Sunday with The Scribes - #2
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Sunday with The Scribes - #2

When creating your to-do list, don't add a big project as a line item. Instead, create a visual map, think through your timeline, and set measurable milestones to keep you on task. We all have room for improvement when taking on a big task, so check out this article to help you do more - faster and more effectively.
Sunday with The Scribes - #1
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Sunday with The Scribes - #1

This weekly newsletter will be brief, informative, and hopefully, a bit inspiring. We want to share content that can help you in your daily life, while keeping you updated on what we have going on at The Scribes.
Sunday with The Scribes - #45
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Sunday with The Scribes - #45

Productivity TipYou've heard this one before and we'll happily remind you because this one is important.Re-think your social media usage.This past year, we have been glued to our phones more than ever, and now that the world is rebounding, it's time we re-think how much we use our devices. We are all fortunate for the connectivity they provided us during a time of distance from our friends and family, but science is showing us that we are far too obsessed with our devices, and social media in particular. The long-term effects are ugly.Similar to how you may budget your finances, think about budgeting your time on social media. Limited social media use will allow for you to think more clearly, and focus on your life as opposed to others.What's in our journalWe are betting on the future of NYC and expanding our retail presence! Our products can now be found at Whalebone, located at 328 Bleecker in the West Village. If that name sounds familiar, it's because it is. They recently wrote an article about our give-back efforts in NYC.Since launching our new line of journals on March 25, we've been tracking every item to see which one customers like most. After two weeks, the winners are currently our Softcover Scribes, in blue and green. Get yours today, and let us know what you think!Lastly, a happy belated goes out to our teammate and partner Alden Bohrmann! This past week we got together for the second time in a year to celebrate #27.Happy Sunday!
Sunday with The Scribes - #44
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Sunday with The Scribes - #44

Productivity TipToday's focus: Spring CleaningAnd not just the closet or garage that you've been putting off for a while. Exercise a little spring cleaning in between your ears.Just as important as 'success' itself, is understanding how you are most successful. In other words, how are you tracking what's working and what's not working in your life? If you can answer that question, you can double down on the good stuff, and shine a bright light on the things holding you back.For those who have read Green Lights by Matthew McConaughey, this is his whole message. Make note of the green lights in life, ride them, and enjoy them. When life throws you a yellow light, or even a red light, learn from it, but do your best to catch the next the green light.Good things compound.What's in our journalSpeaking of Spring Cleaning, we did some serious tidying up at the little Scribes HQ in Lower Manhattan.We are now more organized than ever, and we are confident that it will have ripple effects across our entire business, including faster shipping to you and less anxiety for us!As a reminder, we now have a total of 18 different journal variations. Hardcover journals, softcover journals, lined pages, dotted pages - we've got them all.We are also still in stock (for now) of our best selling pen, The Quill.Use promo code "Q2" for 10% off and start making note of the green lights. And to all who celebrate Easter, we wish you a happy one!
Sunday with The Scribes - #43
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Sunday with The Scribes - #43

Productivity TipThis past week has been incredibly busy. We released a new website, expanded our product line, and worked tirelessly to create great content.It wasn't all smooth sailing, and we definitely had our share of frustrating moments and feelings of anxiety. In fact, on Wednesday, we wrote down all of the things that weren't working out!With that said, we were productive enough to move a bunch of stuff forward, so we figured we'd share what worked for us. Below are a few of our own 'productivity tips' that helped keep us on track.1. Knock out the quick tasks when you don't know exactly what to work on.This week, we spent a lot of time in 'hurry up and wait' mode while getting everything ready for launch. In those moments where you don't know exactly what to work on, look at your to-do list and find something that isn't shiny or desirable and knock it out. For us, it was organizing our office in anticipation for 50+ boxes of journals to arrive. Because we crossed off this task early, receiving the inventory and organizing it onto our shelves was relatively painless.2. Due dates = accountability.As a team, we didn't spend a lot of time together in person this week, which meant that each of us had to be responsible enough to get our individual tasks completed in order for all of this to come together in unison. It was super helpful to set due dates, even for the smallest of tasks, to ensure that we were holding each other accountable.3. Do (and then fix)For us, it is critical that we take big swings and fix whatever mess we've created afterwards. The longer we deliberate and tinker, the more likely we are to talk ourselves out of the situation.4. Whatever you are working on - put it into context.We stumbled across the image below this week, and it couldn't have been more timely.What's in our journalWe hope it's clear by now...We've made some big changes to our brand and we are ready to grow.We've got 15+ new products.A sweet new website.And so much good work to look forward to, together.Some of you in this newsletter have stuck with us now for 43 consecutive weeks. That's a long time!As a way to cheers to the next 43 weeks together, spend over $43 on our new products and we'll send a free journal to a friend of yours, on us. After your order comes in, we'll email you for their information.Have a great Sunday,
Sunday with The Scribes - #42
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Sunday with The Scribes - #42

