Category: Productivity

Wake Up Well: My Morning Routine

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Today was a lovely day! I slept in and snuggled with the kittens and Aaron before meeting my friends at the Farmer’s Market for her birthday. It was my first time there and I am so going back next weekend! All these artisans and gourmet foods with live music, all in one place. I cannot believe I had never gone before today!

Right now, I’m binge watching episodes of “Broad City” while waiting for my laundry to finish. My goal for tonight is to have my laundry washed, dried, and hung up before 8PM (it’s 5PM now), and have my hair washed and a fresh manicure done, too! I like to be in bed and asleep by 10PM. It gives me about seven hours of sleep before my 5AM wakeup! I like referring to it as my “call-time,” like I’m a model or an actress, and my wake-up time is the time I’m supposed to be on set and ready. Typically, my biggest task when I wake up is to get to the gym, and then to work on-time. That said, there’s a certain schedule I follow to maximize my time and get in the best frame of mind before I begin my 9-5 office job. Here’s my current morning routine:

  • 5:00 – 5:05: Brush teeth… among other things. A girl’s gotta go when a girl’s gotta go! Clean my pearly whites and put in my contact lenses to ACTIVATE MY VISION.
  • 5:05 – 5:15: This is when I’ll stretch and clear my mind. I’ll turn on some calming music to meditate. I can shake off any nightmares, or jump-start my brain and body for my workout!
  • 5:15 – 5:20: Gym clothes change! Ditch the jammies and put on my workout clothes. I’ll always take my clothes out the night before to save time!
  • 5:25 – 5:30: Hydrate and walk to the gym! I’m not great about drinking water, but I’ll always try to get in one glass at the very least first thing in the morning. I’m one song’s walk away from my gym, too!
  • 5:30 – 6:15: Workout! I do strength training in the mornings, more often than not. It’s when I work on my handstands and pull-ups!
  • 6:15 – 6:30: Cooldown and rinse. I’ll walk home and jump in the shower to get clean for my workday! I’ll pause occasionally to turn on the coffee machine for Aaron, have another glass of water, and as of late, grab a can of cat food for the kids to have for breakfast!
  • 6:30 – 6:55: Makeup, hair and dress! Depending on the day, I’ll curl my hair or straighten it, and put on enough makeup to look alert for the day. I’ve been experimenting with my timing to add a bit more detail to my makeup!
  • 6:55 – 7:05: Wake-up call and walkout. By the time I’m dressed and ready for work, I’ll wake up Aaron (if the cats haven’t already), feed the cats, and roll out for the day!

On my best days, I’m out before 7AM and at my office by 7:40. I like showing up early to my office so I can turn on my computer, fill up my water bottle if I need to, or answer a text from my mom if she’s sent one. And yes, I like closing out work tasks before phone calls come in and things get busy!

What are your favorite ways to wake up in the morning?

via GIPHY

5 Ways to Be Perfect

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Something that I’ve seen discussed more and more in the past year is the concept of the “Imposter Syndrome.” For those who are scratching their heads, it’s a phenomenon in which you experience self-doubt in the extreme. You feel like you are unworthy of your accomplishments, and that every achievement you’ve made is an undeserved victory.

I think plenty of people can relate to this feeling! I can’t imagine how powerful we would be if we believed in ourselves. It’s hard to feel like you’re doing your best, like who you are is good enough, when we see people online who are miles ahead. You have people like Malala Yousafzai, who is a Nobel Prize laureate/advocate at 22, and then you have people like Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, who are billionaires at 33. What’s a girl in her mid-twenties to do?

I’m currently watching America’s Next Top Model reruns with a cat on her shoulder, after stealing a few handfuls of chocolate chips from the jumbo bag. Suffice it to say, I’m not exactly the girl “who has it all together”! That said, I have a couple of different ways to help me feel like I am one of those people who has it all together. Here’s a few ways to put the “star” in “Impostar”!

