A quiet record of desk days—what I’m writing, working on, and figuring out along the way. This is Desk Diaries.
Autumn at my desk is perhaps my favorite time to be there. A cool breeze through my window, a touch of classic fall details, candles dusted off and ready for burning, longer evenings—it truly is a magical time after a long and humid summer. As soon as October hit, I immediately felt like myself again. I’ve waited for months, and here we are. Here’s what I’ve been up to at my desk this season (aside from posting on Instagram and Threads, of course).
Finalizing my 2027 Ecosystem
Well into my autumn bullet journal now, I’ve been thinking more and more about upgrading my system bit by bit. I’ve been giving myself weekly gentle habits, like “do your journaling session with a cup of tea” and “forgo checking social media until 9:00 a.m.” and these little intentions for myself have helped more than my weekly Focus has. Even the smallest habits have a way of imbuing us with a new sense of calm, something much-needed heading into the busiest time of my work year.
I’ve also begun finalizing my 2027 Ecosystem, which I plan to share in late November/early December. I’m particularly excited about this one because after a year of trying some new additions, I feel this ecosystem will be my most intentional one yet. I can’t wait to share it with you all.
Slowly working through Sylvia Plath’s journals
I’ve also spent quite a bit of time reading The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath and annotating my thoughts. It’s been so rewarding. Annotating at my desk has really slowed my reading process down, which I like. I typically read on my Kindle, highlighting passages and taking notes, but there’s nothing quite like doing this on paper. I tend to read a lot slower and savor books more than bookstagram’s most viral creators, but this pace is ideal for my kind of lifestyle. It’s been a treat devouring Plath’s deepest, darkest thoughts this year for sure, and I will be sad when I finish it soon.
New iPhone loading …
Recently, I upgraded from the iPhone 15 Pro to the new iPhone 18 Pro (in glacier!), and I spent hours setting up new Focuses and learning the new camera features. I’ve been trying to use my phone more intentionally and less often (which is where my new Ecosystem comes into play—you’ll see!), and Focus modes help me with this a lot.
Currently, my Focus modes are: Work, Me Time, Writing, Sleep, and Morning. Each one serves a purpose. My Work focus turns on automatically when I get to the office and mutes most notifications outside of a few chosen people and work apps. My Writing focus hides all screens that aren’t my Writer’s Lifestyle screens and mutes notifications so I can focus on my writing or journaling session. Etc.
Each Focus mode has a different wallpaper, setup, and lock screen, and it’s nice to seamlessly shift through each with just a tap. It really helps me get into the mindset of what I’m working on and eliminates distractions. Focus modes are by no means a new feature, but I felt that upgrading to a new phone was the perfect time to refine this practice. And I was right.
So far, I’m loving the new phone, and I’m really excited to see how my videos and content will turn out now with a more powerful camera.
My cozy game this season
Finally, I’ve been playing Little Witch in the Woods, and I adore it. It’s the perfect fall cozy game. One of the selling points for me was that it has bonds, errands, customization, and crafting, but not farming—something I was a bit fatigued with. So if you’re looking for a cute, low-key, and charming life SIM without farming, I highly recommend it. It’s been the perfect game to unwind with after a long day.
What have you been up to at your desk lately? Leave a comment and let me know.
