Friends of Dave #171: It's SATURDAY!
Quarantining is making daily life pretty weird isn't it?
Did you ever watch the documentary Super Size Me ? You know the one where the guy decides to eat nothing but McDonald's every day for a month?
If you are still among those who haven't seen it, you can probably find some time to stream it (and the just-okay follow up, Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!) after you watch Tiger King (don't spoil it for me).
Anyway...one of the more interesting/scarier things that happens in the first Super Size Me is the transformation Morgan Spurlock's body goes through over the course of his month sustaining himself on a daily diet of super sized Big Macs, fries and soft drinks.
A similar transformation is sort of happening to all of our daily lives right now, isn't it? The novelty of working from home is wearing off for most people, and a shelter in place mentality combined with limited out-and-about time is leading to schedules unfolding very differently than they were just a few weeks ago.
I've worked from a home office for a while now, but for those who haven't, I am hearing about days that are starting blend into each other. Perhaps because there is no definitive end date to this, no regular weekend activities or social events or no work clothes/home clothes dynamic, people are suddenly losing track of what day it is. Is this happening to you?
If so, for the record, TODAY IS SATURDAY. That means you do NOT have to do work today (at least most of you)....you certainly have nowhere to be.
And for those of you reading this after April 4, permission for you to think that today is Saturday....I mean, really, WTF difference does it make at this point, right?
Are people going to really question whether you miss that Zoom conference? The plethora of excuses you now have at your finger tips is actually quite impressive...
Kidding aside, this metamorphosis of our schedules is having some positive effects. I was talking to a member of the FoD community this week about this during a check in -- the blended schedules combined with the absence of travel (commuting/work related) is actually making it EASIER for some of us to be more emotionally present and connected with ourselves and our families at home.
It allows us take time during the day to do something we normally would not do -- GUILT FREE. Take a walk, meditate, cook, do something with a loved one, or even be a guest on a Friends of Dave podcast.
Work time is no longer defined by the hours you are chained to a desk in your office, traffic times or mass transit schedules. So it's not so "crazy" to have midweek game nights or movie nights or Zoom reunions with old friends and then get some work done before going to bed.
Whatever you do during this time just remember to create some boundaries for yourself, Friends. Easy to get lost in the work and the worries and forget to take care of yourself.
ON A SEPARATE NOTE: I recorded 6 new podcasts over the past week, Friends. SIX....SEIS....still need to edit and post most of them, but you can find them on a bunch of platforms including Spotify, Apple, Anchor, YouTube, etc. You have time on your hands, it's easy, a lot of fun and I am happy to get you in the queue.
NEW EDITIONS: Meg Murphy (thanks Erica Seidel for putting her story on my radar!) and Jamil Sheppard -- who some may recall guested almost two years ago. Particularly interesting to revisit his story, as a lot has changed with him.
Finally, last Saturday night we discovered that Questlove from The Roots was hosting a nightly live stream DJ session on Facebook/YouTube/Instagram. It was a great way to spend the evening -- very cool vibes with a different artist/focus each night. Highly recommend checking one out.
Stay safe everyone!
XOXO
Dave
Think on This...
It Took a Global Pandemic, But Generation X is Finally Getting Love
All of the sudden folks are impressed by our remarkable resilience, our ability to entertain ourselves for hours on end and our willingness to shelter in place without whining.
It might feel like “the end of the world as we know it” ― but Generation X feels fine (okay, sort of). My sentiments exactly.
A Few to Stay Honest For Your Day Job...
The "end-of-the-world" business is booming
“Coronavirus is just the spark,” says one doomsday prep supplier. “What’s really driving sales is the fear of what’s to come.”
This one is a little long, but an interesting look at how companies that tapped into the "prepper economy" are now benefiting on focusing on that niche.
Marketing Right Now Is #$%*ing Hard.
If your content and marketing are helping people, even just a few of them, even in small ways, you have nothing to feel ashamed about.
Good, easy to digest, insightful look at the realities companies are going to have selling and marketing anything over the coming weeks and months. There are going to have to be phases in how you talk about and sell your services -- this gives some good ideas on how you and your teams can do that.
Your Weekly Dose of Randomness...
Emotional Attachment To Roombas Suggests Humans Can Love Their 'Bots
Oddly, my wife would confirm that the two things I would definitely try to save in a fire: our asshole carnival goldfish Matt and our Roomba....
Hey, shake your head, but you know you are going to click on it in 3...2.......1
Puzzles: The Nation's Go To for Passing Time in Quarantine
Thomas Kaeppeler, president of Ravensburger North America Inc., a game and toy giant, said the company’s puzzle sales have rocketed 370% over the past two weeks. The company sold seven puzzles per minute in North America last year and expects to now reach 20 puzzles per minute in 2020. “The scale of this surge in puzzle sales is absolutely unprecedented,” Kaeppeler said.
Astronauts could use their own pee to build future moon habitats
And, interestingly, they will do so while wistfully gazing upon Uranus....
And The Last Word....
Samuel L. Jackson's Spirited Reading of 'Stay The F**k' At Home' Should Brighten Your Day — thegrapevine.theroot.com
Samuel L. Jackson is just as fed up with being indoors day in and day out as the rest of us. But, much like Morgan Freeman, there are some messages that just require his voice to make them hit home in a certain way.