  1. Wake up early. Benjamin Franklin once said “Early to bed and early to rise makes one healthy, wealthy and wise.” Okay, technically it’s “makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” But, as icon Cher once said, “Mom, I am a rich man.” I set my alarm for 5am each weekday, so I can wake up and BE awake before I go to the gym in the morning. I don’t set that alarm on the weekends, but I tend to wake up organically at 7 on the weekends! “Sleep is for the weak” is outdated these days. You know what’s the sign of a real champion? Getting your ish done, with seven hours!
  2. Look put together. It’s not about having the best clothes or the fanciest makeup! What matters is showing up and looking your best. Step one: look clean (three-day old eyeliner rings = not cute. I speak it from experience). Step two: look alert (find a five minute makeup look). Step three: know your style! My go-to outfit is a pair of jeans, a simple tee, and a long cardigan. It’s comfortable, but can be dressed up with the right accessories!
  3. Take 5… for EVERYTHING. Clean your space for five minutes. Go for a five minute walk. Meditate. If there’s things you want to get done, but can’t find the energy/time, do it for five minute. If you can get lost on Instagram for thirty minutes, you can get those dirty clothes off the floor and into your hamper.
  4. Read. Fun fact: All those successful people you admire? They all read. Find what you like and turn the page! You may learn something about others’ experiences, and you could learn something about yourself!
  5. Smile through it. Good days, bad days, when you want to cry, scream, set a cleansing fire, just smile. A positive attitude makes a world of difference! When accomplishing any goal, perseverance is everything!

I leave you with the words of my main man Kenneth Parcell:

My 2020 Intentions — A Check In!

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Only three days left in the first month of the new decade! It’s been a weird first month, and I’m eager to see how February goes.

Here’s a status update on each of my 2020 “Intentions”:

1. Read 52 books. On my way! I’ve read three books this month, and I would like to read two between now and the end of this week. I’m thinking a monthly book club post can be expected soon regardless.

2. Do pull ups. I’m able to hang a bit, and pull myself up slightly. Aaron provided some truly excellent feedback about the targeted muscles of the pull-up, which really made a difference this past week. To that point, Aaron thinks that my goal isn’t all that lofty, since he previously went from doing zero to seventy pull ups in three months. I think compounding with a hand-stand goal balances me out, though!

3. Spend LESS. TIME. SCROLLING. In general, I think I’m doing slightly better. I scroll less when I’m with other people, but I still find myself refreshing my Twitter and Instagram feed way too frequently for my liking.

4. Write 104 blog posts. This will be my eighth post in the new year. Making progress!

5. Romantic trip with Aaron from Dec. 26 2020 – Jan. 2 2021. The Gods (or rather, my mother) have smiled upon me– mission accomplished! A special offer inspired my mom to book a cruise for the end of the year. It’s not in the exact time-frame enumerated above, but I’m okay with that! It’ll still feel like a good way to celebrate being together for the holidays on a romantic adventure.

6. Stop engaging in schadenfreude. This resolution had several very specific targets. I haven’t indulged in one of them, but I’ve grazed two and full-on consumed another. One of my “grazes” made me feel uncomfortable, so I think I’m halfway there. If I can stop with the full-on consumption of that “another” in February, I will feel much better.

7. Take better care of my skin. I’ve been better about washing my face! I also discovered that I should be using my face wash on my shoulders. Hopefully that will help expedite my progress for clean skin all over, and not just what my coworkers will see!

8. Go stargazing. I haven’t set a date for this yet, but I did slow down on my morning walk to the gym this morning because the sky was just that breathtaking. Stars really are something. I might wait for a good stargazing night, like an eclipse or a meteor shower. Then again, maybe not!

9. Get a new job. I’ve been working with a coworker from a different department to get her accustomed to the website platform. It’s been great! The more she learns, the better the transition will be when I leave. I have a meeting with my supervisor for next week where we can hopefully discuss opportunities further. Meanwhile… customers have made me feel hostile, depressed, and hopeless. That only motivates me to leave even faster.

theofficedesperate
Image from Tenor. “Chair Model.” The Office. NBC. 17 April 2008.

10. Do a handstand. I’ve practiced a few times at the gym against a wall, but I definitely feel unnerved by the process. I feel like people are staring (and by that I mean a single person. Because it’s the gym. At five in the morning. And some weirdo is leaning her potato body against a wall while kicking upside down and trying to stay upright). I need to work on my confidence!

11. Go see two of my favorite performers. Boy oh boy, did this go downhill. Of the performers I mentioned last time (John Mulaney, Bo Burnham, Ali Wong, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, and Panic! at the Disco), only two of them are doing tours this year. Billie’s concert tickets are way too expensive, and Ali’s tour dates do not include Florida.

Image from GIPHY. “In Care Of.” Mad Men . 23 June 2013.

I may reevaluate this resolution, and try to (on one of my trips to New York this year) see “Hamilton” and “Dear Evan Hansen,” both of which are Broadway shows I’ve been wanting to see for years.

