Happy Friday!
As 2017 gets underway, many of us are embracing the opportunity for a fresh start. I recently made good on a long-standing resolution and moved from New York City to Los Angeles. We’ve been in our new home for over two weeks now, and there’s still a small island of boxes in the living room. I’m typing this from a too-small desk I’ll probably shift to a different position next week, taking a tangle of cords with it. Also, we don’t have a couch yet.
But despite the disorder, this home is totally functional. The space is good; so is the light, and we’re still figuring out how to use it. Working and living amidst some messy uncertainty—and more importantly, resisting the urge to force it immediately into order—feels like a worthy challenge for a new year.
Ephrat Livni, another California-based Quartz reporter, might recognize this attitude as wu wei, or “strategic non-action,” a Taoist concept she’s embraced in her own life:
“Wu wei shows that when we stop making waves, and learn to wait and watch, we see outside forces more clearly and make wiser moves,” writes Ephrat. “Act hastily, and every step is a potential blunder, with emotion and ego driving our decisions more than reason … By not acting, we conserve energy so that we can expend it when the moment is right.”
In other words, if I rush to get all my furniture, I may not have any cash to spend when I stumble upon an amazing flea market. In all seriousness, thanks to Ephrat, I’m thinking about how to apply the principle of wu wei beyond my home décor.
When I hit a case of writer’s block, I sometimes stay unwisely glued to my chair, writing in circles when I could really use some mental space. Wu wei is all about learning to live with the temporary discomfort of that empty page—or space in the living room—and leaving yourself some energy to fill it when the time is right.
Winter workouts might actually be a part of your personal wu wei strategy, providing a breather from other challenges and valuable time outdoors. Finding the motivation can be tough during the colder, darker months, but as Quartz’s Cassie Werber suggests, the right equipment and a post-workout reward can make a big difference. My Marmot softshell jacket has gotten a lot of recent wear, and I look forward to finding my favorite spot for a massage in L.A. (I’m starting at The Now, and taking suggestions!)
Old and new favorites for feeling the flow. I finally saw—and loved—Moonlight, and am now also loving its haunting soundtrack, which seamlessly drops Goodie Mob’s 1995 banger ”Cell Therapy” into the middle of a string-laden classical score by composer Nicholas Britell.
When it comes to forming good habits, Stanford psychologist B.J. Fogg says the key is taking “baby steps.” (Fans of the 1991 comedy What About Bob?, starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss, will not be surprised.)
Quartz’s Lila MacLellan wrote about “the Fogg Method,” a three-step program for developing positive behavior patterns through what Fogg calls “tiny habits.” (Or, you know, baby steps.) Here’s how it works:
1. Identify your desired outcome. (For example: Take regular stretching breaks while working from home.)
2. Create a “tiny habit” to put you on the path to your desired outcome. (Unroll a yoga mat on the floor at the start of every day. You don’t even have to stretch on it—but you probably will.)
3. Identify a reliable existing habit, and attach your new tiny one to it. (After you brush your teeth every morning, unroll the yoga mat.)
Lila is trying it out, and I might too—joining the 28,000 people who have signed up for Fogg’s free five-day online seminar. Baby steps.
That was a lot of self-improvement. Let’s break for some fashion news. Chloé creative director Clare Waight Keller—foremost designer of the French, flow-y fashion known as flou—will reportedly let her contract with the label expire in March. Since 2011, Keller has translated Chloé’s sartorial codes for a spontaneous, free-spirited sort of woman. A few representative pieces include the colorful frock at the top of today’s newsletter, this marvelous shaggy coat, many covetable wood-heeled sandals, and loads of leather bags.
In an infuriatingly male-dominated field, the role of creative director at Chloé has historically been a star-making position for women. Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo held the post before Keller, and next up will be Natacha Ramsay-Levi, currently the design director and right-hand woman to Nicolas Ghesquiere at Louis Vuitton. It’s worth noting these designers are all working mothers—a position that gives women lots of practice in the art of going with the flow.
May your 2017 be filled with wu wei, flou, and lots of fresh air. Have a great weekend!
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The Golden Globes (AKA the drunk Oscars) are on Sunday! I have high hopes for Jimmy Fallon at the helm, even if I really wanted Amy Schumer. The show officially starts at 8pm EST on NBC, but with this list of nominated actresses—plus guaranteed Gosling—it’s probably worth tuning into Live from the Red Carpet early.