When Does Summer End?
For me Summer Ends... today
When does Summer End? Can you close your eyes and relive shopping for clothes that your family didn’t have money for, buying a new Trapper Keeper that your family didn’t have money for?
That smell of new plastic and the smell that all new clothes have in places like Marshalls or TJ Maxx or Stuarts (does anyone remember Stuarts?). That smell instantly takes me back to the back-to-school shopping memories even if I am just popping in for a belt or some expensive caramel corn from the register.
When we are younger, as kids, days dragged on forever in school, and June, July, and August seemed ever so short. Same as it is today. While the Summer will end, astronomically on September 22nd, the day you have to go ‘back to school’ is the end of summer.
It’s the end of playing G.I. Joe with your cousin at the lakehouse. It’s the end of day trips to the water park. It’s the end of carefree swimming at the public pool.
The heavy weight of the anxiety of a new school year, new backpack and all still triggers my IBS because my livelihood is based on “the kids coming back”. All summer, we delay promoting things or try to promote things based on this pivotal moment.
“Wrap up the summer with _________”
“Let’s run ads ‘when the kids are back'“
“No one’s going to this (end of summer thing) because the kids aren’t back yet”
I don’t need to impress my WeWork office mates (I really should introduce myself) with a new Ocean Pacific sweatshirt (that my Mom only could afford on a discount) on MA’s first day of school on September 9th. Still, I just bought I just might try to signal this change of season somehow. I will not signal this with a pair of white pants after Labor Day (not that a messy eater like me could ever pull them off, and I don’t want you seeing what kind of underwear I have on)!
Moving On -
Calendars, watches, notifications, schedules
Dropbox, Drive, Box
Eating, Sleeping, Exercise, The Sandman
REPEAT.
Knowledge work knows no bounds!
Was that poetry? IDFK
Yesterday, I recorded an appearance on Detoxicity Podcast with mental health/sexuality educator Mike Joseph. You can find this podcast wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe to hear my episode when published! Thanks, Mike, for a great conversation and for letting me dominate and not shut up, LOL. I can’t wait to let you take over on I Think This Is Great! with Clay N. Ferno, which starts Season 3 production soon.
He’s a great follow on Instagram. And I’ll put it out there and publicly apologize that I UNFOLLOWED Mike accidentally to get my follow ratio into normalcy (spoiler, it’s not normal). Sometimes I use an app for this, and sometimes I try to follow someone new, and I’m at my limit; anyway, I have followed him back, and you should too! I appreciate he let me know that I unfollowed because I wouldn’t have seen it. Sorry, Mike!
Gmail Tip -
I recently had to do an audit on my email. I am most comfortable with my “Inbox” being around 100 items. It’s not GTD™️ proper, it’s how I do things; it’s my To-Do list, and your usage of the term is open to interpretation. Basically, my “Inbox Zero” moment is Inbox 100. In Gmail that is the maximum of messages that display on one page of messages before spilling over. I am at times in 500-800 message range before processing down to 100, but it does take dedicated time to delegate, delete, and process. Focussed email time. When these 100 emails are floating around in there, it helps me prioritize what to do with my day.
I am always talking about productivity but I also think I have some lessons to share, so my journal-like posts here on Substack may include just one simple tip, with references when appropriate, to something that genuinely saves me time and can help you.
Assuming you use Gmail, here is a great tip.
In the Gmail search bar, enter this text:
show all label:unread
Go ahead and try that!
That’s it! You can process your Unread email this way! I promised to keep it simple with one tip, but if you already use Gmail shortcuts, you’ll appreciate the timesaver here with these shortcuts:
[ (archive)
j (next unread)
k (previous)
That’s all for today, folks! Class DISMISSED!
Do you want more Gmail tricks? Do you also use the Tea House theme? Let me know in the comments. This is a free and open newsletter; consider a paid subscription to support my art. Thank you.
