“For when you honor yesterday, tomorrow ye will find.” 🙏🏾~Amanda Gorman
Happy 2022! 👋🏾 I took this issue’s quote from my dance teacher’s Facebook page (Hi Jennifer!), where she shared the full text from Amanda’s “New Day’s Lyric.
It’s a beautiful reminder that looking back helps us to look forward. It helps us figure out what is next. But it also helps us realize how far we have come. I know that many of us feel all kinds of pressure to set goals and words for the year. That “new year, new you” feeling is in the air. But if you are not ready to do that yet, know that that’s alright too.
If we have learned anything in the past couple of years, we need to check in with ourselves and ask what we need at that moment. I personally find January to be overwhelming. So many challenges and courses and things kicking off because of that new year, fresh start energy. Don’t get me wrong, the energy is great. But sometimes, you’re just not ready to make plans, so I want to ease into the year. Anyone else?
Last January, I used the month to reflect on 2021 while noodling on 2022 plans. This year, I’ll do the same. I’m working on a longer blog post, but here are a few highlights of things I did and appreciated in 2021:
👩🏾🏫1. Did a talk on starting a side hustle with the Urban League Jobs Network.
This was a lot of fun and felt so great to do. You can watch the full talk here for free. Some key takeaways:
Get clear on your why
Figure out what you can offer
Make time
Start experimenting
Make time for self-care
Celebrate the baby steps
💃🏽2. Played one of Henry VIII’s ex-wives
I participated in Saya Hillman’s #FearExperiment Goodbye Show and embraced my inner Broadway dancer. Even after an ankle injury, this was still a wonderful time. My fave performance here.
📝3. Got clear on my values
I worked with my self-care coach, Kandice, to create a list of values, including fun, freedom, and efficiency. You can learn more about those here. These will continue to guide me in 2022.
😉4. Did some new things.
Took a “learning to bike” class for adults. 🚴🏾♀️
Did my first adult LEGO Botanicals project. Loved everything about it. 💐
Tried a shot of Mallort for the first time. If you are a Chicagoan, you understand. 🤢 If you are not, you probably have your version of a local spirit that tastes horrible. I used a tequila shot as a chaser. 😉
It’s never too late to do something you’ve always wanted to do.
🎉5. Celebrated milestones.
I turned 40. My side hustle turned 10. And #jesspicks turned 5. 🥂
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How about you? What’s one thing you did or appreciated in 2021?
If you feel like you are not ready to set intentions for 2022 just yet, you are not alone. Let’s use this month to reflect together.
On to the picks!
P.S. As I’m doing some low-pressure thinking for 2022, I’d love to hear from you. If you can take a few minutes to complete this survey, I’d be so grateful!
Note: This email may contain affiliate links. If you click through my link and make a purchase, that means I may receive “thank you money” at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products that I use and love.
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#loves 😍
📺. Watching: Spiderman: No Way Home. Yes, I braved the theater for this one, mainly because I found myself having to scroll past any mention of it to avoid spoilers. 🤣 So many things packed into one movie. It’s well worth it.
📚. Reading: Throne of Glass. Teenage assassin. Patriarchy. ’nuff said? I just read the first book of the series so far based on the Lazy Genius’s recommendation, but OMG, so good. She said she loved it better than Harry Potter! 😱 I know, right?
😮💨. App: Breathwrk. My gurl Shenee told me about this app, and I am an instant fan. It gives you reminders throughout the day and different breathing exercises you can follow. My favorite is Sleep, which takes advantage of the 4-7-8 breathing technique that helps me relax.
#reads
What Could You Charge Somebody $50 for Tomorrow? Starting a Side Hustle with Expert Jessica Williams — www.slownorth.com
Heyyy, that’s me! 💁🏾♀️ The fabulous Sarah Guerrero recently interviewed me for this Slow North piece. We chatted about how to get your side hustle started and some of the myths involved in building one. Thanks for the feature, Sarah!
“I feel like there’s a lot of glamorizing of entrepreneurship. It’s not easy. But if you have the entrepreneurial bug, if there’s always something that you wanted to try, absolutely give a side hustle a try.”
7 Ways To Be More With Less — bemorewithless.com
“This is an invitation to be more with less, more of what you want with less of what you don’t want in your life anymore.”
If I had to pick a theme for 2022, it would be “do less, better.” Courtney shares excellent tips for helping with busyness, closet chaos, debt, and screen time to name a few.
#icymi
😍. Last issue’s top pick was: My Resources Page.
☎️ Need help starting your side hustle or newsletter? Let’s dream and scheme.
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#supporters ☕️
Thank you Angela G., Lauren B., Chelsea, Amy, Ricky, Kirsten, Vin, Julie, Nicole, Humza, Greg, Kristin, Kirstyn, Jess, Cheryl, Krysta, Adrena, Vidya, Kristyn, Danielle, Keryn, Terry, Vanessa, Meredith, Lauren, Meg, Maria J., Chivon, Kim, Luciano, Colie, Chasity, Laurie, Latienda, Collette, Anne, Kristen, Liz, Katherine, Monale, Betsy, Melissa, Lindsay, Jennifer, Kayla, Madison, Rae, Stephanie, Christine R., Christine M., Frances, Hannah, Chris, Brandy, Mea, Kristian, Maria K. Avery, Adam, Barbara, Shenee, Desiree, Lisa, Kandice, L’Oreal, and LaVerne for being #jesspicks supporters!! ❤️
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