12. Lose weight. I lost a few, gained some, and now I think I’ve found something that may work long-term (for REAL this time). I hope it does!

13. Give Aaron a great 26th birthday. I still have time to plan this, but I keep a list of presents to get him in my phone to add to whenever he says he wants something. Hopefully in two months we’ll have an idea of what he wants for his birthday. I’d like to surprise him with something special!

14. Be a better friend, wife, sister, daughter, and granddaughter. I’ve talked more in depth with my friends and siblings this year. I talk to my parents way less than I should, and I haven’t spoken to my grandparents once this month (I may have left a single voicemail). That is positively embarrassing. I’m ashamed.

15. Be happy. Well, after reading that last item, I’m not very happy! I guess it’s a good thing, because if I have nothing to show for the end of next month I’ll feel even worse, and I don’t want that. But in general I’ve enjoyed this month a lot more than I enjoyed the previous month. Having the kittens around has made a world of a difference.

And that’s January! There’s still time for me to read and speak to my grandparents. I really don’t have an excuse, do I? Onward and upward!

Stitches in Time

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Sundays and Wednesdays are my laundry days each week. Today while folding my clothes, I decided to put together all my gym outfits for the week to save me some time in the morning! Thus, next to me right now are five pairs of workout pants, sports bras, tank-tops, and socks… color coordinated, I might add!

With that, I thought I’d share a few of my other favorite time-savers. Take a look to see what helps me get things done quicker to keep me on task and on time!

  1. Five Minute Makeup Routine: If I’m trying to get to work a tad early, I only apply the following makeup products: foundation, eyebrow pencil, and mascara. While it’s not the most glamorous look I could pull off, it gives me polished skin and sharp eyes. I have started prepping my face with a swipe of Vaseline to my lips daily to keep them hydrated as well. I look alert and prepared (or, as a person who shouldn’t share their negative opinions would say, not “tired” or “sick”).
  2. Pick up a prepped meal at the grocery store. During the week, I tend to go food shopping one time to get all my meal ingredients for the week. That said, I’ll typically pick up sushi for Aaron and I to enjoy dinner that night (or, if they’re on sale, a Floridian delicacy: the “Pub Sub”). Less time cooking AND a healthier meal to enjoy? Win-win!
  3. Saving solutions for future problems. This one comes in handy at work! Sometimes we’ll be given a problem that needs solving that neither I, nor my coworkers, have ever seen. My tenacity tends to kick in during these situations and I’ll work tirelessly to find a solution. When I’m able to figure it out, I’ll save every step of my solution in my computer. In case the problem isn’t a wacky one-off, or comes back later, I won’t spend an extra twenty minutes racking my brain trying to remember what/how I solved it the last time!
  4. Chunking my “self-care.” Hair styling, exfoliating, face masks… I’m in for every kind of special treatment I can treat myself to on a regular basis. However, if I were to do these every night, or even all on the same night, I’m in trouble! I tend to dedicate my evening routine to one or two “self-care” treatments. I space out the occasions evenly through the week, so I can treat myself accordingly twice (exfoliate Monday/Friday, style my hair Sundays and Wednesdays, you get the idea). I feel clean and taken care of every day for just that half an hour each night.
  5. Scrolling curfew. I know, this isn’t technically a time-saver, but it’s a time rearrange concept, and that’s just as effective! If I go to bed with my phone in hand, I guarantee you I’ll spend another half hour browsing Twitter Instagram, Pinterest… random Google searches are pretty frequent, too! I put my phone in its charger around 9:30 each night, ensuring I’m asleep by ten at the latest. Turns out, with the screens away, I’m pretty sleepy!

Time management, time saving techniques, whatever you call it, I think everyone can agree, when you’re using your time effectively, you’re better equipped to do your best! How do you save time during the week?

5 Ways to Set Yourself Up For Failure

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We are in week 3 of the new decade, and everywhere I look, the promise and hope of my friends and loved ones have vanquished into disparity. I’ve seen this tweet shared more than once:

Not great, Bob! I myself have fudged on a few resolutions. But that’s okay! “The Office” had a great episode about New Year’s Resolutions (more sitcoms/TV series should have a New Years Resolution plotline. That’s a whole other story!) with this line: “It’s not about being perfect, it’s about trying.” To me, trying is the best way to succeed! It’s when you DON’T try that you fail.

