245: The Ad Hoc Year

In this bonus-length final episode of The Weekly Review, Jean and James wrap up the series by recalling favorite projects finished and lessons learned since the podcast began. Thank you to all of our listeners who have joined us in this journey of personal productivity successes and setbacks. Although we are still not gurus, we hope our experiences have given you some insights and smiles along the way.

In our penultimate episode, we focus on Oliver Burkeman’s book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management For Mortals. Jean talks about how the book influenced her thinking about the time she spends. James reflects on the fact that we have spent 249 of these weeks so far making a podcast that we have both enjoyed. Jean also mentioned the Yonks app, for counting time up or down, and We Croak for random daily reminders of mortality.

In this episode Jean and James talk about recent conversations which have led to a consequential conclusion. The episode also includes topics such as cardboard boxes and getting your taxes done early as well as an implicit example of the word antepenultimate.

In September 2020, we decided to record an “emergency backup” podcast. We wanted to have one recording in the vault that we could publish if we were ever in danger of missing our weekly Friday publication deadline, because we hated the idea of breaking our perfect streak. Due to various travel plans and a major life disruption (see Episode 246), this is the week we decided to break the glass and use our backup. The topic is evergreen: productivity lessons we learned in childhood.

On Christmas Eve, Jean had to make a hasty departure from her apartment when a water pipe burst. Thankfully, Jean is safe and well although she is dealing with the aftermath of having an unexpected water feature appear in her living room. Jean and James talk about how the experience made Jean think a lot more about the short mental checklist of items to grab on the way out the door in an emergency.

James and Jean decide not to assign themselves to-dos for the week between Christmas and New Year, other than to take stock of what has turned out to be a busy year filled with things that weren’t exactly planned.

In this episode Jean describes her recent experiences helping family members with a cross-country move. Topics include packing, old-school boarding passes, and the importance of being at the correct gate. James swaps one to-do for another to finish a long-outstanding task—plus a little musing on the foibles of human nature.

James updated his car for several reasons, not the least of which is wireless CarPlay support. On the other end of the accessory spectrum, Jean gets yet another CD-player-slot iPhone mount so she can show off her Deep Purple iPhone 14 Pro.

In this episode, Jean describes how her family’s Secret Santa for adults has made the holiday season less stressful and more enjoyable for everyone. James talks about using his trusted system to keep track of gift ideas throughout the year. Jean and James discuss giving experiences instead of things—especially shared experiences like going to a concert or show. Conversation turns to the belated celebration of James’ garage-iversary as well as the practice of receiving a stocking filled with gifts or goodies.

As is our tradition in this season, we take a moment to express our gratitude for the things in our lives that make them better. So much better. To those that celebrate, we hope you had a good Thanksgiving.