Weekly Good Things 2024 - Week 23
Good Things, and the Weekly Meal Plan.
Hello! Hello! Welcome to another weekly episode of Good Things where I give you a peek into my everyday life during the week, and roundup my good links, ideas, books, and more.
Happy Weekend to you!
We have just a few more weeks until the mid-point of the year, and summer is officially on it’s way!
I’ve been spending the weekend thinking about what kinds of good things I want to fill my summer with: a hefty dose of reflection, rest, adventure, good food, connection, community practice, and some summer blockbusters.
That High/Low: On that note, I kicked off blockbuster season this weekend with Bad Boys. I love watching fussy high-art films.. and I equally enjoy ridiculous buddy cop movies where they are fully committing to the bit including 900 pound alligators as comic relief.
👋 If you are new here, welcome! I try to fill these newsletters with a little something for everyone. (If you are just here for the food, it’s at the end! Feel free to scroll, I won’t judge!)
Getting Specific, Asking for What You Want, and Rejection Practice
This weekend I picked up a general business book, which I usually try to avoid because many are filled with generic platitudes and advice, and it’s far too easy to read business books as edutainment instead of actually applying the learning. (I much prefer to read “just in time” learning materials instead!)
But we’re about to go into Q3 planning at work tomorrow, and I wanted a little bit of inspiration from someone I generally admire.
I grabbed a copy of Noah Kagan’s Million Dollar Weekend which I blew through in about 2 hours today, underlining, folding corners, and generally walking a way with a hit list of things to implement right away.
Noah was an early team member at companies like Facebook and Mint (RIP!), before starting multiple of his own companies.
I was an early adopter of Noah’s company AppSumo in the 2010’s (where he’d aggregate deals on software), and I had to chuckle because there’s a chapter in the book where he mentions a specific email he sent to his newsletter list that catapulted sales. This email was *so good* I forwarded it to my friends at the time, and still have it saved in my own swipe file and remembered it 15 years later!
While I don’t have a *new business* – so many of the tips in this book were specific and implementable!
For those curious, just some of the things I’m going to implement:
🏆 Set Rejection Goals: I’ve been ramping up my sales efforts, and it’s still a little scary getting a No! So I’ll be gamifying my next set of outreach – with the goal of racking up some rejections!
✅ Your Dream 10 (or 100) list for finding customers. We’ve kicked off a project to do marketing to more individuals at Ompractice. I’m working on a specific list of where to find them!
💡Update my Marketing Experiment List for the rest of June: a list of ranked experiments, what I think the results will be, and a timebound goal - finish testing by the end of the quarter!
✍️ Asking for Reviews: Reviews help people find products and services they love! Reviews are a kindness! p. 35 has a specific example asking for a review of the book itself. After reading it, I felt compelled.. to provide a review! I’ll be reaching out to some of our top students at Ompractice individually to ask for a review!
On that note, if you have a little time today - would you consider reviewing a local business that you frequent? It makes such a difference!
Noah’s chapter on rejection practice reminded me of the book I read two decades ago which changed my personal trajectory: Women Don't Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation--and Positive Strategies for Change.
The book had a version of the “coffee challenge” where you go in to ask for a discount at a a coffee shop. (Essentially to practice rejection.)
My first attempt at rejection when I read the book was thwarted… by success. I went into Target and managed to negotiate a discount on a pair of leopard print shoes with a *tiny scuff*.
I was prepared to flex my rejection muscle…except… I got the deal.
You don’t get what you don’t ask for.
On that note, I thought it might be a nice time to review my own big list of wants and needs (which I’d strongly recommend you create your own list of!) I’m always pleasantly surprised to see what kinds of things have moved forward just by the simple act of writing down specifics. This is VERY specific.
What do you want that you haven’t said out loud recently?
Drop it in the comments!
Good Things This Week:
🔎 It’s Amazing Seeing Clearly Again: In an excellent metaphor for life, this week the windows were cleaned (interior and exterior) by our local Fish Window Cleaners, and it’s *incredible* what clear perspective and better light can do for your mood. These folks were also super efficient and it’s always a marvel to watch! The results are shocking!
