Tuesday Thoughts | 12 November 2024 | Odd Socks

If you pay very close attention to my feet on homecoming weekend, you’ll often notice that I am wearing two different coloured socks – one purple, one yellow (ahem gold) – in fact I bought the pack of socks the ‘set’ came in specifically so I would have those colours of socks, for this purpose.

It’s the one time of the year I will knowingly wear ‘mismatched’ socks; in fact if you are paying attention most of the rest of year (and by the way, if you are, that’s a bit odd), you’ll either see me not wearing socks – which is quite common – or wearing the same (not the same same, just the same style) black socks as I was wearing the day before.

Every few years I walk into Costco and buy two or three packs of black socks, and wear them until they start to pill, then I dump the whole mess into the closest textile recycling bin, and start over again. I’m not quite Jobs-esque in my ‘uniform’, but I refuse to spend even a second of my average day considering what I’m going to wear under my shoes.

Its no surprise to regular readers that a significant portion of my daily routines are just that – routines, I plan my meals, format my packing lists by anticipated activities and outfits, and even started #TuesdayThoughts originally to keep me consistent with my weekly writing practice.

What you may not know is that my ‘WHY’ for all of this planning, and habit building, and repetition, is to allow me to have more free time, more opportunities to go with the flow, and less mental clutter to keep me distracted from what actually matters.

When you see me deviate from my regular black socks – or white ankle socks if I am going to the gym, or otherwise wearing my running shoes for some reason – its always intentional; although I happen to also have an extensive collection of Christmas socks.

As someone who subscribes to the organization rule of ‘make it as easy to put away, as it is to leave it out’, it might surprise you to learn that, all of those socks (at least the clean ones) are currently sitting in my drawer balled into neat little pairs.

Sometimes it behooves us to choose to do a little extra work on the front end, to allow us a seamless experience day to day – this also makes the aforementioned packing lists much easier to follow. Each outfit (unless I either don’t need socks, or will be wearing tights) is assigned either a pair of black socks, or a pair of white socks, and then I toss in a couple of extras if I am going somewhere near water or its likely to be rainy (like I did a few weeks ago when I went to Seattle with nothing but rain in the forecast).

So, what does my odd socks habits have to do with anything? How we do the little things becomes how we do everything, something I need/use every day (at least in the colder months – I actually HATE wearing shoes and socks), becomes the pace setter for how I do the bigger things.

This week’s call to action, figure out the small stuff first, then use the roadmap to sort out the big stuff.

?

New and Noteworthy is a collection of things readers of #TuesdayThoughts might find interesting, important, or informative;

??Other Stuff I Did This Week (shameless self promotion): This week I had the chance to step outside the Boardroom with some of my fellow WLUAA (Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association) Directors, to watch our Golden Hawks with the Yates Cup on home turf | Yesterday, I had the chance to reflect about what I learned about Remembrance Day in the three years I served as Executive Director of the Air Cadet League of Canada, Ontario.

???Hold These Dates: January 19, 2025 - Launch Event for the final book in the Tuesday Thoughts Companion Trilogy (Unionville, ON) - RSVP Today | January 20, 2025 - Official Launch Day for The Tuesday Thoughts Companion: A Year of Small Actions for Big Impact: Volume 3 | I'm looking for a handful of Speaking and Consulting Engagements through late 2024 and into 2025 to continue to make an impact. Details of my offerings are on my website daniellerussell.ca.

? What to Do: Help Kickstart the Women's Nonprofit Network and help co-create a community of women across the Sector

????♀?Cool Jobs (Paid and Volunteer): Come work for me, the deadline is this Friday to Apply to join Canadian Defence Lawyers for 12 months as our Manager of Membership and Marketing.

CALL FOR CONTENT: I crowd source 99% of what appears in New and Noteworthy, but I would love the help of the Tuesday Thoughts Community to identify content about you and for you. Got a cool new project? A Job Posting to Fill? Or just something you found interesting? DM me with a link.

I am a Certified Association Executive with over a dozen years of experience in leadership positions across Canada’s Not-for-Profit Sector, with deep ties in the Meetings and Events Industry. I use the art of storytelling in speech and writing to explain ideas, and to inform audiences and readers on a variety of topics. Learn more about how we can collaborate;

?? Consulting Services: I offer a suite of consulting services for Associations and Charities, and am interested in working with likeminded organizations on projects that contribute to better governance, leadership and the overall growth and health of Canada’s Association and Not-for-Profit Industries.

??? Speaker/Facilitator: I have spoken to standing room only crowds in the Association and Events sectors, connecting ideas and people; topics include, The Introvert Experience, Imposter Syndrome and Mentorship, EDI: Lived Experience as a BIPOC Woman in Leadership, Minimalism and Essentialism, Finding Your Voice and Building Your Unique Brand, Making and Impact, and the #TuesdayThoughtsFormula. NEW: Speaker Onesheet (ratesheet available on request)

??? Contributing Writer: I have written for Industry Publications and Blogs with a focus on the role of Associations, Volunteerism, and the Intersection of Not-for-Profit Management and many current social and economic trends. My inclination towards storytelling lends itself well to the style of Creative Non-Fiction.

?? The Tuesday Thoughts Formula: I am on a mission to inspire actions that amplify my impact, each week I follow the #TuesdayThoughtsForumla to deliver a call to action inspired by relevant stories; new this year, I’m bringing live demonstrations of the formula to the stage to help conference, event and meeting attendees tell their own stories that amplify their ROI of in-person attendance.

?? Check out my website daniellerussell.ca or email me: [email protected]

?? I’m on a Mission to?Change The World, By Inspiring Actions That Amplify My Impact! Despite my Introverted tendencies, if I have any hope of success this cannot be a solo affair. Join my community where I Connect People and Ideas;

?? Tuesday Thoughts: Join the #TuesdayThoughts community, subscribe to the Newsletter and get your copy of the #TuesdayThoughtsBook, The Tuesday Thoughts Companion: A Year of Small Actions for Big Impact. Like, Comment and Share to keep the conversation going, and amplify the thoughts that inspire you to action.

?? Let’s Be Friends: LinkedIn: Danielle S. Russell, CAE (she/her)