Friday Shutdown Routine #6
The longest week, an embarrassing business moment, and testing a new digital planner.
Every Friday afternoon, I follow a shut-down ritual to close out this week and prepare for the next. In these posts, I’ll share what I’ve been up to, give you a peek behind my two businesses, and share a few links to jumpstart your weekend!
We’ve lived through an entire year this past week, haven’t we?
So much has happened. I can barely keep up.
To avoid spending too much time scrolling through the news, I check specific, trusted sources to stay up to date.
SmarterHer News and Tangle are my top bipartisan picks if you need a fact-based perspective! If I’m in the mood to go down the conspiracy theory train, I can’t resist peeking at houseinhabit’s IG stories to see her take, even though I’m fully aware it’s mostly gossip. I much prefer her deep dives on celebrities over politics.
Last month, Joseph purchased a birthday gift certificate for me to use at a spa in Anchorage. Yesterday was the perfect day to redeem it.
I received a facial for the first time ever (the after-appointment glow is incredible!) and a deep tissue massage to work on my jacked-up neck and hips. Apparently, sitting cross-legged on a chair hunched over a laptop isn’t the best for your body.
The massage therapist also helped relieve some tension from the new workout program I started on Monday.
As much as I love Heather Robertson’s YouTube channel, I found myself procrastinating the workouts from her 12-Week Express Program. I’m not sure why, exactly, but it was a sign that I needed to switch things up.
This new program focuses more on lifting and walking and I’m thoroughly enjoying it so far! I also picked up my new Garmin Venu 3s smartwatch, so now I’m back to tracking my daily steps.
A Peek Behind the (Business) Scenes
My Productivity Brand, KalynBrooke.com
I had an embarrassing moment this past week.
I was supposed to publish a sponsored video on Thursday, but when I looked over the final edits on Monday, I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it due to a lack of clarity in some spots.
This is the first time I’m working with a brand on my YouTube channel, so I might be overly critical of myself. However, I need to be at least 95% satisfied with the content I publish, and this video did not meet that standard.
Thankfully, the brand understood my need to postpone the publish date, and I’ve tweaked the script for a separate filming day next week. Let’s hope the second version is better!
My RV Travel Brand, Open Roading:
I was reminded that as much as people like to be entertained on Instagram, they become true fans when you provide educational value about something they are interested in learning themselves.
An educational reel I posted over a month ago brought in over 450 new followers for 26K views. It was a basic how-to about where we find fresh water for the RV.
To compare, I scrolled back to a reel with 351K views I posted earlier in the year about an arch you should visit outside Arches National Park. This reel went viral for about two weeks but only converted 216 new followers.
I think it’s good to create a mix of content based on your content pillars, but I’m definitely brainstorming some more how-to topics to share in the future.
Links to Jumpstart Your Weekend
Did you see the new Simplified digital planner? I still use Notion to organize all the things, but I wanted to test this out for journaling and note taking. I’ve been digging my Goodnotes app a lot lately!
Oops! Some of these outdated millennial outfits are still in my closet. 😬
I purchased this night cream for the third time I love it so much.
Two words: Reading Retreat. Immediately looks at the calendar to schedule one.
Need a reason to smile? You’re welcome.
Don’t forget to set aside time this weekend to do what restores your energy, whether it’s a relaxing activity, pursuing a creative endeavor, or simply taking time to put the phone away, sit still, and think.
Have a great weekend!
Kalyn