💤 It’s Brain Health Month at Ompractice, and after re-posting some content on good sleep for brain health, I was reminded to make some tweaks in my own habits. In this case? Remembering that I can put my eye mask on in the morning and catch an extra full hour or two of Zzzzs. (I gamify my sleep with both my Oura and Rise, and I got extra crowns for my effort!)
⚡️ Connecting with Friends who Match Your Vibes: I caught up with my friend Thos at the Mighty Squirrel Coffee Shop (local friends - if you ever want to co-work, this is a fantastic spot in Waltham! Brewery / Coffee shop, outdoor and indoor spaces, free parking) – it’s a total pleasure catching up with someone you haven’t seen in YEARS in person, and confirming that they are JUST AS AWESOME as you generally think of them, and they have a multitude of fun plans in the works. A few hours of brain buzzing!
🛍️ Good Acquisitions: I got a little exuberant with online ordering this week. A dog bed for Bertram for the backyard to avoid just bathing in the pollen. After a lot of research, the exact belt I’ve wanted from Ayr. An order from Sézane (we’ll see what I’ll keep). Plants. Lots of plants!
Slow Drip Gardening
I’ve been slowly getting plants and potting them one at a time when I have a few free minutes to transition between tasks.
The nice thing about gardening is that you don’t have to do it all at once, and if you don’t get to it… nothing bad will happen!
This week I also made some headway on re-potting, filling up the planter with herbs, grabbing new herbs for the steps, and cleaning up some dead things.
Unpictured: an early girl tomato bush, two new dahlia plants (the bunnies already got to one of them despite my attempts to spray), a dahlia that is sprouting from the tuber I had pulled in without digging up over the winter, and some more celosia.
Many thanks to my mom, who sent me some extra soil this week which was delivered straight to the house.
Next up? I’m headed to Home Depot for some more self-watering pots, and going to plant some sunflower seeds in the back corner.
What are you planting?
More Good Things:
📖 Reading: I finally finished Sanderson’s Oathgate, and immediately moved on to the next book in the series Rythym of War. Reading thousand page epics is slowing down my Goodreads reading goal for the year, but I’m enjoying immersing myself. I’m also reading William James’ The Varieties of Religious Experience, have just a few chapters left of Emily Henry’s Funny Story (I should just finish it already!), I blew through Noah Kagan’s Million Dollar Weekend, which got my gears turning because he’s very specific. On the recommendation of a friend, I’m flipping through David Burns’ ‘The Feeling Good Handbook’.
🎧 Listen: Music: Sabrina Carpenter’s new music video for Please, Please, Please (which I find sonically pleasing). I’m also delighted that she wrote a cautionary tale song seemingly about her boyfriend and then cast him in the music video. Our Saltburn fave Barry Keoghan. // Listening to Bad Bunny on runs.
🌺 Flowers of the Week: it’s Peony time! I joined a peony share which gives me three weeks of stunning bouquets which I pick up at the ice cream shop around the corner on Wednesdays and gives me something fabulous to look forward to. Trader Joe’s usually does a good job during peony season if you need some to pick up that won’t break the bank.
✅ Tackle a Nagging Task: this week I got a new welcome mat for my front door. I’ve had the old one since I moved in… it was there when I got here, and I’ve never liked it. After a good amount of research I ended up with an LL Bean Waterhog mat in Sunrise.
🚶🏻♀️Let’s Move + 🐶 Dog Walks with Friends: Month 2 of GVRAT. Got in two dog walks with my friends/neighbors Somchay and Michele this week. Michele and I ended up spotting a snapping turtle laying eggs right by Bullough’s pond this evening! // Drop down week on weights at the gym – just needed to get in and get some volume sets rather than going for any PRs this week! // Got in a few longer runs, including one on Global Running Day!