Which leads me into my main thesis:

5 WAYS TO SET YOURSELF UP FOR FAILURE

Don’t feel attacked by this list! Everyone, especially me, struggles with this at some point. If any of these apply to you, know I have a solution!

  1. Lie to yourself. When you start letting yourself off the hook at the slightest inconvenience, phoning it in instead of giving your all, and you need a grappling hook to climb that mountain of excuses, you slowly begin that descent into “Meh.” There will always be tough days– you’re sick, you’re exhausted, there’s traffic that throws off your whole schedule. Plan for that to happen, and let “life” be the only thing standing in the way.
  2. Set unrealistic expectations. If your goal is to lose weight, with the plan being to skip meals like it’s a crack on the sidewalk until you’re a size two, you are in for a painful ride. Here’s the good news: that ride is temporary, because you will snap and eat an entire pack of Oreos and be back at square one, filled with regret and shame. If you want to achieve your goals, you can! But start small. Getting back to the weight loss goal: say no to dessert every other night. Go to the gym once a week. Baby steps will get you running marathons!
  3. Procrastinating. This feels like a no-brainer! When you put off completing a task until later, “later” gets further and further away until you’ve put yourself in crunch time. And hey, there’s a difference between being lazy and “thriving under a deadline.” I’m all for the theatre of the latter, but always remember the end of my first point: life will happen. Computers die. Office birthday cake gets served. If you put it off once, you will put it off again… and again… and again!

    procrastination
    “Kim Possible.” Disney.
  4. Running on an empty tank. It feels good to succeed and make progress! You’ll want to feed that feeling as much as possible. That’s great, but proceed with caution! Taking time to breathe is just as important as the work you accomplish. You can enjoy a day off, a Netflix binge, or a monthly happy hour with your friends. Cabin fever murders aside, all work and no play DOES make Jack a dull boy. You can certainly stop and smell the roses on the journey! Maybe you’ll even want to plant a few yourself. Take a moment, a day, to express gratitude towards yourself. Breathe in, breathe out, then keep going.
  5. Giving up too early. The only failure is failing to try. If you attempt to complete your tough goals but quit after two days, you’ve wasted your time and energy for literally nothing. What you are doing isn’t supposed to be comfortable! You should be challenged by your resolutions/tasks. Settle outside your comfort zone and do the work. Remember why you’re here. Motivation will come and go, but that doesn’t mean your goals should be just as flimsy. Work hard, and stick with it! The results WILL come.

There you have it! Five ways to set out on a short, fruitless journey towards fulfilling your dreams. To make it past these issues, I have but one suggestion: try. I believe in you! You can do it!

 

It Rubs the Lotion on Its Skin… Or Something.

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One of my New Year’s Resolutions for this year is to take better care of my skin. I have a well established skin routine for both the daytime and nighttime! My problem is consistency, washing daily and treating regularly (some nights I just take off my makeup, without properly washing my face; I try to exfoliate and put on a face mask twice a week but don’t do so enough). That said, this year I’ve been keeping up with washing twice a day and my skin has broken out a bit and feels slightly greasy (too much washing CAN lead to an overproduction of oils) so maybe I only need to wash once a day? Or taper off once a day, twice a day? Trial and error until we hit perfection!

Here are the products currently in my daily routine:

Daily Face Wash: Trader Joe’s Spa Face wash with tea tree oil. It says to use twice daily, with warm water, for one minute. I don’t scrub for one minute each time, but I do tend to use warm water!
Toner: Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe Herbs and Rosewater. Just a quick spritz to the face! It feels clean, and smells pretty!
Serum: Andalou Naturals Turmeric + C Enlighten Serum. My goal is to be fresh faced and glowing, like the girls I see who live on Hawaii who spend ninety percent of their day at the beach or in a jungle NEAR the beach. The Vitamin C in this serum is what makes my skin get brighter. I have noticed a difference; when I don’t use it for a few days my skin looks a bit dull.
Eye Cream(s): During the day, I use Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Eye-Brightening Concentrate. At night, I use Olay Deep Hydrating Eye Gel.
Moisturizer/Sunscreen: Tarteguard 30 SPF Sunscreen Lotion. I keep hearing about the importance of sunscreen, how moisturizer and sunscreen should be put on before you ever leave the house, even if it’s cloudy outside. This is the base before I start on my make-up every day!

I still haven’t fully set on a facial scrub; I was using Neutrogena’s daily scrub, and then when that ran out I switched to one that was cruelty free but smells bad. Since then, I’ve started using a kumquat and olive oil scrub that feels great and smells beautiful. I hope that I can replace it when I run out, but if not, I’ll have to find another.

