229 ☼ 16 favors for your future self
A peek inside my "smart things I have learned" document, plus a giveaway.
Dear friends,
A few years ago, I had an early morning portrait shoot in New York City with the CEO of a startup I was really excited about. The plan was to wake up at 6, go over my shot references, check my gear, and leave the house at 8 to arrive with a 15-minute buffer.
The night before, I almost left everything for the morning since I had an hour or two to do 30 minutes of prep. More than enough. But something nudged me to just do it then. So I packed my camera bag, formatted my card, charged the batteries, laid out my clothes, and went to bed.
At some point in the night, the power went out. I woke up to silence. No alarm. I grabbed my phone: 8:02am.
For about three seconds I felt pure panic. Then I looked over at my camera bag, packed and ready by the door. Clothes on the chair. I got dressed, grabbed the bag, and made it to the shoot on time.
That morning I became a real believer in Today Wesley doing favors for Future Wesley.
Somewhere in my Notes app, I have a document called Smart Things I’ve Learned. It’s a mix of lessons from life, friends, the internet, and, of course, from mistakes. Some are practical, some are philosophical, some are silly but useful.
What connect them it the idea that we have to be kind to the person we’re going to be tomorrow. Here are some of my favorite ways.
GETTING THINGS DONE
Do the hard thing first. I tackle my most dreaded task first thing in the morning. Nothing ruins a day like dragging something awful behind you. And it almost always turns out to not be so bad, which gives me momentum for the rest.
10 minutes is often enough. Even 5. When I stop romanticizing long work sessions, I actually get stuff done. Especially when it involves tasks I’d rather avoid, like admin or accounting.
When overwhelmed, I tell myself: just one thing. I break the big scary task into small pieces. I can do the small piece. That gives me momentum to keep going.
Me first. I try to do the important-for-me thing early. A walk, exercise, writing. Before the day gets hijacked by other people’s priorities.
Speaking of getting things done: one rule I use daily is from David Allen’s classic book and system Getting Things Done. If it takes under 2 minutes, do it right away. Emails, taking out the trash, DMs. Small tasks pile up fast when you let them, and it becomes a mountain of overwhelm.
I had the pleasure of photographing and interviewing David last year and we talked about this and a lot more. You can read that conversation here:
TAKING CARE OF FUTURE YOU
“Don’t put it down, put it away.” I don’t always succeed with this one, but when I do, it makes everything easier, especially having focus.
Dedicated life admin time. I have a weekly session on Sunday morning. 30 minutes. Pay bills, plan meals, reply to straggler emails. It helps more than any productivity app.
The gift list. I keep a running list of things people I care about casually say they like. Very handy come birthday season.
Always be early. I plan to be early. I build in 10 or 15 minutes of buffer. Life has a way of throwing something in the way, like an open bridge in Amsterdam or a subway breakdown in New York. This is an especially important rule thanks to my ADHD.
PROTECTING YOUR ENERGY
“Let me check and get back to you.” Instead of saying yes by default, I buy myself a moment. It’s a small sentence that has saved me from a lot of things I didn’t actually want to do, but the people pleaser side of me could have easily fallen into.
Sleep on it. Sleep solves problems better than late-night overthinking. Almost every time. I don’t do late night anything.
Focus on what I can control. The rest is noise. It reminds me of this quote from a book I just finished and really enjoyed:
“Anxiety is optional. If we crash, no amount of worrying will save you. And if we do not crash, then worrying was not necessary.” — from Critical Mass by Daniel Juarez
SHOWING UP FOR OTHERS (AND YOURSELF)
Say their name back. I always ask how to spell someone’s name when I meet them. It helps me actually remember it. Learning and saying people’s names properly matters to me.
Just listen. When someone vents, I try not to fix it and first acknowledge how hard it must be. This is very difficult for me, but it works so much better than jumping straight into problem-solving mode. Not everyone wants advice. Sometimes they just want to be heard. (This took me years to realize.)
Ask for what you want. Say it clearly, and accept that no is a possible answer. This one is hard for us people pleasers and freelancers, but it’s worth practicing.
Owning less makes everything easier. I’m constantly trying to slim down, which is hard for someone with a collector’s mindset who comes from a place of scarcity. But every time I let go of something, I feel a little lighter.
And one more, just for fun.
Upscale hotels always have clean lobbies and bathrooms. Walk in like you belong. Sit down and do some work, use the bathroom. Works especially well when traveling.
Your turn — Giveaway
I shared mine. Now I want to hear yours. What’s a lesson, trick, or habit that has stuck with you? Something you’d tell a friend? It can be about creativity, organization, time, relationships, whatever. Drop it in the comments.
I’ll randomly pick one commenter to receive a mystery goodie bag from my studio. It might be a few rolls of expired film, a zine, a random photo book, a test print, or whatever I pull from the drawer that week.
Quick favor: if Process has been useful to you, would you mind sharing it with a friend or two? There's a button below that makes it easy. It's the best way to help keep this going, and I really appreciate it. ❤️
Go do something nice for future you this week. Even something small. They'll thank you for it. See you next week!
Wesley
PS If you happened to find yourself here but aren't yet a subscriber, hit the button below and receive Process every Sunday.
Quick Notes
New Video — The last episode of my surrealist comedy series The Chain just went live. I play a version of myself and it’s about creativity, self-doubt, and a mysterious woman who sends me to Paris. The entire first season (all 6 episodes) is now up as a playlist on my YouTube channel. If you missed any or want to watch them back to back, here you go: [LINK]. Season 2 is coming this spring.
Shout Out — My good friend Pie Aerts has been hard at work on a beautiful fine art photo book. I’ve been helping him with sequencing, curation, and strategy, and I’m so proud of how far Pie has come with this project. After years of traveling to the furthest outposts in Chile, where he has been documenting the solitude and strength of the last remaining generation of Gauchos, he is ready to share these stories. His Kickstarter has been live for only a few days and he’s already almost at 100%. Check it out here: [LINK].
This Week’s Camera + Tools
Camera: Canon EOS R5 + Canon RF 24-70 mm f/2.8 L IS USM, Pentax 67ii + 105mm 2.4.
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🗃️ Browse the Process Archive.
Keep a Good Words log. Anytime a friend or loved one sends a message that makes you smile and feel good about yourself, take a screenshot and put it in a dedicated album. Mine is called “My friends are so nice,” and I look through it when I need a pick-me-up/confidence boost. Bonus points if you then share the moment back with that person when you’re reminiscing! Always tell people how much their words mean to you.
My friend taught me the great magic of 'scary hour': if there's a big pile of stuff you've been putting off, and you're dreading for whatever reason, plan one hour where you try to tackle as many of those tasks as possible. You start with the smallest or the biggest effort and then work the other way, whatever works best for you. When the timer goes off that's it, you're dismissed for that day.