PRODUCTIVITY TIPReminder: Progress is a long-game.Q1 2021 is almost over, so it's a good time to check in with yourself on the things you are working towards. A couple of quick tips on this: If you are trying to build a new habit, create a habit tracker. This will allow for you to see the progress you have made. If you are trying to wake up early, create a sleep tracker. This way you can track the days that have led to bad sleep and understand what else happened that day to impact it. If you are on a fitness journey, take pictures. With pictures, you can see your progress without obsessing over the scale. No matter what your goals are - keep at them!WHAT'S IN OUR JOURNALOver the past four weeks, the format of Sunday with The Scribes has looked a little different. Over this period of time, we've interviewed some of our personal and professional role models, to learn about their Sundays, and what they do to get themselves prepared for the week.We felt like this exercise was a nice changeup to our regular newsletter, but we want your feedback so we know for sure. Take this survey to give us some feedback on our weekly newsletter. A $10 store credit will be given to all respondents! --This week we'll be launching our brand new product line! If you don't already follow us on social, check us out @thescribesco so you are first in line when the new products are available!---Happy Sunday,- Mike, Pooja, and Alden
Sunday with The Scribes - #41 (Interview Edition)
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Sunday with The Scribes - #41 (Interview Edition)

Today, on our fourth and final Sunday with The Scribes: Interview Edition, we welcome Melanie Travis, Founder and CEO of Andie - a fast-growing swimwear company based in New York City.We first met Melanie in March of 2020 while attending a virtual presentation she gave on digital marketing strategy. Since then, she's been someone we've leaned on for advice and guidance, and we are really excited to share her wisdom with you all.We hope you enjoy the interview!OUR CONVERSATION WITH MELANIE TRAVISThis is Sunday with The Scribes, a newsletter that goes out every Sunday morning with the hopes to inspire the day and week ahead. Melanie - What does your typical Sunday look like?I try not to do any work on Sundays, so that I feel refreshed and ready to go on Monday. Somehow someone is always trying to schedule a call on a Sunday, but unless it's an emergency I put my foot down about no calls. My company is a lot more mature now than it used to be, so I feel like I've earned a solid day off. I'll typically sleep in (which means 9am or so), then I have a slow morning of coffee and breakfast. Thankfully my dog is old enough now that she can wait for me to finish breakfast before I have to take her out, which is a nice new development. After breakfast I'll take her out for her biggest walk of the week, and if my wife doesn't come with me then I'll use the opportunity to call my mom and catch up.After her walk, the rest of the day is filled just doing things that bring me joy. I'll paint, practice the guitar, play some chess.com (I'm obsessed), do an energetic workout. I love Sundays.At the end of the day, I'll check my calendar for the week to see what I've got going on. I'll take out my Scirbes journal and jot down a preliminary to-do list for the week. Once it's written down, I can rest easy and feel more prepared for Monday morning.It's Monday morning and your calendar is booked with meetings from 9:00am to 6:00pm. A meeting gets cancelled and all of a sudden you have a free hour in the middle of your day. How are you going to spend this time? I'll jump on the spin bike! We recently got a Soul Cycle bike and I love when I can hop on for a 30 or 45 minute class in the middle of the work day. Endorphins do wonders to keep me going!What’s a habit or ritual that helps you be your most productive self?Definitely writing down my to-dos. I used to let my to-do list live in my head or I'd try various apps online, but there is nothing like writing an old-fashioned list, and then crossing things off as you do them. I feel more organized and productive with a clear, written list of things I need to do. Plus, when I keep my written to-dos in front of me, I find that I doodle in the margins while I'm on calls, which I think brings extra creative energy to my day. --As we round out this four-week experiment of Sunday with The Scribes: Interview Edition, we'd like to say thank you to our four guests who have taken the time to speak with us. That's Vicky Tsai from Tatcha, Dr. Maria Bruce, Nate Checketts from Rhone, and Melanie Travis from Andie.---Happy Sunday,- Mike, Pooja, and Alden
Sunday with The Scribes - #40 (Interview Edition)
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Sunday with The Scribes - #40 (Interview Edition)