I tend to go back and forth with the facial masks I use. There’s a bulk order of sheet masks you can get from Amazon, and Sephora makes great face masks, too. I also like YesTo charcoal masks! It really depends on the night. If it’s a weekend or a day that I work from home, I’ll apply the mask in the morning! They work best when I’m shower fresh, when my pores are open and the bathroom is still warm/wet from the shower mist.

That’s my regular routine! I’m hoping to add facials into my routine twice a month (but will settle for once a month– they’re expensive!), and with that, EVENTUALLY get microdermabrasion to get rid of my bigger acne scars. All in good time! For now, it’s just good products, less dairy, and when all else fails, Sephora color corrector.

My 2020 Intentions

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Happy New Year, world! Welcome to the roaring twenties. I’m going to KEEP SAYING IT, because as I’ve stated before, I love the glitz and glamour and Gatsby of it all… minus the massive Depression that followed. If we could hold off on that this time around that’d be great, because I don’t think I can handle that.

This time last year, I provided my biggest resolutions for 2019. Like most people, I really did NOT do a great job on them. I decided to include some of them in this year’s resolutions, though. The only failure is failure to try, right?

In 2019, these were my goals:
1. Do an unassisted pull-up.
2. Do a handstand.
3. Make mindfulness a regular practice.
4. Make style changes.
5. Do something new.
6. Take a Career Step.
7. Go stargazing.

So, how did I do?
1. Do an unassisted pull-up – did not happen, but I did get close! I have included this in my 2020 resolutions. This is the YEAR OF THE PULL-UP.
2. Do a handstand – did not happen. I still want to accomplish this, but my focus is pull-ups.
3. Make mindfulness a regular practice – I accomplished this to a degree, but not as much as I’d like. I found myself taking moments to ground myself and enjoy silence when I needed it, but I wasn’t meditating for five minutes every day.
4. Make style changes – Mission accomplished, mostly? I changed up my style a bit in the past year, but not dramatically so. In a later entry I’m going to compare my style post from last year to my current closet. I think this is ongoing, as my body and tastes change, and I didn’t include this in my 2020 resolutions. I definitely did a lot less “phoning it in” in how I dressed!
5. Do something new – Ate gator, pistachio gelato, and multiple different kinds of ultra hot sauce. Held a lizard and a snake, posed with an albino gator. Traveled to Italy, France, and Greece. Got this done, fo’ sho.
6. Take a Career Step – I took bebe steps to this. My workload was massive in the first half of the year, but it gave me a great opportunity to learn more, and do more, within my position. The second half of the year, things calmed down, but at the same time, my life was consumed with the wedding, honeymoon, and family gatherings. Between ALL of it, though, I sat down with my supervisor and discussed my goals for this upcoming year. I have loved the position I have now but I’m ready for something new, go after the real career I want. Thankfully, my boss is supportive and has helped me with this process, but again, it’s been baby steps. I’ve made this a top resolution for the new year.
7. Go stargazing – Mission KIND OF accomplished. On our honeymoon, Aaron and I walked the ship at night and he pointed out different constellations. Turns out he’s really into astronomy! We were only outside for a few minutes though, because it was freezing and I needed to go inside. I’d love to take a night to do that with him, just us, a picnic blanket, and the stars. I see a starry date night in our future… just maybe when it’s warmer!

So, where does that leave us for this year?

Behold, my 2020 Resolutions!

