I’ve lost track of how many Magpies have written to let me know they’ve adopted the mantra:
Just move the dirt.
Some of you have this taped to your desk, or saved as an alarm title for your morning workout wakeup; others use it as shorthand in your offices with workplace friends.
The phrase comes from a Magpie reader, who shared that whenever she is dreading a run, she’ll tell herself: “Just move the dirt, girl.” And I love the no-frills, no-fluff entreaty: get out there and get it done. I am big on the sentimental, but sometimes I need that kind of unflinching tough love. It fits snugly with my yeomen-like ethos around creative practice:
Inspiration will not always find you, so you must learn to be disciplined.
Landon and I were talking about this recently within the context of completion desire. I love to cross a task off a list, and have learned over time to break projects down into clusters of small tasks so that I can “feel” my progress on a daily basis versus staring anxiously at one longer-term goal that I won’t be able to “cross off” for months. I do this in every realm of life — household admin, fitness, business, creative undertakings. I’ll even put “laundry” and “order uniform socks” on my to-dos just so I can make my own effort, my own progress, visible. Landon is much better about accommodating the middles without these visual crutches — and life is, after all, a lot of middles. He is master of the middle; comfortable in the formation of things. He somehow intuitively understands that even if he’s not crossed something off of a list, every moment of research and conversation is part of the process that gets us to the end. I marvel at his “dirt-moving” leadership in this. I was telling him just yesterday that I felt I was floundering with a particular project related to my blog, and was outlining all the things I’d explored and contemplated and not yet been able to implement for various reasons. He looked at me incredulously and said: “You’re doing the work, Jen. That is the work.” The thinking, the consideration of possibilities, the logisticizing, the changing tacks, the right-sizing — this, too, is the job. Just because I’d not yet implemented a solution didn’t mean I hadn’t made material progress against the goal. I’d been moving the dirt all along — who knew?
I thought these thoughts might be apropos if you are staring down a very Monday Monday laden with micro-tasks and drudgery and middles.
Onward! Keep moving the dirt!
Post-Scripts.
+Are you a hummingbird or a jackhammer?
+Advice for disillusioned writers.
+What’s something you wish people understood about your job?
Shopping Break.
+Alert! Alice Walk is running a highly rare 20% off on all of their sweaters. I have been wearing this cashmere cardigan around the house constantly lately, but my absolute favorite sweater they make is their cotton weekender. It’s truly a year round sweater — perfect for chilly nights at the beach / on the water, and soft like a sweatshirt in the fall and winter. I own in two colors! Now is the time to grab one.
+Treat yourself this spring to the best white tee on the planet. It’s a splurge but I promise you’ll reach for it every time you open your drawer. It is perfectly tuckable (great length but also a sufficiently thin fabric that won’t bunch / add bulk) and opaque, and I love the fit — the sleeves are perfectly cut. I just noticed they offer a two-pack for a discount (get two white tees for $145 vs $180). I also own this tee in brown, navy, gray, and black. Literally perfect. I also adore this scoopneck tank for pairing with fuller skirts and trousers in the summer. My code, magpie15, gets you 15% off sitewide but may not work on the two-pack t-shirts.
+If $90 is too steep for a tee (but I PROMISE the money per wear makes it make sense — and the quality is incredible), the $15 Uniqlo is a great standby. Thicker material and more cropped length.
+I use these inexpensive julep cups all over my house — as mini vases, as pen cups, as toothbrush cups, etc.
+I got a lot of wear out of these netted Staud flats last summer; I noticed Target released a cute Mary Jane take on this trend with this $35 pair.
+So many of you ordered this Tuckernuck dress last week that I had to follow suit. Just ordered to try, along with this white lace caftan I’d been eyeing for several weeks and this fun patterned version of our favorite boxy top. (Imagine with white jeans.). Try YOUROCK or YOURULE as promo codes — one or the other usually gets you 20% off. More Tuckernuck picks here.
+Such a pretty spring blouse.
+Two really cute Anthro finds: these tomato plates and this spring front door mat.
+Rag and Bone just sent us 20% off code! JEN20, sitewide. You know I love their wide-leg jeans; I’m eyeing this featherweight pair for the transition to warmer weather.
+Loving my new Varley bomber. It works over athleisure or with jeans / casual wear. So chic!
+I just found this perfect petite Marni wallet on sale for 50% off.
+Still time to avail ourselves of the Serena and Lily 25% off sale for backyard furniture! We have this teak dining table on our patio, and I love the clean look of these chaises.
+Really chic woven bucket bag – looks more expensive than it is.