Hi Reader,

In my last email, I mentioned the extra study thrown into the mix of my creative life, and consequently, I've had to try and improve my time management and planning. So I thought I'd share what I've been doing lately which you can read below.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy today's email 😊
​

Reclaiming time and attention 🌼

There is, of course, much discussion online about our attention and how certain companies aim to get and keep it. Taking back (some) control of our attention not only helps mentally but, of course, it also means gaining back time that you get to spend more intentionally. 

Occasionally, there are times when there is more on your plate, so it becomes necessary to use your time more wisely. Having tested different systems and software, more recently, I've cobbled together a method that seems to work best for me. If you have lots of variation in your weeks/projects and aren't great with planning too far ahead of time either (since it all shifts anyway!), perhaps some of these might help.

PLANNING:

I've dabbled with tools like Notion, Asana, Monday, Todoist, Trello, etc. and most of the time, when I've tried to get organised it all ends up feeling overwhelming and then gets ignored.

For a few months now I've been using ​Sunsama​, where the focus is really just on the day ahead, and that is the priority. You can fill in weekly or recurring tasks, but it's designed with daily focus and reflection in mind.

But before I use it, I start with two drafted notes on my computer. The first is a brain dump of all the tasks I have rattling around in my mind, and I mean ALL the things, which is mostly categorised (clients, biz, courses, uni, home). Then, I have another list for the week ahead and pencil in what I'd ideally like to complete each day. It's just to get it out of my head, or I'll forget. Then, I use both lists to decide on the priority for the day ahead and add those tasks to Sunsama.

I think this works for me because each morning, I start from a clean state and decide and prioritise what I will do that day. It makes it easy to see the most essential tasks and helps me better understand how much time I actually spend on them.

BLOCKING:

I've also had to limit other time-killing or distracting apps and websites that just become habitual to check constantly. I've deleted any app, such as Instagram, on my phone and deactivated paid streaming services. It's not for everyone, but it's what I know I need to do for myself based on how much time I can spend on them. I've also added websites I spend too much unnecessary time on into a list of restricted sites, which you can do within the Apple screen time settings. It's not foolproof because if you visit the restricted site, you'll see a button allowing access (it makes no sense to me why it's there, either). But the point is that you have a second to decide, which helps create a disruption in that habit before getting sucked into the content. Overall, it's helped reduce the screen time on my phone by around 30%, which has meant more time for reading books mainly and getting better sleep.

WRITING:

The other tool I've revisited is Morning Pages, which I'm sure lots of you have heard of or done in the past. It's a daily practice shared by Julia Cameron in the book The Artist's Way. Like brain-dumping all the tasks into a note, I find it clears out many of the looping thoughts I have floating around. Doing this before I plan for the day has helped me become more intentional and focused. I have another of Julia's books called The Listening Path: The Creative Art of Attention, which I haven't read yet but am eager to do soon as it applies so much to what I've been trying to do.

Have any other tips, what works for you? I'd love to hear!

Thoughts on Substack 💭

I've just started looking at Substack to discover new creatives, read without distraction or ads, and potentially use as a place to write. What I've seen so far feels like the earlier days of blogging (and RSS feeds) and a genuinely lovely space to hang out. I'm curious if any of you have started using it or have been spending lots of time there already. What do you love about it, and what doesn't quite work for you there? Whether I use it myself will take some thought as I can barely keep up with other content I always plan to do. I have some ideas, though, and will have more time later in the year to possibly start working on some of them!
​

Use code MAGIC11 to receive 11% off the Inner Star Oracle SHOP NOW

BONUS GIFT! As a lovely subscriber in my community, if you leave a note on the checkout page with the word ‘NECKLACE’ or ‘KEYCHAIN’, I’ll pop one of these beauties into your order!

Work 1:1 with me ✨

I'm open to new collaborations and client projects for the second half of this year. Have a product idea you’d like to brainstorm? Need help with designing your business offerings? Read more about the creative projects we can create together. Let's create some magic!

​Find out more here.

​

As always, I'd love to hear from you and what you're up to! Hit reply to catch me up on what's happening in life and biz for you.

Sending love,
Jo.

​

​

​

​

No longer interested in receiving The Darling Tree newsletters? No worries at all, simply click here and I'll update your preference, thanks!

​

The Darling Tree acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country we live and work on, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.