44. A quick roundup #5
Little improvements add up over time.
interlude
We’ve had one trip ‘round the sun since I started writing these quarterly lists. Every three months still seems the perfect amount of time to generate another batch of life enhancements. Hopefully each list is somewhat helpful or enlightening to you, too!
resources
Local libraries. In preparation for my trip to Japan in March (two weeks away!), I unearthed my Kindle. I’ve borrowed e-books from the Los Angeles City Library for years now, and provided I’m not looking for recent bestsellers, I can download a new batch of travel-friendly novels and short stories within minutes. Now I’m trying audiobooks via the North Vancouver City Library and the Libby app on my phone. I love that I can fine-tune the speed of the audiobooks: 1.15x is working well with Satellite Love by Genki Ferguson and The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki.
Lemon slices in hot water. I “meal prep” this by cutting a whole lemon into half-moon slices for the fridge. Almost every day I pull out one slice, squeeze the majority of the juice onto sliced avocado for breakfast, and drop the remainder of the slice into my water bottle. This tastes great with cold water – not too sour, not too sweet – although hot water is best for these unusually-chilly Vancouver days. My friend also gave me the dried alternative, which is more bitter so I prefer adding honey.
Paper to-do lists. Each work day is a jumble of meetings, emails, and random drop-ins. Among all the methods I’ve used to keep track of minute tasks, I find the simplest and most effective is good old-fashioned notepaper. I use a fountain pen with light blue ink, which adds a fun and fancy feel, plus extra satisfaction when I tick each completed task.
Any books, hot drinks, or productivity hacks adding sparkle to your life these days? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
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been drinking lemon water religiously too recently, with this flu thats been going around! been a lifesaver for my throat.