Small Wins, Big Ripple
I wasn't in my bed when I woke up this morning.
Three out of the last five mornings, I've woken up on the side of my toddler's twin bed (a Montessori floor bed) after going in to settle her in the middle of the night and falling asleep. Still dealing with a newborn, a toddler, working at 30% capacity like I wrote about last week.
As of yesterday, we're now over birth weight, so we no longer have to wake up every 2-3 hours. Exciting for all of our sleep. I live by the rule: "Never wake a sleeping baby."
It's Tuesday morning and I'm struggling with writing this. Sometimes the words come easy, sometimes they don't. I almost skipped this week entirely, which would have broken my streak. For someone with ADHD, that consistency feels like a small miracle I don't want to mess with.
So instead of forcing some polished insight, I'll just share what's been on my mind: sometimes the win is just making one small thing in your day a little bit better.
Take coffee, for example. For years I had an espresso machine that I never really learned how to use. I thought it seemed pretty straightforward, but really I was making mediocre coffee every morning and just accepting it.
(And still often going out to buy my morning coffee because it was better 💸)
Then on a whim I signed up for a 2-hour espresso class locally and realized I'd been doing it all wrong this whole time. Now I make great coffee, rarely go out for coffee unless I'm meeting up with someone, and somehow it's become my thing.
Two hours of learning something I do every single day = daily upgrade.
The 80-Year-Old With Something to Say
This week, exhausted and scrolling, I saw an 80-year-old woman recording a video. I stopped immediately because I knew she had something to say. The juxtaposition of her versus everyone else on my feed was striking. I wanted to hear from her. It's like when I see a 70-year-old with great skin talking about her routine - that's the one I want to listen to, not someone half her age who’s been using a new face cream for 2 weeks.
In the video this lady talked about having a dream where she was back in those overwhelming days with her kids (who were now fully grown). But instead of rushing through the chaos and feeling frustrated, she was appreciating it. Being present instead of trying to rush to the next thing.
"If you're a time traveler from the future," she said, "you wouldn't waste these moments being annoyed."
📚 Research corner: Stanford researchers found that when parents are fully present (not multitasking), children show 23% lower cortisol levels and better emotional regulation. Turns out, our rushing energy is literally contagious.
The Two-Hour Rule
Think of something you do regularly that could be better with just a little intentional effort. Not a complete overhaul, just 1-2 hours of focused improvement.
Maybe it's:
- Learning to cook one dish really well
- Organizing your desk so you can actually find things
- Figuring out your phone's Do Not Disturb settings
- Learning three good conversation starters for work events (hi Icebreaker deck)
Pick one. Spend 2 hours this week making it better. That's it.
Make it easier: Can't find 2 hours? Start with 20 minutes. Sometimes that's all you need to see what's possible. I learned how to make great scrambled eggs by watching a 20-minute Masterclass video.
What small daily thing would improve your life if you just learned to do it properly?
🔍 Cool Find: This is niche but if you're in Austin with kids: Modern Pediatrics does house calls, takes regular insurance, and costs about $25/month. Game changer for avoiding doctor's office visits with little ones. Not an ad btw, I just love it and have been a customer.