  1. Read 52 books – Last year, I pointedly did not make book-reading a goal, and with that, I actually think I read more this past year than I did in a while! I want to set a target goal of reading one new book a week. I’m going to monitor this goal by doing a “book review” at the end of the month to discuss each book I read that month. And yes, week 1 is already complete 😉
  2. Do pull ups – I really want to do it! I’m hoping that my ability to pull myself up will inform my ability to push myself up into a handstand, but if not, that’s okay. Apparently if you can do one pull-up, you can do more than one pull-up. Let’s see how that goes!
  3. Spend LESS. TIME. SCROLLING – Holy heckin’ bob, I spend so much time on my phone! Everyone and their mother has an opinion on how much I’m on my phone. I’ve honestly watched so much time fly while mindlessly liking photos on Instagram. I need to get out of other people’s lives/digital media footprint.
  4. Write 104 blog posts – Two entries a week seems reasonable, right? I’ve started mentally planning an entry for each week this month. Very excited to be consistent and track my year’s worth of thoughts, ideas, and goals!
  5. Romantic trip with Aaron from Dec. 26 2020 – Jan. 2 2021 – Those dates may vary, but I want to take the last “week” of the year off of work. I want to leave work before Christmas Eve and not come back until the new year! At the top of my list is a trip to Vermont to have a snow-covered Christmas, and then go skiing for the rest of the year. My mom has also been contemplating taking my siblings, Aaron and I on a cruise in the tropics at the end of the year. If my mom wants to treat us to an end-of-the year Bahamas trip, whomst am I to refuse? That said, I saw photos of Amsterdam all lit up for Christmas and it looked very romantic, and I also considered the idea of going back to London with Aaron, and doing a few days in Scotland before ringing in the new year by Big Ben. How special would that be? So, ideas! Intention! Execute!
  6. Stop engaging in schadenfreude – This feeds into item 3, but a part of me secretly loves when people on social media I don’t like get their comeuppance or get called out for being terrible. It’s just bad karma. I like “tea” as much as the next person, but I don’t think it needs to dominate my brain as much as I let it now!
  7. Take better care of my skin – Maybe it’s end of the year holiday food, maybe it’s just not showering RIGHT after a workout, but dang, I have serious acne on my shoulders right now! Boo! Didn’t ask for that! Thankfully I don’t have terrible facial acne, but I have scars that are just… unconcealable. I want to spend more of my hard-earned money on self-care, in the form of facials and massages. Calmer muscles = calmer skin. Also water.
  8. Go stargazing – I’m honestly embarrassed I didn’t do this last year. I went to a holiday party during which a friend and I discussed bioluminescence kayaking, which is when you go out kayaking at night in a place where the water looks like this:
    bioluminescent_plankton-click link for sourceI think sparkly seas and sparkly skies is an ideal date night. Except Aaron isn’t a big fan of open water. I’ll figure this out, somehow!
  9. Get a new job – This is a MUST for this year. I love my coworkers and enjoy designing/revising websites, but I’m ready for something more. It’s time to move forward in a new position, and I will have one by the end of the year.
  10. Do a handstand – PULL UPS FIRST, then handstand! I think once I have the upper body strength I’ll be in good shape, the handstand true difficulty comes with the mental part of it. Balancing my whole body weight on my lil’ hands? Mind over matter!
  11. Go see two of my favorite performers – Stand up? Music? Either or works! Depending on who is touring (and where), I want to see John Mulaney, Bo Burnham, Ali Wong, Ariana Grande, Panic! at the Disco, or Billie Eilish. I’ll go on my own if that’s what it takes, but if John Mulaney is coming to Boston and I am FORCED to go see my best friends in Boston and go with them, I will do what is needed.
  12. Lose weight – I have a specific number in mind, a goal weight that I want to achieve. You don’t need to know that, though! They’re my numbers and no one needs to match my standards. I think weight loss is a common goal for people in the new year; that said, in today’s increasingly body-positive world, wanting to lose weight has negative connotations. I am all for celebrating yourself and loving the skin you’re in, but I definitely feel uncomfortable in my body lately. By scientific standards, I am obese right now (yikes). I’ll share when I’ve accomplished getting down to a healthy weight, and when I’ve reached my number, in reference to keeping up with my goals. I won’t share any numbers, but know that I’m doing this for me and not because society is making me.

    TheOfficeIDontEvenConsiderMyselfPartOfSociety
    Image from Pinterest. “Women’s Appreciation”. The Office. NBC. 3 May 2007.
  13. Give Aaron a great 26th birthday – Last year, his birthday fell by the wayside between family events and being sick. He had his birthday dinner and got great presents, but we had planned on going to Universal and that didn’t happen! I want to make sure that for his 26th birthday, I go all out and give him the works. He deserves it.
  14. Be a better friend, wife, sister, daughter, and granddaughter – I feel like this past year I was so absent, like I let things happen to me and didn’t really take actions for myself. With that, I heard my friends, but I didn’t always listen. I let Aaron vent but didn’t soak up what he said. I felt drained, so I didn’t spend a lot of time with my siblings nor my parents in a meaningful way. They did so much for me this past year, but I don’t know how my mom is doing. I don’t know what my brother wants to do with his life. Apparently my dad has taken up medicinal marijuana? What dimension is this? On top of that, I should call my grandparents more. I just should. It wasn’t consistent acts of selfishness, I just recognized that I could be better. I want to take better care of myself this year, but also take better care of my relationships with the people I love. This year, and every year, I will do better. I think if I accomplish all of these things, I will complete my biggest 2020 resolution:
  15. Be happy – In 2020 I will accomplish my goals, both personally and professionally. I will live a life of love and chose love every time.

