I’ll be out of the office until Tuesday, July 5th.

Why?

Every quarter, I make a point to go off the grid for a week. No email, no social media, no news.

This time away from my computer and phone is usually when I get my best ideas.

It’s my time to breathe (as depicted well in this comic).

I like sharing these out off office messages (like this one and this one and this one) on this blog for a few reasons:

• To inspire you to get away periodically and regularly.
• To remind you that I’m human and know you are, too.
• To encourage you to do make something while I spend the week making nothing. (If you make something from my recipe index, do tag it with #lifeisnoyoke.)

As always, here are answers to all your Vitamix questions (which has a link to my new fancy schmancy Vitamix comparison tool.)

With everything else, I’ll check back when I return.

Good things,
Lenny

Notes are the original text message.

Leave more of them.

Construction is constant.

On your route. Out your window. In your ear.

So tune it out. Prepare for it.

And consider doing some of your own.

Presence is practiced.

Keep on.

On the plane or elevator or next door is an opportunity for a life-changing conversation.

Don’t seek it out.

But don’t let silence block it, either.

Here’s how to make something.

Turn off your phone.

Grab a pen.

Wait for it.

Make your quarters like years.

At the end, go on vacation, assess your accomplishments, and clear your desk.

Happy New Year.

Your “also” will probably get overlooked.

So either make it the #2, or make it go away.

If you unexpectedly run into someone you know, remember this: That moment will never happen again.

A new apartment. A spouse. A new job. A car. (Even, a blender, as I’ve found.)

There are a lot of choices. And certainly, you don’t want to make the wrong decision.

But you also don’t want to hold out for something that doesn’t exist. (There will always be the price of admission.)

So here’s how you make a pick.

Step 1) Figure out what you want. Seems obvious, but if you aren’t certain that you want a husband or condo or in-house job, you’re wasting your time looking.

Step 2) Figure out by when you want it. Examples: You want to be married by the time you’re 32. You want a new gig by Q1 of next year. You need to close on a new place before your current lease is up in six months.

Step 3) Measure your window. How long have you given yourself? Do the math. In the last example, you have six months.

Step 4) Divide the aforementioned window by three. Six months ’til you need to be out of your apartment? You one-third window is two (months).

Step 5) Say no to all options during this one-third window. See as many options as you can.

Step 6) After the one-third window has passed, say yes to the one that’s better than anything else you saw.

Congrats.

You just bought a house or found a spouse or landed a job.

And you found the best of what’s out there with time to spare.