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PTPL 167 · When Productivity Sheds Her Skin

How my systems are supporting me during a really hard time

Deep coloured background with light type that reads “Unable are the loved to die For love is immortality - Emily Dickinson. There is a line drawing of a butterfly rising from the initial letter U of the quote.

One of the posters in my Comfort Quotes collection


What do you do when your world caves in?

Rely on the systems and the people already in your life to hold you up. I did, and they did.

The past two weeks have been the saddest of my life thus far. My precious baby grandson lived for 11 short days and we are devastated. We are also so very thankful we got to stroke his tiny head and say au revoir — till we meet again!

Yet the world didn’t stop entirely. There were still things that needed doing during this time, important things. If my task management workflow was going to fall apart, it would be now — but it didn’t! I actually found myself relying on (and grateful for) my simple, time-based task lists more than ever.

Beorg was especially helpful.

Each day I’d set my list for the day ahead, prioritise the tasks, and work through them one by one. There they were on my iPhone and Watch, every time I needed to re-centre (which was often).

I still love my paper notebook, but it wasn’t the first thing I picked up when planning all the things. I did sit down and pour out all my feelings on the written page though, that is true.

So paper supported my heart, and plain text task lists took care of the mechanical stuff.

Dark text on a tinted background that reads “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” —Job 1:21

Another of the posters in my Comfort Quotes collection


Last week I missed sending out a PTPL newsletter for the first time in 3 years. A shame? No. It was a much needed letting go of conforming to a structured deadline that simply did not matter in that moment.

It was time to let go of that constraint and let productivity shed her skin. A new way of being and thinking will emerge from this experience, that I truly believe.

When life really really sucks I’ve learned it’s helpful to make something positive and put it out into the world. And so I have made some digital posters with words that brought peace and comfort to my heart as I grieve for our darling little Wren.

They are free if you need them. If you’re doing okay, and you have the means, I’d be grateful if you considered buying one. Proceeds will go towards supporting my family at this difficult time. See the posters here


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