Weekly Good Things 2025 Week 1
Let's Go!
Hello! Hello! Welcome to another weekly episode of Good Things – your guide to living intentionally and more fully one good thing at a time! I give you a peek into my everyday life during the week, and roundup my good links, ideas, books, and more.
Hello, Hello!
Welcome to 2025!
Happy weekend to you. I spent the weekend listening to Oliver Burkeman’s ‘Meditation for Mortals’ which I’d definitely recommend.
If you *don’t* feel like embracing a drastic fresh start! or leaning into ‘new year, new you’ but would like some pleasant fresh perspective on living this one life we have right now, you might also enjoy this book.
Words for 2025
I do like the idea of a good word as a theme. This year I’m playing with a few phrases and been testing themselves out in my mind to see if they resonate for a while:
“Satiate Curiosity” alt. “Deepen my weird”. “Brave.”
Or: Do it anyway? Not like, a threatening just do it, but more like a gentle adjustment for the little voice in my head: “Well, sure, I can see that objection there, but.. hear me out…what if you just… did it anyway?”
Previous year words: 2011: Habit. 2017: Share. 2018: Finish. 2021: BLOOM. 2024: Good Things. I like Gretchen Rubin’s iteration on words and themes of the year which she builds out this way: see her “door” for 2025.
👋 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!)
A Few Good Things from 2024:
I very much enjoyed Austin Kleon’s list of 100 things that made his year, although admittedly I didn’t have the focus to sit down and write 100 things myself. Here are just a few notable ones.
👟 I finished up my 7th straight year of running a daily mile, and started on year 8! What started as a mid-December “I wonder if I would enjoy that again?” has somehow just kept on going. I’ve actually had many months-long running streaks before this one, but this one just persisted. It’s a nice touchpoint for every day, usually just me and NPR’s Up First, or maybe a chapter of an audiobook I can’t put down. Sometimes just silence is nice too.
Feats of Strength: I tried out barbell hip thrusts, and found out… that I’m great at them? While I do lift on average more than lots of people, these are, compared to my other lifts.. absurdly more comfortable, fun, and lifting above 500 pounds… for reps.. is a wild and intoxicating feeling. // I did an Ultramarathon in Blue Hills on a whim and had a fantastic time.
Music: I started making playlists again based on songs that I discovered on TikTok. I also listened to a weird amount of Pitbull.
My “Year of Sanderson” - where I dove into Brandon Sanderson books and then read a LOT of them. I loved this adventure. (I read plenty of other things, too, but it was very nice to cozy back up to my Sanderson books every day.)
I think the best thing I ate was the Chicken-Kalguksu at Hangari Kalguksu in LA. (Possibly, on a theme, followed by hot H-Mart sweet potatoes from a bag.)
Assorted Thinking: Ideas for Journaling
Over the past few weeks I’ve been taking screenshots of how other people use their bullet journals and their hobonichis, to get a little boost of inspiration for my own practice.
I’m fascinated by what kind of data people track: mood, reading, movie log, songs, quotes, fitness, baby metrics, novel ways to commonplace journal.
For me, tracking things that I’ve done is a soothing meditation of sorts – I see it as a sort of a gentle weaving together of a story of my life, not something that I’m beholden to. I like the visual of small things, done consistently, adding up.
When I’m feeling overwhelmed, or stuck, or like I’ve gotten nothing done, I spend some time tracking things, documentary-style, and it unlocks a feeling of having lived more fully.
*I think this is partially due to the fact that many things for me lack a sort of object permanence, so when I can see what I’ve done, I feel more fulfilled and a better sense of completion and perspective.
Some of the interesting ones I bookmarked that I either have versions of or would like to tweak:
𐄷 Work journals: decisions and how they were made. We actually keep a weekly log of sorts as a team: key metrics, good things and kindness, things we made. I’m fascinated by the Ray Dalio Bridgewater-style stuff, too.
Feats of Strength (intentions and achievements)
Feats of Mind
Causes
Cleaning calendar: weekly tasks and monthly tasks (I also plan on updating my cleaning and household organization in my Life Binder this year.)
Seasonal bucket lists: I’ve enjoyed doing monthly intentions.
What to do instead of doomscrolling
Seasonal outfit lists
Documenting news and pop culture as they unfold during the year
Book Series: a better way to keep track of what you are reading if you read multiple series.
Fun Brackets: cookbooks, snacks, condiments, etc.
Meal Planning Lists (by category) of favorites
A Nap Log: I’m not a nap taker but was deeply inspired by this woman’s genius nap tracker.