 

At the end of each month, I will post my status/progress on each of these goals! I feel good about all of them, and I think this will be a good year for me. My brain keeps saying “Don’t jinx it!” To my brain I say “Stop second guessing yourself! Embrace the good! Go fold your laundry, it’s been in the dryer for three days!”

Happy New Year. Let’s make it a good one 🙂

And Then It Hit Me: Thoroughly Modern Vintage.

Posted on by maljoylove

Yes! YES! I am on my way.

I’ve been wanting to sit and think about my aesthetic, my brand, what makes me ME. I feel like as an adult I’m still waiting to shed my teenage inner-angst and embrace a more mature aesthetic.

Don’t get it twisted, Disney still owns my heart, and I’ll always want my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches refrigerated because it just tastes better that way, but my tendency to wear all black everything and spend my free time binge-watching Netflix feels very dated. I’m ready to embrace the part of me that wants to come forward and succeed.

When I walked into work today, I had a goal: start work on refining my “aesthetic.” I feel like that’s step one. I think there’s scientific evidence that your environment is your influence. I want to find ways for my aesthetic to help influence my every day life. I want to look at this blog, my closet, my home, and be motivated to take on each day with strength, style, and a smile.

Wait I like that line: Take on the day with strength, style, and a smile. AESTHETIC!

writethatdown
Whether I’m 5 or 25, “Spongebob Squarepants” will always be relevant.

Some things I’ve determined I like are pastels, space, and retro imagery. I feel like my generation is really vibing on pastels right now (neon pinks, greens, and yellows really dominated the fashion zeitgeist from 2007-2015). Soft pinks, aquas, and sunflower yellow seem to be popular colors, and I think the preference of lilac is growing.

I however, am focusing on pink and light blue (my inner emo child just gasped). I went to Pinterest and just searched “Light pink aesthetic.” The jackpot, if you will. I already had an “Aesthetic” Pinterest board created previously, so I just started pinning! I liked a few pink neon signs (which I have always loved), including one on the facade of an old building. I decided to switch gears and go look for “Art deco” aesthetics. I’ve always loved Old Hollywood and roaring 20s aesthetics, like in “The Great Gatsby.” My mind started accelerating, as I thought to myself that the art deco imagery was too dark:

I want to find an art deco design that’s more light, like with pink, maybe. Could Aaron make that? Why can’t *I* make that? I want to combine my love for modern colors with my appreciation for the retro aesthetic… vintage… Thoroughly Modern Vintage! 

I am certain I am not the pioneer for a combination of the modern and the “classic” (I say classic loosely, since the past 100 years can hardly be historically defined as classic. Maybe neo-classic, but I think even that’s a stretch), but I think I can create a concrete vision of what that looks like. My artistic eye is lacking at best, but no reason I can’t try!

The pinning continues.

The Check In

Posted on by maljoylove

Today is August 25! I’m headed into the final third of the year, and I thought I’d take a look at some of my New Year’s Resolutions and see how they’re coming along. I think that I’m still working on all of them, and I’ve made progress with all of them to a degree. Let’s see!

  • Do an unassisted pull-up: I’m getting there! I’m at 45 pounds assisted, and I can do about five.
  • Do a handstand: Marvin Clods. Glen Close. Not even close. I WANT to complete this by the new year, but I’m so close to my wedding that I’m scared to fall and break something. I’ll get back into this with the last two months of the year. We’ll see what happens!
  • Make mindfulness a regular practice: Better, but not great. I’m not meditating but I find myself focusing more on my choices and my actions. Self awareness. It’s a start but I agree it could be better.
  • Make style changes: Yes! High waisted bottoms, cute sneakers, and long cardigans to look casual but cute. Like Kendall Jenner but not a genetic lottery winner. It’s going great!
  • Do something new: If NOTHING ELSE — I ate gator this year. It was all right! I also did a SoulCycle class, and I’ve done spin before but not SoulCycle. It was fun but they don’t have it in Orlando yet! Rude. I’ve done a couple other things I haven’t done before too but quite frankly I can’t remember. I should have written down every time I did something new. I’ll be more cognizant the rest of this year. I’m going to Italy, does that count?
  • Take a Career Step: Yes, but no. I’ve told my supervisor directly that I want to move to the Golf Channel/TV corporation side of things, and he’s open to me making that transition by the end of the year! Hopefully I can get to that by the beginning of next year, so I can get my foot in and do some grunt work during the golf season of 2020 and the summer Olympics!
  • Go Stargazing: Not yet. I’ve looked at the stars and had a nice time, but I haven’t taken a night to just lie out with a blanket and think about life. That said, we’re moving to a nice neighborhood with lots of parks! Maybe a star-gazing date night is in our future.

