notes on feednet: calendar meaning

Feednet is a quarterly-ish news roundup on technology, community organizing, and learning how and what to learn. Read old versions here.

Notes on Feednet: calendar meaning

Hi,  Esther Perel, who many people on this email have had to listen to me impersonate badly, says right now it’s important to create rituals, routines, habits that help us maintain our relationships and sense of self worth.   Paradoxically, I have found myself returning more and more to the lack of structure in my day that reminds me of the time I spent working remotely before I had any knowledge of how to do it well — no calendar and a lot of scrolling.   It’s working better than that time in my life (thank God), but weirdly, it’s also working better than the hyper regimented, constantly monitored calendar I’ve been using in the last two years since I started freelancing.   “Meaning” in our post pandemic world has become an unlikely buzzword — from the resurgence of the grieving process to include it as a 7th step, to a freaky quote I saw last week in HBR of all places: “meaning is the luxury item of the next century.”  Later in the article, the author argues the best way to measure meaning in your life is how much space that activities, rituals, and habits devoted to making meaning take up on your calendar.   A year ago I would have GALVANIZED by these quotes: people need meaning and purpose? Great. socialism and social justice is extremely meaningful AND extremely time consuming, let’s get going. Please fill out this Doodle.   I’m not totally clear on how the author defined meaning: is it the meaningful work itself, or the act of creating meaning for your work?  Either way, it feels clear that the things I’ve made when I’m not devoting 12 hours a day to “meaningful work” are far more quality than anything I made when 12 hour days were consistent part of my life.   Maybe I’m just lazier now.   How much space does meaning take up on your calendar?   What do you find meaningful in your day to day?   Thank you to everyone who wrote back about tv or fiction that helped them find meaning in their own lives — I’ve been thinking about it w a lot more to say soon.  let me know.  --  stay safe,

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