Reflections on Tranquility By Tuesday

Over the past 10 weeks, I have been writing about the book Tranquility By Tuesday* by Laura Vanderkam. It came back into my life at a time when I was able to apply it to my quest for a more deliberate life. Today’s article will focus on a look at how, or if, I am applying the rules during my reflections on Tranquility By Tuesday.

All The Rules Have Value

There is not a single rule in the Tranquility By Tuesday* book that I thought about dismissing out of hand. Each one of the rules I could see would have value when applied to my life.

They were selected for having a lot of impact on a life, and I completely agree that they would…if I could keep all of them up.

A Habit Won’t Stick If You Do It Once

There is a lot of talk in scientific/psychological circles about what it takes to make a habit. All I know, and I am sure all the scientists would agree, is that doing something once before moving on to the next thing is not going to make something stick as a habit.

I found it more difficult to deal with the once-a-week habits on their own. As soon as I put them together and tied them to the planning rule, I was able to make it flow better.

What Stuck

The rules that I found easiest to assimilate were the ones where I was already doing something similar:

• #2 Plan on Fridays: I already had a habit of planning the week, but it was on a Sunday. Moving to Fridays gave me a large chunk of my Sunday back, but also made things easier to deal with. Weekends became less of a “get all the leftover stuff done” and move of a time to engage in meaningful and deliberate activity.
• #5 Create A Backup Slot: I was already leaving time in my schedule for when something earlier slipped. But purposefully creating backup slots means that I don’t stress if something doesn’t get done. I know I will have another time in the week.
• #7 Take One Night For You: I have been taking Wednesdays for music rehearsals for many, many years. This one changed the least, but I found my attitude shifting from an activity that tried my patience to something I looked forward to where I get to socialize and connect.

What Became Part of the Weekly Plan

The rules that shifted and became easier to do when attached to the weekly plan are:

• #4 3 Time A Week Is A Habit: instead of beating myself up for not going to the gym more often, I canceled my gym membership and started using an at-home space. I schedule the time for 3-4 sessions a week, and can easily fit it in on the days I work from home. Same with percussion practice. I find that attaching this to the weekly planning makes it much more likely I will get it done.
• #8 Batch The Little Things: Looking at my schedule from a weekly view, I am able to schedule a couple of hours to deal with the little stuff. I do all my house cleaning, both weekly and deep, in one session (with a backup planned). I spend time at my desk and deal with all the paperwork in one session. My blog paperwork is done on Mondays before dinner (with the added time constraint helping me move through it faster).
• #6 One Big Adventure, One Little Adventure: instead of looking at large open areas on my schedule on the weekend I find myself looking for an adventure. This allows me to think outside the box. I have written at the library, gone to lunch with a friend, had coffee with another friend. All of these things are done without having to watch the clock. My little adventures are just little differences in my schedule like eating lunch outside at the office or reading a new book or napping with the cat. One Friday, I took advantage of an unexpected opening in my schedule and went to some stores I hadn’t been to in a long time.

What Didn’t Stick

It’s funny when I look at the things that didn’t stick, because they are the two things that I know will have the greatest impact on the rest of my life.

• #1 Give Yourself A Bedtime: I know how helpful this is. I know how much better I feel when I get enough sleep. I know how much easier the next day is when I go to bed on time. I have alarms set to remind me to get ready for bed. And yet, I can’t seem to do it consistently. Sometimes I get to bed on time and get caught up in what I am reading and end up staying up past midnight. Sometimes I just can’t make myself go to bed. It is something I will keep working on.
• #3 Move By 3 P.M.: Like the sleeping, I know how much better I feel when I get up and walk. I know how much better I feel when I have done a video. I have videos for all different levels and lengths, thanks to FitOn and BetterMe. I reward myself by watching a favorite show while on the elliptical. I have time scheduled to make it a habit. And I still can’t make myself do it. Since I am now really looking at ways to bring down inflammation and build muscle, I will have to keep working on it.

The Hardest Rule To Follow

I have found that the hardest rule to follow is #9 Effortful Before Effortless. Not because it is particularly difficult, but rather because I forget there are options for what I will tackle next.

When I remember to do this, it is good. I have made more progress on little projects and habits since I started doing this than perhaps in the past six months. The problem is remembering.

To make this a little easier, I made myself a bookmark listing all of the little effortful things I could do before doing something effortless. These include Duolingo, practicing a musical instrument, learning new technology, listening to a podcast, reading a saved article, crafting and more.

The bookmark is visible whenever I have my bullet journal open. I find that having the list makes me remember what I can do before I play a video game or watch a mystery or lose myself in a book.

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I will continue to work on making these rules fit into my life. I have noticed a lot less stress since I started following them. And the two that I haven’t integrated are of such value that it will give me a lot of positive result for little effort. I am glad that I came across this book again and I’ve found it a worthwhile use of my time.