Myq, I will not tell a pre-giraffe this. As you may have forgotten, this note was for YOU, Myq Kaplan. It was not for an unborn giraffe. I want to be clear.
My newsletters for unborn giraffes are also written in the second person, but they say things like, "You cannot become a human who brushes his teeth overnight."
Lovely post, thank you! I am forever struggling with craving routine and not wanting to become an automaton. I am going to save this post for inspiration.
Wow, this felt like a balm for my soul. I cried through most of it, which means I really needed to hear it. I think I've been putting a lot of pressure on a routine to make myself better.
my neighbor has a garden with miniature versions of spring plants - crocus, iris, daffodil and they are a delight. Until my ruffly yellow Hamilton tulips show up, and then the amazing wisteria… you get my drift. i can’t wait to go to our 10 greenhouse garden center and go wild!
All of this is so validating on the way I behave - I love trying to make habits and plans, but consistency is hard. My husband was surprised I was going to bed early the other night, because "you stayed up so late painting last night!" And I said, "yes, and now tonight I'm tired and have to go to bed early!" And realized I almost without fail alternate nights of late night tv/art indulgence and then going to bed as humanly possible. Going to bed early every night feels so healthy and good and also like I'm dead inside.
Happy almost-birthday season! We celebrate my husband's, both daughters', my dad's, and my birthday between 5/24 and 6/12 and can confirm that end of school time is insane for this, even without being a teacher. And also if I could have orchestrated this I would NOT have put my birthday last, because by that point everyone is either tired of birthdays or believes they just happen that frequently all the time. But it is kind of fun, too.
‘A routine baggy enough to live in’ was a line that stuck with me since reading it in one of Matt Haig’s books. Your post summed it up perfectly and in a very inspiring way - thankyou! (I also LOVE the 6 week thing and enjoying the journey rather than the destination)
I have been wanting to tell you this for a while and so I am just dropping everything for a moment to pop in and say: I subscribe to several substack newsletter-y things, but yours in the only one I have sent to my email and that I read, all the way through, every time. You really have a knack for inspiring and soothing all at once. And you make me think. But also make me want to not think so much, and just do more art. Anyway. It is the best. Thank you so much.
I think is my favorite thing I've read about habit setting.
My favorite spring flower right now may be lilacs for the scent and because the are happening right now, but peonies are my absolute favorite. They are coming in about a month and I am already anticipating.
I feel this so deeply as a fellow mom of a 2.5yo. The guilt every day I don’t make it to the gym is especially real for me (out of physical strengthening rather than aesthetic chasing) but what that inevitably leads to is boring days. Why should I feel guilty going to a garden?! The zoo?! A friend’s house?! Obvi the real answer is I shouldn’t. *le sigh* Anyway, thank you for this astute piece!
Sent to my husband -- he loves those "inspirational" habit books and I'm more of the "but wouldn't it be fun to rest and melt butter" train, lol.
dear sophie,
this is great and you are great and thank you as always
i particularly love this: "You’re not going to become a giraffe overnight; it’s not possible."
tell that to a giraffe that's about to be born! or conceived! or become a giraffe from not having been a giraffe a moment ago, whenever that is!
thank you!
love
myq
Myq, I will not tell a pre-giraffe this. As you may have forgotten, this note was for YOU, Myq Kaplan. It was not for an unborn giraffe. I want to be clear.
My newsletters for unborn giraffes are also written in the second person, but they say things like, "You cannot become a human who brushes his teeth overnight."
this makes a lot of sense. thank you!
Lovely post, thank you! I am forever struggling with craving routine and not wanting to become an automaton. I am going to save this post for inspiration.
Wow, this felt like a balm for my soul. I cried through most of it, which means I really needed to hear it. I think I've been putting a lot of pressure on a routine to make myself better.
my neighbor has a garden with miniature versions of spring plants - crocus, iris, daffodil and they are a delight. Until my ruffly yellow Hamilton tulips show up, and then the amazing wisteria… you get my drift. i can’t wait to go to our 10 greenhouse garden center and go wild!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US
Thank you! This came at the exact right time :)
All of this is so validating on the way I behave - I love trying to make habits and plans, but consistency is hard. My husband was surprised I was going to bed early the other night, because "you stayed up so late painting last night!" And I said, "yes, and now tonight I'm tired and have to go to bed early!" And realized I almost without fail alternate nights of late night tv/art indulgence and then going to bed as humanly possible. Going to bed early every night feels so healthy and good and also like I'm dead inside.
Happy almost-birthday season! We celebrate my husband's, both daughters', my dad's, and my birthday between 5/24 and 6/12 and can confirm that end of school time is insane for this, even without being a teacher. And also if I could have orchestrated this I would NOT have put my birthday last, because by that point everyone is either tired of birthdays or believes they just happen that frequently all the time. But it is kind of fun, too.
KC Davis talked with Monica Parker on her podcast about why male designed habits based around consistency often don’t work for women especially.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1E7ig9Ns1OAU7rJhLwQ2VZ?si=MPefKPkyQ1SB7yu-l4B6mA
‘A routine baggy enough to live in’ was a line that stuck with me since reading it in one of Matt Haig’s books. Your post summed it up perfectly and in a very inspiring way - thankyou! (I also LOVE the 6 week thing and enjoying the journey rather than the destination)
💗”It’s a routine habit happening in a non-routine way. “.
Thanks for putting words to my life long experience…. my routines don’t always express themselves linearly, they like to jump around.
💗
I have been wanting to tell you this for a while and so I am just dropping everything for a moment to pop in and say: I subscribe to several substack newsletter-y things, but yours in the only one I have sent to my email and that I read, all the way through, every time. You really have a knack for inspiring and soothing all at once. And you make me think. But also make me want to not think so much, and just do more art. Anyway. It is the best. Thank you so much.
I think is my favorite thing I've read about habit setting.
My favorite spring flower right now may be lilacs for the scent and because the are happening right now, but peonies are my absolute favorite. They are coming in about a month and I am already anticipating.
The giraffe part really sold it for me 🦒 you put into words exactly how I feel about these concepts
I feel this so deeply as a fellow mom of a 2.5yo. The guilt every day I don’t make it to the gym is especially real for me (out of physical strengthening rather than aesthetic chasing) but what that inevitably leads to is boring days. Why should I feel guilty going to a garden?! The zoo?! A friend’s house?! Obvi the real answer is I shouldn’t. *le sigh* Anyway, thank you for this astute piece!