Tranquility by Tuesday [book by Laura Vanderkam]

Greetings all!

I recently reread “Tranquility by Tuesday” by Laura Vanderkam and loved it even more the second time around.

 

Here are her 9 rules (or you can call them experiences or guidelines) to become “master craftsmen of our schedules”: 

1. Give yourself a bedtime. Go to sleep at about the same time every night unless you have a good reason not to. 

My takeaway: LOVE this! Sleep is so important. I would just add - try to get enough sleep.

2. Plan on Fridays. Think through your weeks, holistically, before you’re in them. 

My takeaway: Laura chooses Friday to allow to plan for Saturday-Sunday the following week. You can choose whatever day works for you. For me, this rule works well as part of my weekly Brain Dump [read my post HERE]. 

3. Move by 3 pm. Do some form of physical activity for 10 minutes in the first half of every day. 

My takeaway: Yes! 10 minutes is realistic and you can even break it down further into smaller increments. More is better but 10 minutes is a start! After 3 pm, I really do not want to think about exercise. If I am being honest, I do not want to think about exercise before 3 pm either. Regardless, my body definitely has more energy in the first half of the day! 

4. Three times a week is a habit. Things don’t have to happen daily to become part of your identity, and “often” can be more doable than “always.” 

My takeaway: LOVE this! If you aim for daily and only do 1-2 times a week, you might feel that you are failing and just give up. But, as Laura says, “Getting to three requires tweaks, not a total lifestyle overhaul.” 

How about this for inspiration - Picture yourself on the other side! 

5. Create a back-up slot. Make a resilient schedule where your priorities still happen, even when life doesn’t go as planned. 

My takeaway: This one makes sense but might be challenging depending on your circumstances. Examples include keeping your Friday open and booking your last morning appointment at 11 am and your first afternoon appointment at 1:30 pm. That way, anything that comes up last minute does not derail your schedule. 

6. One big adventure, one little adventure. Each week, do at least two things that will be worth remembering. 

My takeaway: This rule was fascinating to me! Laura talks about time perception and building anticipating, changing “the entire experience of time, creating memories and an on-going sense of hope.” 

Adventure = an activity out of the ordinary but also a state of mind. It could be anything from visiting a new gelato place to taking an online class. 

Big = a few hours/half a weekend day 

Small = an hour 

7. Take one night for you. Commit to an activity you love that is separate from work and household responsibilities. 

My takeaway: LOVE this! Taking time “just for me” is not selfish! But you have to spend time intentionally on something that you find meaningful. And no, scrolling Instagram is NOT it! 

Laura points out, “Your email will still be there afterwards.” 

8. Batch the little things. Keep most of your schedule clear from unimportant tasks. 

My takeaway: You probably heard the 2-minute rule - if the task takes less than 2 minutes, do it now. But realistically, how many tasks take only 2 minutes? That is why batching the little things is such an underappreciated but fantastic idea: tackle non-urgent but important little tasks during a specific scheduled time slot. Once that is on your calendar, you can focus on truly important things. 

9. Effortful before effortless. Do active leisure activities before passive ones whenever time opens up. 

My takeaway: YES! YES! YES! If you want to read more or move more but find yourself going down the rabbit hole of social media or mindlessly flipping through TV channels, this rule is for you! 

You have to plan and prepare for your effortful activities though. For example, if you want to read more, have books ready. A great side note from Laura for readers is to “fully embrace who you are as a reader” – it is OK to skip the books you do not enjoy! 

Here is my rule: I set a 10-minute YouTube timer in my phone settings. And let me tell you, at that point I am only too happy to be cut off from the viral “Dame Un Grr” videos!

Some additional thoughts from me: 

These 9 rules create a shift from “what’s happening” to “what’s important” – in fact, many of these rules might result in a mindset shift, as well as schedule changes. Small changes (remember my TINY HABITS post?) can have a big impact! 

“Many wonderful things absolutely won’t happen without planning” – you have to be intentional about how you spend your time. 

Some ideas were really thought-provoking and applicable not to just time management. For example, exploring your strong reaction or resistance to something might be interesting in its own right. There might be avoidance (due to perfectionism or imposter syndrome) or guilt from ”I do not deserve to have fun” narrative. 

Time passes no matter what. If you do not plan, you will end up doing what is in front of you (e.g., laundry, bills, Instagram, TV, etc.) instead of what you want to do (e.g., visit a new museum or take a hike with a friend). 

Focus on progress, not perfection. All-or-nothing mentality is your enemy.

What will happen if you didn’t do it (a chore) or maybe did it later? Hah! This idea might be revolutionary for some of us! 

Each experience has 3 parts: anticipation, the actual event, and reflection/recollection. “Plans have benefits even when plans don’t happen”: did you know that anticipation accounts for the majority of any happiness associated with an event?

I leave you with this: Ask yourself - what could go right?! This is one of my favorite ideas in general. We often focus on negative ‘what could go wrongs’ but why not think about all the wonderful ‘what could go rights?’ 

What did you think? Drop me a line! 

Source / image: https://lauravanderkam.com/2022/08/tranquility-by-tuesday-the-9-rules/