This week, we are excited to bring to you some productivity tips from the Founder and CEO of Rhone, Nate Checketts! In our opinion, Rhone is the premier performance brand for men, selling the best ath-leisure wear on the market. If you haven't heard of them, give them a look and use promo code Scribes15 for 15% off!Now, on to this weeks Q&A with Nate!OUR CONVERSATION WITH NATE CHECKETTSThis is Sunday with The Scribes, a newsletter that goes out every Sunday morning with the hopes to inspire the day and week ahead.Nate - What does your typical Sunday look like?I think the great age-old question on Sunday is this: “Is Sunday the beginning of a new week or the end of the past week?” For me it is right at the intersection and it is without question my most important day of the week. I try to go to bed and wake up at similar hours every day of the week, but Sunday is the one I make sure I am up early on. Sunday is a faith and family focused day so for me to make the most of it I need to have 2 hours distraction free before my 3 boys wake up. I start with a pattern that I have followed for about 5 years. I actually put a timer on for each of these things to keep me moving and on track.2.5 mins - Plank Hold — this wakes me up and gets my mind and body firing 7.5 mins - PRAYER / AFFIRMATIONS / VISUALIZATIONS — prayer is my mediation; I express gratitude I think about what I have been given and blessed with. Affirmations are pre-written out. Some I have kept for over a decade and others are new. But with each I spend time visualizing. If I ever go long in any area it is usually here—trying to really capture and see what I want to affirm. 20m - Inspiration reading: Next I try and read and ponder inspirational text. This can be words of stoics, poetry and / or books of scripture 15m - Prior Week Review: Now I am in a state to really do a hindsight and understand what went well, what didn’t go well, what still needs to be done, what is taking energy, what do I need to give more energy to 15m - Upcoming Week Review: Then I start with my schedule to make sure I understand and ground myself in what I’ve already committed to, what needs to be moved and then what do I need to add so I am ready to meet with my assistant and team on Monday morning and make that time effective. Lastly, I finish up with an hour of journaling and project planning. This is a rotating time depending on the week of the month and is generally the most important work for me to stay on track with goals. Here's how I break it down:Week 1: Parental FocusFather / Son Interviews —sit down with each son and see how they are doingPlan 1on1 for the Month — this is a monthly outing that rotates but a chance for my kids to feel like an only child so making sure I have it scheduledReview Parenting commitments and Principles Week 2: PhysicalReview doctors appointments, make to dos to schedule any necessary onesExercise Review (make sure there is a plan)Nutrition ReviewDetermine any deadlines or commitments such as a race or another commitment Week 3: FinancialReview personal balance sheetReview open tasksMake any planned donationsPay retirement / pay selfReview Financial goals Week 4: Fun / HobbiesReview bucket listReview goals around hobbies / having funLook at potential trip planningWeek 5: BONUS (once a quarter)Make up for any lost time on the above or a missed sessionAfter these 2 hours I am really ready to focus on family and faith. So, the rest of the day revolves around family time, whether that’s taking a family walk with our dog Mia, learning how to skateboard with my three boys, reading a book series out loud together, family movie night or playing board games—my kids love board games. Sundays are meant to be refreshing, to have some fun, and to get centered for the upcoming week. For me to feel refreshed I need to have that time with my wife and kids.It's Monday morning and your calendar is booked with meetings from 9:00am to 6:00pm. A meeting gets cancelled and all of a sudden you have a free hour in the middle of your day. How are you going to spend this time? Generally, I’m an early am exercise person but If I’m feeling energized, I love to sneak in an extra outdoor run or walk. On those Mondays where I’m feeling as if I’m already behind on the week, I would take that spare hour usually with a Clean Simple Eats protein shake in hand and chip away at my inbox which admittedly is the bane of my existence!What’s a habit or ritual that helps you be your most productive self?I have a sheet of paper with personal goals, meaningful quotes, and pictures that I put together years ago, hung up by my bathroom mirror. Every morning while brushing my teeth I read through it, I realign with what is most important to me, who and what I’m grateful for, and remind myself of my goals. I think, “How can I make efforts towards that goal today?” Those few moments of inner thinking while brushing my teeth, help me prepare for the upcoming day and help me become my most productive self.---We hope some of Nate's practices inspire you to make the most of this Sunday. Let us know what you thought of this week's newsletter by hitting reply and sharing your feedback!Happy Sunday,- Mike, Pooja, and Alden
Sunday with The Scribes - #39 (Interview Edition)
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Sunday with The Scribes - #39 (Interview Edition)

