In Praise of Tiny Triumphs

Spring arrives, and with it, a semi-annoying, semi-invigorating mandate to spring clean — to clear out spaces both physical and psychological. Because I am constantly looking for reasons to get rid of old things, old ways of thinking and being that have outstayed their usefulness, I’m drawn to spring cleaning as an annual rite.

But because I am also constantly reckoning with a pesky sense of dread regarding obligations of any size, I also find the concept of spring cleaning over-ambitious and intimidating. On days when routine chores like going to the post office or separating the laundry feel like punishments, the project of vacuum-sealing sweaters in mothproof storage bags seems unfeasible.

A friend was telling me about readying for a twice-a-year neighborhood yard sale, how she had begun decluttering in anticipation of the event. I felt a mix of excitement (it’s that time of year again!) and panic (it’s that time of year and, once again, I have waited too long to call the accountant!). Then she mentioned how accomplished she felt after sewing a button on a shirt to ready it for the sale.

I started thinking about those tiny things we put off, the little tasks that aren’t necessarily arduous, but for whatever reason — they’re not part of our regular routines, we don’t have to do them to function — we procrastinate getting done. When we actually do them, the sense of relief we experience is almost transcendent.

Take sewing a button on a shirt. Yes, the shirt has been out of commission for four years, but it’s OK, you rationalized, you have other shirts and always more pressing things to do. But when you actually sit down and sew the stupid button, you feel an outsize sense of achievement that’s totally disproportionate to the effort and time expended. Look at your handiwork! And now you have another shirt!

I started making a list of these tasks, the endlessly put-off, tiny things that occupy space at the bottom of the mind’s running to-do list. Shining shoes. Repotting plants. Sharpening knives. Getting the car washed. I made chicken stock recently from scraps that had been sitting in the freezer for months. I felt a sense of accomplishment that I can only compare to what someone might experience after lifting a car off a trapped child.

It can be a sort of game, thinking of these little annoying tasks and then addressing them, seeing how much asymmetrical relief you can rack up from relatively minor exertion. You might find yourself so energized that you’re up to contemplate some version of spring cleaning. Maybe not a total closet overhaul, but, say, one quick “does this spark joy” pass over your winter wardrobe. Who knows what you’ll be capable of with the confidence accrued from checking off these items. You might even make an appointment with the tax accountant. (Or just gather your paperwork and throw it in a folder — take it slow, no need to do anything crazy.)

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THE WEEK IN CULTURE

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• The Biden administration announced pollution rules meant to increase sales of electric or other zero-emission heavy vehicles, like school buses, ambulances and R.V.s.

• With inflation still running slightly above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target, Jerome Powell, the Fed chair, said he was in no hurry to cut interest rates.

• Germany is Israel’s second-largest arms supplier and sees supporting it as a way to atone for the Holocaust. But as deaths mount in Gaza, German officials have begun to change their tone.

• A federal judge ordered New Jersey to redesign its primary election ballot. Andy Kim, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate, had challenged the old design, which gave preferential placement to local leaders’ preferred candidates.

• The F.D.A. warned that Impella heart pumps, which are used as temporary implants, have been linked to 49 deaths and dozens of injuries.

CULTURE CALENDAR

🎥 Monkey Man (Friday): For many, Dev Patel’s breakout role was as Jamal Malik in Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire.” I was first introduced to him — as many other British kids were — in “Skins,” a teen drama that was big on sex and drugs. (It was kind of a progenitor of HBO’s “Euphoria.”)

Now, Patel has turned action star in “Monkey Man,” which he also wrote and directed. He plays Kid, a boxer who competes in an underworld street fighting club set in a fictional Indian city.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Easter Egg Nest Cake

Easter is on Sunday, and if you’re looking for a dessert to bolster the Easter Bunny’s sugary offerings, you can’t do better than Nigella Lawson’s playful Easter egg nest cake. This beloved recipe from the New York Times Cooking archives consists of a deeply fudgy, flourless cake with a top that puffs dramatically in the oven — only to sink as it cools. But that’s a good thing: The resulting crater makes a perfect nest to be filled with chocolate whipped cream and colorful candy Easter eggs. It’s easy to make, too, and keeps well if you want to bake it today to serve tomorrow. Just don’t top with the candy eggs until just before serving — or, you know, after the Easter Bunny drops them off.

REAL ESTATE

The hunt: After seven years in a one-bedroom apartment in Washington Heights, a couple decided to move to the Upper West Side with a budget of $1.5 million. Which home did they choose? Play our game.

What you get for $750,000: A converted schoolhouse in Phoenixville, Pa.; a one-bedroom condo in Portland, Maine; or a two-story house in New Orleans.

Diamond in the rough: “Divorce rings,” which signal a new beginning after a marriage ends, are having a moment.

A bursting bubble? The future of luxury e-commerce looks uncertain after the implosions of Farfetch and MatchesFashion.

Members club mania: Private clubs are proliferating in New York. Some city residents belong to more than one.

ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER

The case for always checking a suitcase

It’s a source of pride among some travelers to never check a bag. But a carry-on bag crammed with an entire trip’s worth of stuff can weigh us down as we meander around the terminal and make competitors of our fellow passengers for overhead space. As Wirecutter’s travel expert, allow me to suggest a better way: Check every bag, eagerly and with joy. I’ve floated through airports with nothing but a phone, headphones and a passport, and it feels, every time, transcendent. Start by investing in a great suitcase — like the sleek and durable one we recommend in our guide to the best luggage for checking. If you’re facing lost-bag anxiety, consider keeping tabs with a luggage tracker. Then: Be free. — Kit Dillon

Connecticut vs. Illinois, N.C.A.A. tournament: The two best offenses in men’s basketball collide in the Elite Eight. UConn, last year’s champion, tore through the first three rounds of the tournament, beating opponents by almost 30 points a game. They have looked like the best team in the field. But they haven’t yet faced an offensive threat like Illinois’s Terrence Shannon Jr., a 6-foot-6 guard who has scored at least 25 points in his last seven games. 6 p.m. Eastern today on TBS

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