.

📌 Tracking my morning chain with a short video keeps me motivated—as long as I put my phone away right after! (Temptation bundling, anyone?)

 

Snapshot from my week: My new, ahem, my kids' new whiteboard at home! Their toys were great students!

Here is your weekly dose of The Sunday Spark ⚡️ a newsletter listing 3 sparks that I thought were worth starting your week with:

 

1. ⏳ I wholeheartedly agree with this: Plans help even when plans change by the author of top time management books and podcaster Laura Venderkam.

 

2.  💗 With my baby's milestones, I am acutely aware of this. I stare at him sometimes to the point of tears. He almost started sitting without need for cushions support around, so I enjoy every single time he loses his balance and leans to one side. I don't know when the last time will be…Life Is One Long Series of Letting Go.

 

3. 💬 How to practice gratitude?

“Think of all the things you can be grateful for today. That you are alive, that you live in a time primarily of peace, that you have enough health and leisure to read this book. What of the little things? The person who smiled at you, the woman who held the door open, that song you like on the radio, the pleasant weather. Gratitude is infectious. Its positivity is radiant. Even if today was your last day on earth—if you knew in advance that it was going to end in a few short hours—would there still be plenty to be grateful for? How much better would your life be if you kicked off every day like that? If you let it carry through from morning to night and touch every part of your life?”

― Ryan Holiday, Stephen Hanselman, The Daily Stoic

 

 

 

 

See you next Sunday @First name / my dear friend