Unraveling the Financial Threads of a Director's Week

Day One: Friday - The Start of a Week Full of Surprises

At 6:45 a.m., the director wakes up just before her alarm, having had a tumultuous relationship with sleep. After a few days of catching up on sleep due to travel, she is disappointed by the inconsistent sleep last night. She shuts her eyes for another 15 minutes and gets up at 7 a.m. Just two weeks ago, she moved into a new apartment and is still getting used to living alone. She goes through her morning routine, including brushing her teeth, having warm lemon water, and doing some stretches and checking emails.

At 8 a.m., she discovers a great perk of her new building - a small but sufficient gym. She starts a new workout routine by Stephanie Buttermore and does a 40-minute upper-body workout followed by five minutes of abs. At 9 a.m., it's Friday and the first Friday of fall, a time when she rarely drinks coffee but makes an exception at Starbucks. She splurges on an apple crisp oat milk shaken espresso and refills her Starbucks account, spending $25 to refill and $7.02 on the drink.

Day Two: Saturday - A Day of Contrasts

At 9:30 a.m., despite a rough night of sleep, the director gets out of bed with her partner. They go through their morning routine and then decide to go for a run as she doesn't have access to a gym at her partner's place. The run is hard, and they stop by Trader Joe's to pick up a pre-packaged salad, a yogurt, and a dessert for another friend's housewarming. They spend $14.35 at the store.

At 11:30 a.m., back at her partner's, she showers and eats lunch while starting a new book, "The Body Keeps The Score." She initially had high hopes for the book but is now feeling lukewarm about it. At 1:30 p.m., she takes a beautiful walk to her friend's housewarming in NYC, enjoying the fall weather and watching the tourists. The apartment is incredible, and she spends some time catching up with friends. She then takes the subway back to her partner's place, spending $2.90.

Day Three: Sunday - A Day of Reflection and Activity

At 9 a.m., the director is sad to get out of bed after a busy weekend. She spends the morning chilling while her partner goes to the gym. They then go out for a quick lunch at a neighborhood Thai spot where neither is particularly impressed but the food comes quickly and is cheap. Her partner pays.

At 1 p.m., they say goodbye as her partner leaves for a two-week trip. She picks up a poke bowl for dinner and takes the train to a friend's place. She joined a hobby band earlier this year and they have their first practice in a while. They play together and are hoping to perform at another friend's party in two months. After the practice, she takes a long walk through Central Park, stopping for ice cream and having a great conversation with a friend. She spends $7 on ice cream and $102.90 on various items she bought from FB Marketplace.

Day Four: Monday - A Day of Health Concerns

At 7 a.m., the director wakes up tired and decides to work out after work instead. She goes through her morning routine and heads to work. At 1 p.m., she has an Ob/Gyn appointment due to an abnormal pap smear and needs a follow-up colposcopy. She is nervous but her doctor said it wasn't an emergency. She has a $40 copay and takes the subway there.

At 1:30 p.m., the colposcopy results are not what she expected. She has HPV and is stunned. She spends 30 minutes on the phone with her best friend, who offers a lot of reassurance. She takes the rest of the day off work and goes to a fast casual Mediterranean spot, Naya, and gets a big bowl with salad, rice, chicken, and all the toppings. She sits in an outdoor plaza to eat and spends $14.14.

Day Five: Tuesday - A Busy Workday

At 7 a.m., the director's alarm goes off, and she starts her morning routine. Tuesdays are her day to open the office, so she gets there around 8:30 a.m. She skips her morning workout but enjoys the quiet time at the office and gets a lot of work done. At 12:30 p.m., she takes a break for lunch and eats her usual salad. She realizes she needs to meal prep this weekend.

At 4 p.m., she finishes her meetings for the day and swings by Trader Joe's to get some veggies. She spends $14.84 on zucchini, mushrooms, onion, kale, and cottage cheese. She then goes to the gym for a lower-body workout and feels good to be back on her schedule.

Day Six: Wednesday - A Day of Productivity and Growth

At 4 a.m., the director wakes up in the middle of the night with a sense of relief as her period finally comes. She goes back to bed and treats herself to some phone scrolling. At 7 a.m., she wakes up feeling great and goes to the gym for an upper-body workout. She then showers, changes, and walks to work.

At 12:30 p.m., she is productive and has been working on strategy planning. She takes a lunch break and texts her best friend about fertility. At 1:30 p.m., she has a 1:1 leadership coaching session with an external consultant and leaves feeling inspired and optimistic about her role and the future of her team.

Day Seven: Thursday - A Day of Emotional Turmoil

At 7 a.m., the director wakes up to her alarm and reads the colposcopy biopsy results, which are not good. She is shaking and goes down the WebMD rabbit hole. Her best friend calls her frantic, and they have a long conversation. She then takes a two-mile run on the treadmill to shake out some energy.

At 10 a.m., her Ob/Gyn calls and confirms that she needs a LEEP procedure to remove the infected cells. She tries to ask more questions but the doctor is busy. She heads to work a little late and decides to focus on work for the rest of the day.

At 12:30 p.m., she takes a team member out for lunch to say goodbye. They have a good talk about team culture. At 6:30 p.m., she is the last person in the office and decides to leave. She takes a long walk and calls her parents to tell them about her diagnosis. They react as expected, and she feels proud of herself for handling the conversations.

At 8 p.m., she heats up leftovers and orders herself some nice dessert. She settles down with dinner, dessert, and Indian Matchmaking, reflecting on the week.

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