Tacos are my spirit food. They make a good day great and a bad day more bearable.
Forrest Gump famously compared life to a box of chocolates. “You never know what you’re gonna get.” Chocolate and peanut butter? Huzzah! Chocolate with a candied grapefruit peel center? No. No, thank you. Just…no. :::gags:::
While we can’t deny life’s unpredictability, it’s also true that life is rarely as mysterious as a chocolate-covered-whatever. It’s much more like a taco.
Cuz a taco is a taco is a taco—no matter the ingredients. The green stuff? Could be cilantro, jalapeño, maybe even green onion. The sauce? The chef’s mother’s mother’s secret recipe.
Is it for you? Maybe. There’s always an element of surprise to taco tasting. It might turn out to be one of your Top Five Best Decisions Ever, or one of your greatest regrets. And that’s why we need reviews and recommendations from trusted taco tasters. Taco Tutors, if you will.
Someone like…your best friend, curator of all the best and most awesome tacos, who ate one of these exact same tacos recently and guarantees…You’re. Going. To. LOVE. It. It’s slap-yo-mama good. (Please don’t slap yo’ mama.)
So name your pleasure: veggie, shrimp, brisket, beer-battered fish (trust me). And consult with your Taco Tutor. You may be tempted to wing it. Don’t.
Minimize the risk to your taste buds. Life’s too short to waste your precious time on bad tacos.
Memento Mori, people.
Memento Mori.
How I Became a Productivity Taco Tutor
Honestly, “productivity coach” is the last label I want to use. It makes me think of David Allen, Michael Hyatt, James Clear, Cal Newport, Tony Robbins…hmm…I sense a theme. (To be clear, I have learned wonderful things from many of these folks!)
I’ve always been the dreamer, the visionary, the idealist. If my work doesn’t have meaning and purpose, then what’s the point?! So starting my professional life as an administrative assistant was a rude awakening.
But that work taught me a lot: how to create clear, effective processes for routine activities; how to evaluate the tools I used according to the outcomes I needed; and, how to adapt my practices with creativity and wisdom. That early professional experience laid the foundation for systems thinking and design, not that I knew it at the time.
I went on to study religion and culture in undergrad, theology in seminary, and communication in grad school, all while working and leading in ministry, non-profits, and theological higher education. A few years ago, I realized that I’d grown tired of working for other people’s visions. I wanted to pursue my own vision for contributing to the world. But I discovered that once I no longer had someone else’s structure to guide me, I had no clue how to pursue my own dreams and goals.
I felt at a loss as to how to find a clear direction. I wanted to work, not just on good things, but the right things. I wanted to invest my time, energy, and attention on the projects and tasks that mattered.
So down the productivity rabbit-hole I went, learning about GTD, time-blocking, PARA, Notion, Miro, sprints, eating the frog (ew), and all the other productivity strategies, tactics, and tricks available on the internet. There’s a lot!
And as someone living with hidden disability, I also had to adapt most productivity advice to my fluctuating levels of capacity, energy, and attention, on a daily or even hourly basis. Trying to power through a structured plan or schedule frequently left me feeling like an exhausted, resentful failure. I knew that I needed a system that felt good, easy, and most importantly, got out of my way so I could do the work.
I’ve tried all the strategies and tools, learned from most, and curated a few truly beneficial options that I’ve blended into a purpose-focused system designed to provide clarity of purpose, encourage good choices, and finish the most significant projects.
Think of me as your very own Productivity Taco Tutor, reviewing and recommending the best strategies, tools, and techniques to help you do what matters and become who you’re designed to be.
So, “taco” to me. Tell me what you’re craving.
Shalom,
P.S.
My friend tells me that in Norway, they have Taco Friday (tacofredag) instead of Taco Tuesday.
Also in Norway, to call something “Texas” means it is crazy or outrageous.
Since I firmly believe that you can eat tacos any day of the week, any time of the day, IMHO, the only thing that would be totally Texas?
No tacos. :::gasps:::
WHAT’S WITH THE LOGO?
The skull represents our present life and mortality.
The wings embody our hope for resurrection and eternal life.
And the Bowie-inspired lightning bolt reminds us to stay weird.
Who am I?
(The formal version.)
I’m Megan J. Robinson, a guide and leader with eight years’ experience in leading diverse, creative, and purpose-focused teams.
Over the past 23 years, I've developed my skills in deep listening, systems design, and relational leadership through launching creative communities and from working in faith communities and higher education. I strive to create spaces of trust and hopefulness that encourage each of us to explore questions of meaning, purpose, and significance.
My leadership style has been heralded as generous, exploratory, and energizing: I create opportunities for people to thrive, and their growth and work follows.
Through R21.5 x MjR, I’m here to shape imaginations for how to be human in the twenty-first century: by re-learning how to live with hope, creativity, and wisdom.
Maybe you're like me, and you long to discover for yourself what it means to discern and live the good life, and how to do it well. It's a hard, strange world these days, and it matters even more that each of us creates and shares what we find beautiful.
Academic & Professional Histories
You can read more about my academic and professional history by clicking the button below. TL;DR: both incorporate communication and theological studies, systems and operations design, and leadership. My early-career experience in retail, non-profits, and office administration also taught me the value of treating everyone with dignity, acquiring a portfolio of indispensable skills that carry forward to the next role, and the absolute necessity of creating templates and checklists to get through the workday.
Elsewhere
Book Reviews
Journey to the Heart: Christian Contemplation Through the Centuries - An Illustrated Guide, ed. Kim Nataraja, at PRISM
Essays
"Graphic Theology: Community, imago Dei, and Temptation in 300," in Light Shining in a Dark Place: Discovering Theology through Film, ed. J. Sellars (Wipf and Stock | Amazon)
Poetry
Things Holy & Mundane, a short collection
"Consumer,” Ruminate, Issue 07, Spring 2008: Addictions
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