Time Outside
Bean Spreadsheet:
I’ve been a long time member of the Rancho Gordo Bean club, and have a bean backlog, which I’ve catalogued. Bean, location, tasting notes, and suggested recipe or usage. Here are some of my recent beans:
Slow Drip Gardening:
There was decisively no actual gardening outside right now, but my two amaryllis have bloomed inside. I’m already thinking about spring seeds.
I re-upped with my ProHort class at the University of Minnesota which has a great lecture series. I’ve been slowly “taking” this class for two years now to help expand my gardening knowledge.
I brought in my geranium from outside this summer, and after giving it a very good clean up from dead leaves, it’s now blooming again!
New Acquisitions:
Glasses! After my eye appointment a few weeks ago, I went ahead and got myself two new pairs at Warby Parker. (I also got myself a pair of clip on readers, but I’m not sure they help.)
Mixed Media:
📖 Reading: While my Year of Sanderson may be officially over, I’m still reading ‘Wind and Truth’, and enjoying it immensely. This week I also took the plunge to start a new Romantasy series: Carissa Broadbent’s ‘Crowns of Nyaxia’. I finished book one, and am onto book 2. I finished Oliver Burkeman’s ‘Meditation for Mortals’, my curiosity finally piqued, I’ve started Dr. John Sarno’s cult classic ‘Healing Back Pain’, and have downloaded the 66 hours of Robert Caro’s ‘Power Broker’, but will likely start with a physical book copy, because that is a commitment.
📺 Watching: Skeleton Crew with my friend Caroline. Adding a new year to my movie spreadsheet. Some favorites from 2024: Conclave, The Holdovers, The Taste of Things, The Substance. TV: Artful Dodger, My Lady Jane. Beef. The Brothers Sun. Dark Winds.
🎧 Listening: This wildly packed episode of the Tim Ferriss podcast with Cyan Banister was truly one of the most interesting things I’ve listened to in a long time. Cyan is a phenomenal storyteller with an absolutely bonkers and captivating life journey. One nugget that stuck with me was just using dice for decision making. “My life has only been improved by taking myself out of the decision-making process, because I am the hindrance.” — Cyan Banister
🤣 Memes and randomness of the week: it’s not a party until someone takes a Santiago Montoya solid chocolate silver plated work of art out of the bag it’s lived in in the refrigerator for years.
The Week 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 the Past Few Weeks:
Ali Slagle’s One Pan Chicken Piccata & Orzo from I Dream of Dinner (so You Don't Have To): Low-Effort, High-Reward Recipes: A Cookbook
Alison Roman fennel pork chops from Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes
Trader Joe’s: Bulgogi and Rice; Chicken Mole (new!)
Jaju Pierogies (they are delicious!)
Marcus Samuelsson’s Black Eyed Peas with Coconut Milk and Berbere
Wegman’s California Rolls after getting my glasses at Warby Parker (braving their parking lot for these)
🍗 The Grand Opening day of Popeyes in my neighborhood (sometimes you just really want a Popeye’s chicken sandwich). This has been a years long saga in the neighborhood.
Meera Sodha’s Bombay Rolls (thank you, Aliya!)
Beans of the Week: Rancho Gordo Royal Coronas, Rancho Gordo Christmas Limas, Rancho Gordo Super Lucky 2025 Black Eyed Peas
Good Drinks: Hot Cocoa with Mini Marshmallows, Green Devotion Green Juice, Earl Gregg-nog (inspired by Kenji) with earl gray and Crescent Ridge Eggnog. Masala Chai and Egg Nog.
This week’s meal plan: been enjoying reading What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking, so making a few things inspired by that!
Sunday: Skate with Saffron Tomatoes with Fennel p. 47
Monday: Cabbag-io Pepe p. 104
Tuesday: Salmon rice bowl with seaweed
Wednesday: Steak Salad with pancetta, pine nuts, and dates p.66
Thursday: Midnight Black Bean Soup
Friday: Chicken wonton noodles
Lunch Options: Lamb vindaloo with yogurt. Birria. Salad with lots of crunchy things.
Snacks: Yogurt and berries. Cheese sticks. Turkey Chomps. Steel Cut Oatmeal. Aggressive amounts of fridge-cheese.
Treat options (mostly in the freezer): Trader Joe’s Coffee Panna Cotta. BerryLine Frozen Yogurt, Ben and Jerry’s Chance Mint Fudgy Brownie, TJ’s Tiramisu, Trader Joe’s Brownie Coffee Ice Cream Sandwiches. Apple Tartines. Key Lime Pie. Trader Joe’s S’Mores.
What are you eating this week?
Here’s to a very good week!
xo, Sam