📺 Watching: One of my favorite activities with friends is Party-Watching a show together from our respective homes. For some reason I can’t fathom, Disney+ got rid of the brilliant GroupWatch feature which allowed you to sync your play/pause with other accounts so you could watch a show together and anyone could say, pause to go to the bathroom or grab a snack. This week I started The Acolyte (in the Star Wars series). // I also went to the theater for a summer blockbuster - Bad Boys: Ride or Die. (If you need popcorn and air conditioning – it’s definitely NOT GOOD, but it is great.) // Looking forward to watching Bodkin on Netflix this week. “A hard-nosed journalist grudgingly works with a true-crime podcaster on a strange case in a small Irish town where the locals want to bury the past.”
🤣 Memes and randomness of the week: I learned about the “bone beard” on our chins. // The US stuns the world beating Pakistan in world cup cricket (in Dallas, TX!) comprised of a part time team that includes a principal engineer at Oracle
The Weekly Meal Plan:
Why do I do this? I’ll note, my meal plans tend to be more of a directional support for me than what I actually end up eating in my week. (I think a lot of people who do meal planning feel obligated to actually eat the things they come with rather than just using as a placeholder/inspiration. I do not feel so constricted.)
🍒 Good Eats from this Past Week: I’ve been craving Asian desserts, generally, and making my way through some delicious local options.
This week’s delight came from C Fruit Life, where I got a Mango Sago pudding, and a hot black sesame pudding (the absolute highlight of my week.)
For my 🦞 Lobster Roll Quest, I got a two-pack of lobster rolls from HMart for $20 which were totally passable!
Best snack: yogurt with tart sour cherry spread from Trader Joes.
I also tried the new Pad See Ew from Trader Joe’s after hearing complaints that it was “too garlicky and noodles too chewy” I assumed (rightfully) that I’d enjoy it. I added egg and tofu skins for extra protein.
A Montreal bagel with salmon caviar from HMart.
A bowl of cereal: Trader Joe’s high fiber sticks, a cup of blueberries, and milk.
Snacks: having hard boiled eggs on hand was great!
✍️ Every week I spend some (more) time working on a spreadsheet to expand this list (1000 fruits and veg to try). I’ve also updated a tab for my Apple Quest - tart apples to eat all season.
Bean of the week: Still finishing up my Bayo Gordo (Rancho Gordo); will likely make a mid-week batch of the Green Limas in the Bean Club Shipment
Sunday: Chimichurri chicken, beans, steamed leeks with lemon
Monday: Salmon rice bowl with pickled ginger, seaweed, cucumbers
Tuesday: Chicken satay, rice, broccoli
Wednesday: Meatless Korean Bulgogi (TJs) with rice, cabbage salad with lime
Thursday: Artichoke bread pudding
Friday: dinner at Yume Ga Arukara (Udon! No reservations!)
Saturday: Leftovers! Clean out the freezer! (Possibly beef sloppy joes).
Lunches: Bean backlog. Salmon with red peppers and marinated artichokes and beans. Marinated beets. Lamb vindaloo with yogurt, tadka dal and yogurt. Coconut chickpea curry. Trader Joe’s Kimbap. Montreal bagels. TJs Jumeokbap (Korean rice triangles) - very good! Shrimp Bao. Endives with tuna and shallot vinaigrette. 🦞 A lobster roll of the summer list.
Snacks: 🍒 Cherries. Blueberries. Strawberries. Yogurt and berries, yogurt with lemon and nuts, eggs, cottage cheese, cheese sticks. Turkey Chomps. Tart Cherry Juice and Spindrift Lemon. A single corn dog in the freezer.
Treat options: Mini mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches from Trader Joe’s. Apple Tartines. Trader Joe’s S’Mores in the freezer section. Samoas in the fridge. Silken tofu (for douhua or pudding). A single leftover gingerbread. Popsicles.
What are you eating this week?
Previous Years:
Something I really enjoy doing is flipping back in my journal or my blog to the week of the year over the past several years. When I write it out in a list like this, it feels like a nice accomplishment!
Observing the data this week: Apparently the first week and a half of June I’m OUT OF THE HOUSE!
2016: The Weekly Meal Plan
That’s all for now! Hope you have a great week!
xo, Sam
those puddings though!!