July 17, 2026
Hi Reader
This week has been so busy. I had conference calls for Breakthrough T1D, an HOA meeting, and gala planning. I helped my Uncle Dan sort through a tax situation. We had contractors at the house. I bought a birthday gift for my granddaughter Tessa and a baby shower gift for a friend’s daughter-in-law. Groceries, bills, etc. It just seemed like a lot.
If you’re nodding along, I want to tell you something I’ve been sitting with this week: this feeling of Time Scarcity does not seem to go away, even in retirement.
The Someday Myth
When I was in my 30s and 40s, juggling a career and a family, I told myself a version of the same story most of us tell: someday, when things slow down, I’ll have more time. Someday the kids will be grown. Someday I’ll retire. Someday my calendar will finally open up.
Here’s the truth nobody warns you about: the hours don’t multiply. They just get filled differently.
These days it’s not board meetings and school pickups — it’s caregiving, health appointments, grandchildren, and community commitments. The busy-ness doesn’t disappear in this chapter of life. It just changes.
Devaluing Future Time
I had a chance this week to listen to a podcast conversation between Adam Grant and Brené Brown on time scarcity. As a finance person myself, one comparison stuck with me: they looked at time the way we look at money, where future value gets discounted. In finance, a dollar promised down the road is worth less to us than a dollar in hand today.
Is the same true of time? Do we quietly treat "someday" as worth less than "now" — and if so, what does that mean for how we spend, save, or protect our time in retirement?
Making the Day Count, Not Just Full
So how do you actually create time for what matters, instead of just reacting to whatever lands on the calendar? A few things I'm trying to practice myself:
Ask what's actually important to you right now. Not someday — now. What matters in the next 30 days? In the next year? Are you actually making time for those things, or just assuming there will be more room for them later?
Put the things you love on the calendar, on purpose. Reading, writing, painting, whatever it is for you — you've earned this time. Don't wait for it to appear on its own. Block it the same way you'd block anything else that matters, and then actually enjoy it.
Find your own way to be more present, and lean into it. For me, that's golf. For you it might be something else entirely — music, coffee with a friend, a walk. We're never going to eliminate the to-do list. But we can build spaces into our days for the things that bring us joy, so we're not just moving through life, we're slowing down enough to actually live it.
A Question for You This Week
I don't have this fully figured out — clearly, given the week I just described to you. But I'm learning that the goal was never to eliminate the busy-ness. It's to notice when I'm on the treadmill and choose, on purpose, what gets my attention anyway.
So here's what I'm asking myself, and what I'd ask you too: If you knew for certain that time wasn't going to open up "someday," what would you do differently this week?
I’d love to hear your answer — hit reply and tell me.
Warmly, Wendy
Quote of the Week
“"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." — Annie Dillard
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What I’m Loving Right Now
Two protein products have earned a permanent spot in my daily routine, and I’ve tried enough of them to know these are worth sharing.
Rival Whey Chocolate Protein — This is my breakfast, most days. I blend 4 oz ice, 4 oz coffee (or water), one banana, and a scoop of Rival Chocolate Whey — 25g of protein and it genuinely tastes like a milkshake but with less calories and more protein.
Stars and Honey Bars — My go-to snack, one a day. I’ve tried A LOT of protein bars over the years, and most taste like cardboard. These are the exception — 16-20g of protein and they actually taste great.
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One Small Favor
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Have a wonderful week.
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