So we’ve established: Dents have been made, but more damage is there to be done! Revisiting makes me more invigorated to keep working. Let’s do this like Brutus!

August Intentions

Posted on by maljoylove

It’s a new month! I’m in for a busy end-of-summer. We’re moving to a new place, I have wedding appointments, and even tonight, I have to pack for a girls’ beach weekend! That said, it’s a great time for me to set some goals. I don’t mean goals in the sense of “Clean out my closet” (though I did that this weekend!) and “Go on a walk every day”. Those are great objectives, but in this context, I’m thinking more in the abstract.

Long-time woman-crush-Wednesday Alexis Ren shared some questions to ask yourself when setting intentions. They’re a good thing to reflect on every week to keep you motivated! I’d like to share those questions (and my responses) here:

What do I need today/this week/this month?
I need water and more sleep. I would like a healthier mindset (I’ve been engaging in a lot of negative self-talk lately)!

What do I want to manifest more of? 
Kindness and serenity, both towards others and myself!

What do I need to do to continue my progress?
Be empathetic, sympathetic, disengage from toxic environments.

What am I grateful for?
I have a great family! I have wonderful friends! I have an amazing boyfriend who I love. I have access to clean water, a full fridge, and I take a car that I lease to a job I like. I am grateful for the privileges afforded to me in the Western world (“Kim, there’s people that are dying.”).

What do I need to/want to see more of in my life?
I need to see more sleep and less sloth! I need stronger discipline so my time is managed better. Even now it’s 9:40 and I still have to pack my overnight bag! I should have done this earlier. It will get done, and that’s great, but it would be great if I could have been in my room by 9 and in bed by 10. I’ve been able to do that more lately, but I’d rather it be a full-on habit at this point!

What brings me joy/peace/serenity/etc?
I experience joy when I get to be with Aaron. I feel peace at sunrise and night skies. Listening to music to end and begin my day impacts how I go about my routine!

What do I need to do to get closer to my goal?
I think it helps to set realistic expectations. I can’t do five things after work, but I can do two or three. With better time management, I will get more done and get more Zzz’s. Discipline! Efficiency! Yes!

What is my body telling me?
You are low energy and deserve more for your soul. Get better sleep. Have more fruit. Give yourself hugs and give other people smiles. It will go a long way for your own happiness!

What can I remind myself of today/this week?
I am beautiful. I am safe. I am loved. I am grateful.

How will I feel if I implement more ___ in my life?
If I implement more time management tactics in my life, I will feel more confident in my capabilities and better rested. I work out plenty, my physical self is doing pretty well, to the point that it’s a well-oiled machine (even if the oil is occasionally just, you know, olive oil excess left in the wrapping paper of bread sticks). My mental self deserves her day!

What needs to change at this moment/time in my life?
I’m relatively messy and post-work, I’m not very productive. I should work on maximizing my time up until 8 PM during the week. At 8PM I can turn on a show, browse the internet, and start unwinding, but I should try to accomplish some tasks (like read or doing the dishes) after dinner.

What do I need to prioritize?
My mental health! I need to rest easy in my mind. I will have a healthier mindset if I lay my head down to sleep knowing I can put my name on the previous day as a fine day’s work. If I can do that by 9:30, so much the better!

This was a great practice! I now have some decent ideas for this month:

  • Be in my bedroom by 9, in bed by 9:45 Sunday-Thursday. I can stay up a bit later Friday and Saturday, but on “work” nights, I turn in early!
  • Each day, accomplish two tasks, whether it’s cleaning, learning, or flexing a mental muscle through creative methods (reading and/or writing).
  • Social media curfew! No more browsing after 9 PM. I can turn on music while I get ready for bed, but at 8:59 the playlist is curated and the apps are closed. Sweet dreams for me!

I think just those steps will make a world of a difference. Next up: execution! Go!