For the second consecutive week of Sunday with The Scribes - Interview Edition, we are joined by a great friend of The Scribes, Dr. Maria Bruce!Maria is a licensed psychotherapist and performance coach practicing in New York City, working to help individuals, teams, and companies optimize performance, manage stress, boost productivity, and enhance relationship interactions. In the field of productivity and mental health, Maria is no joke. Just ask Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Brides, Vogue, and Vice. (places where Maria has shared her thoughts).We've had the pleasure of working with Maria in designing and creating The Optimalist - our take on a guided journal. The Optimalist serves as a cross between a white-board and a journal, making it the perfect tool for optimizing productivity and keeping tabs on your well-being. For a limited time, take 15% your purchase of The Optimalist with promo code SUNDAY. Now, on to this weeks Q&A with Dr. Maria Bruce!OUR CONVERSATION WITH MARIA BRUCEThis is Sunday with The Scribes, a newsletter that goes out every Sunday morning with the hopes to inspire the day and week ahead. Maria - What does your typical Sunday look like?Sunday starts when I make my coffee and put on a tune, followed by breakfast with the family. If the weather is nice, I’ll go for a run - that is what helps me get energized, clear my head, and mentally get organized for the coming week. The rest of the day, we usually do a special activity with the kids that ranges from sports, to going to a museum, to meeting up with friends (socially distant, and in open air now!). The rest of the day is where we start winding down and start getting prepared for Monday. The day ends with me reflecting and writing in my journal three positive things that happened during the day, and three things that I’m setting as goals for the next day. When I wake up in the morning the next day, reading about the positive things puts me in a great mindset to start the day, and the goals are a great way to focus on what needs to be accomplished.It's Monday morning and your calendar is booked with meetings from 9:00am to 6:00pm. A meeting gets cancelled and all of a sudden you have a free hour in the middle of your day. How are you going to spend this time? The first thing that I will do is check my “to-do” list. I like to divide my list with “important” and “less important” tasks. This allows me to choose if I want to tackle some of the lower-priority items that I keep pushing off, or to only focus on the primary items that needs to get done. Either way, I’ll always allow at least the last 10-15 min to do something special for myself, reenergizing, stimulating, or relaxing. Some of my preferences are using a breathing pacer to help me re-balance and to “reset” my mind, a couple of yoga/stretching exercises, going for a small walk, reading a book, or listening to a podcast or one of my playlists.What’s a habit or ritual that helps you be your most productive self?I will start by writing down everything that comes to mind that needs to get done. I then rearrange the order. I usually start working on something easily accomplished first. This kick-starts my sense of productivity, and puts me in the right mindset to tackle something else that might be more complex.---Next week, we are stepping into the field of ath-leisure, where we'll share our conversation with a Founder/CEO who has built a thriving company in an intensely competitive industry. $5 gift card from us if you can guess who it is!Happy Sunday,- Mike, Pooja, and Alden