“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” 🔂 ~Aristotle

finding the thing you can keep coming back to. (#442)

For most of my side hustle career, I tried to be better and more consistent at the things I thought I was supposed to do.

Blogging, for example.

I’d start strong. Publish a few posts. Feel good about it. But then… life would get busy, I’d fall behind, I’d struggle with what to write next, and eventually I’d just stop.

Same thing with social media.

I’d try to show up daily, post regularly, engage. But it always felt a bit off, like I was trying to be someone I’m not, using tools that didn’t really fit how I work or think.

And then there was email.

At one point, I was doing the whole email marketing thing. I even had a 5-day course to help folks get started with Mailchimp (called “Get Comfy with the Monkey”, a name I was very proud of). With that as my freebie, I built a list of about 250 people.

It was great…until it wasn’t. Life shifted again, and the brand I thought I was building didn’t really make sense anymore.

But something changed for me in 2016.

I was about nine months into a new role and wanted one thing I could do every week to consistently bring value to those 250 people, without burning myself out or pretending I had more capacity than I did.

That’s when a few things clicked.

I realized I was already sharing articles, tools, and recommendations all the time. On social media, in conversations, in real life. What if my newsletter became the place where all of that lived?

That’s how #jesspicks was born.

And somehow…it stuck.

Not perfectly. Not every single week without fail. But more consistently than anything else I’d tried.

(as you read issue #442 😉)

R is for Repeatable 🔁✨
(and the power of finding what you can actually keep doing)

Here’s why the newsletter works for me:

• It honors my strengths. I’m a decent writer, but I’m an even better curator.

• It fits how I naturally operate. I’m always reading, collecting, and sharing resources anyway.

• It doesn’t drain me the way blogging and social media did.

• It feels more intimate. Even though it’s technically just as public as blogging, it feels like writing to a friend. The medium matters.

• I can do it in the margins. In pajamas, at my coworking space, while I have 15 minutes, on a quiet Saturday morning.

And even when I take breaks…

Even when it goes out on Sunday instead of Saturday…

Even when life gets overwhelming…

I can always come back to it.

Because it’s designed around what I can actually sustain, not what I think I should be doing.

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And this idea of repeatability shows up outside of business, too.

I eat the same breakfast every morning. Special K Vanilla Almond (current fave) and Equilibria’s Daily Nutri-Greens. That’s it.

Is it exciting? Nope, it’s actually quite boring.

Is it helpful? Very.

It’s one less decision in a life already full of them.

Same with movement. Dance class every Monday and every other Friday. StretchLab every Tuesday.

Same bat time, same bat channel.

These are my anchors: the things I can count on even when everything else feels chaotic. (They’re life jackets, too)

And that makes a difference.

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When you’re juggling work, caregiving, life, and a side hustle, decision fatigue is real.

Every time you have to decide what to do, how to do it, or reinvent the wheel, it costs energy you might not have.

But repeatable things?

They require less brainpower. They’re reliable when everything else is unpredictable. They let you pause without starting over. They welcome you back after breaks.

Repeatable doesn’t mean daily.
It doesn’t mean perfect.
And it definitely doesn’t mean doing a lot.

Repeatable means returnable.

9+ years of showing up (imperfectly) has built something real. Trust. Connection. A body of work. Something I genuinely look forward to.

None of that would exist if I’d kept forcing myself to do things that sounded good but didn’t actually fit my life.

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💬 Over to you: What’s your repeatable thing? Not the impressive one. Not the one you should do. Not the one that works for someone else.

What’s the thing you can keep coming back to, even when life gets messy?

On to the picks! ✨

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Note: This email may contain affiliate links. If you click through my link and make a purchase, 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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#picks 😍

tiny things. quiet comforts. repeatable support.

• 🌀. 27 Life-Changing Micro Habits That Require Only A Few Minutes

  “It may seem strange to do something for 30 seconds or just a few minutes. That’s an oddly achievable goal isn’t it? That’s the point of micro habits. Once you become used to the habits you set, you begin to do them naturally.”

  Microhabits remind me so much of baby steps, and I love that most of these only require a few minutes (or less) which makes them feel doable. s there one on this list that could become your repeatable thing?

  • Related: 🍓. Start your day on a strawberry: 15 microhabits for calmer, healthier mornings.

  • Micro habits remind me so much of baby steps. I love that most of these only require a few minutes — or less — which makes them feel actually doable. Is there one on this list that could become your repeatable thing?
    

• 📱. A small but mighty iPhone tip (send texts later!): Shout out to Zing Collaborative’s Friday Favorites newsletter for this gem. If you’ve ever typed a reply late at night (or very early in the morning 😅) and worried about waking someone up, this is for you. When texting, tap the + icon → scroll → select “Send Later.” You’ll be able to schedule your message and honor your boundaries. #winning
  

• 📺. Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale. This show centers on Sarah, a registered witch living in a town called Sanctuary, where she uses her magic to help others. When someone is murdered, the town turns against her, and she has to protect her family while trying to clear her name. I loved season 1 and now on season 2. I found myself rooting hard for Sarah, especially as she’s persecuted simply for being different, while still believing in an ideal world where witches and non-witches can live together in harmony. That tension feels… extremely relatable right now.

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#icymi

• 😍. Last issue’s top pick: The Done Era

“I’m through with playing by the rules of someone else’s game.” 🧭 ~Stephen Schwartz

• Want to work with me?

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#classifieds 🗞

• 9️⃣. What if your next experiment was just $9 away? This bite-sized training shows you how to turn a simple idea into a paid offer. Fast. Fun. Low-pressure.
  

• 💌 Say no to overthinking your sales emails. These 15 templates help you write faster, sell easier, and keep your energy for what matters.

• 🎁. Stop getting “almost right” gifts. This wishlist blueprint teaches you how to clearly (and quietly) share what you want—with low-key scripts + a simple list that does the talking.
  

  (like these? let’s partner up!)

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#lifevibes

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#supporters ☕️

Thank you, Fonda, Kelly, Melinda, Tawanna, Gia, Lori, Ayana, Krista, Jessica, Annetta, Constance, Tunde, Jen, Michelle, Emile, Bex, Kim, Angela G., Lauren B., Chelsea, Amy, Ricky, Kirsten, Vin, Julie, Nicole, Hmza, Greg, Kristin, Kirstyn, Jess, Cheryl, Krysta, Adrena, Vidya, Kristyn, Danielle, Keyn, 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!! ❤️