The Hit List - Putting pleasure on the checklist

Last week I spent a blissful week writing with a group of soul sisters in Hawaii. This authorly retreat was hosted by my writing mentor and dear friend, Alexandra Franzen. Words cannot express how incredible this event was for me.

Having the space to write instead of work is rare around here. I’m always in workaholic mode. But last week? I had none of it. My scheduling system was recently automated which meant no chasing down clients, no urgent emails, and plenty of downtimes.

Ahhh….

Alexandra recently published a book called The Checklist Book, a how-to book on creating checklists for better living. I read the book before it hit the shelves and had been applying the techniques (I’m a fan of checklists in general).

But while I was on the retreat, I realized I forgot one thing: I never bothered to put fun things on my checklist. It was always work “to-do’s.” While I enjoyed checking off those things, it kept my focus squarely on work. No wonder I never relax!

During the week with Alexandra, she taught us that we need to put tiny goals on the checklist – including FUN or chill goals too. It didn’t need to be all work all the time.

Goals such as:

:: take three deep breaths

:: drink water

:: watch Maury

:: send a handwritten note

:: sit in silence

:: try a new tea

I began adding those sorts of things to my checklist and let me tell you: I feel happy just looking at THAT list.

Sure, there are still work things that need to be done but you know what? Pleasure should have space in your daily life too. After all, we’re not automatons. We need those moments to savor, even if only a few in our overstuffed days.

I feel like Hawaii has been a total reboot. Not only am I more relaxed since I don’t know when (if ever), I am more conscious of how I use my time. And after spending a week with Alexandra, I know that joyful things are going to be checked off my checklist every day.

Psst…if you want to learn how to create checklists, manage your time, score tiny wins, and more – get The Checklist Book.

We always have time for our friend Ting. This was a night out in Hawaii!

Other stuff:

According to my cats, I need to buy this: Japan Releases a Range of Miniature Furniture for Cats.

True: Gen X Women Get Less Sleep Than Any Other Generation. What’s Keeping Them Up?

Whatever happened to ___________? Envy over her success led her husband, also a writer, to become violent. She fights every day for her safety — and to avoid being relegated to obscurity like so many writers who are mothers.

Compelling read: Behind the story: Reporting on Venezuela exodus hits home.

The Women’s March 2020 Is This Weekend. Go, So You Don’t Have to Go Next Year.

I had the great pleasure of speaking with Jim Harold over at the Paranormal Podcast.

I also talked about the astrological stuff happening in 2020 over at That Witch Life podcast!

The Bleak Future of Australian Wildlife.

Win a copy of the beautiful Vindur Tarot Deck!

Chris Evans Is Officially Entering Politics With His New Website.

This is an excellent post from Meg Jones Wall over at Autostraddle: Tarot Spreads for When You Need the Cards to Gently Drag You.

Mat Auryn is doing his first keynote – and apparently, there are protests.

10 Feminist Illustrators Who Will Brighten Up Your Instagram Feed.

Go Virginia: Women Are Not Granted Equality Anywhere in the Constitution.

Beautiful: Portraits from around the globe capture the beauty and spirit of indigenous people whose ways of life are at risk.

America Has Never Cared About Sacred Sites.

Gabriela Herstik is the coolest: The High Priestess: A Stoner’s Guide to Capricorn Season.

In the latest Astrology Bytes, I’m teaching about the descendant.

Love seeing my friend Anna Zahn getting a nod over at Vogue.

Interesting post from Benebell Wen: Getting Mad at Our Reflection in the Mirror: Responding to Ceri Radford’s “I spent a week becoming a witch.”

BBC asks: How could the Oscars ignore these brilliant women directors?

Giving Birth Where the Family Is: Canada’s government once pressured Inuit women to travel south to give birth. Now, they can have their babies at a hometown maternity clinic led by Inuit midwives.

I need this: Choose Wonder Over Worry.

Also this: The Big Book of Less: Finding Joy in Living Lighter.

Super cool: Seedlip Cocktails: 100 Delicious Nonalcoholic Recipes from Seedlip & The World’s Best Bars.

The Tarot Coloring Book is fun for tarot lovers and folks who enjoy coloring! Break out your crayons and get to know the tarot!

Tarot For Troubled Times is a book near and dear to my heart. It’s not just a tarot book – it’s a manual for healing with rituals, magic, affirmations, and a side of social justice.

Conjunctions and retrogrades got you down – or confuddled? Astrology for Real Life: A Workbook for Beginners (A No B.S. Guide for the Astro-Curious) will lift you up and clear your astrology confusion.

Events:

April 24-26, 2020: Readers Studio. I’m a main stage presenter at the annual Readers Studio Tarot Conference in New York, the biggest tarot conference in the world. Join me and other world-class instructors for a weekend of tarot goodness!

May 10-16, 2020: The Tuscany Tarot Intensive. Where: Italy! A full week of tarot immersion. Great food, killer lessons, awesome people – gorgeous location! One seat left!

August 30, 2020: Brushes and Stars. Where: Oakland, California. A full-day of astrology and intuitive painting – and yummy food! Join me and Chris Zydel for a joyful, astrology-inspired intuitive painting experience.