"You choose the future with your actions each day." 🤗 ~James Clear
This week, I turned 39!! 🎂 And even though I had the best laid plans of drinking champagne and watching the season finale of Tell Me A Story (#quarantinebday), life had other plans.
Grandma wasn't feeling well so my plans had to change. Sure I will still have my champagne and watch my tv show, just not when I thought I would. And that is so hard and I found myself a bit cranky because of it. But after sitting with it for awhile (and getting a better night's sleep), I realized it's not the end of the world. So I watch my show later, no big deal. In the grand scheme of things, it's not that big a deal.
And I think it's what we are dealing with as this virus is changing our lives, our plans, our routines. We are rightfully angry and sad and depressed. And we have to feel those feelings. But maybe this is an opportunity for us. A chance for us to work on our ability to adapt. And go with it.
That has been a recurring lesson for me over the past year. Because you never know how quickly things can change. And that is not something we can control. What we can control is how we react to sudden changes in income, how we honor the memories of our loved ones, and how we take care of our mental health along the way. It's a lesson I take from dancing too: keep your knees bent. When you knees are bent, it makes it a lot easier to pivot to another move or make a turn. It's much harder to do if your knees are locked. You can fall or hurt yourself.
So think about keeping your knees bent both figuratively and literally. It might help you strengthen a muscle that will serve you well beyond this pandemic. 💖
On to the picks!
P.S. I've been working behind the scenes tweaking a "pick my brain" / day of mentoring offer. You'll be able to ask any and all questions relating to tech, time management, life, or anything else related to side hustling. This will be super low cost, as I’m just trying it out, in exchange for $5 and a testimonial. The only requirement is that we do it before May 8th. 3 spots available. Learn more here.
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.
#loves 😍
📺 Watching: Tell Me a Story. I watched the very first episode of this show a year or so ago and wasn't sure about it, but decided to give it another try. And it grew on me. The premise is fairy tales twisted into psychological thrillers. Obsessed. Can't wait to watch the Season 2 Finales this weekend. If you want to check it out, you can grab a 30-day trial at CBS All Access.
🎧 Listening: I Love Me by Demi Lovato. I had heard this song before but really listened to the lyrics the other day. It talks about how hard we can be on ourselves and asks when will loving ourselves be enough. Powerful.
📚 Reading: Dot Journaling: A Practical Guide. I have been bullet journaling for a few weeks now and I'm really liking it so far. Mostly taking advantage of the daily lists and symbols. This book is already giving me inspiration for other things I can add to my process.
🤗 Tool: Wegotchu.cards. My &yet team just created this amazing app. You can pick a digital greeting card and then pass it around to the rest of your group to sign even if you're not in the same physical space. If you want to celebrate someone's birthday, send a group thanks, or send a get well message, check it out!
#reads
10 Brilliant WFH Productivity Tips from Organizational Psychologist Adam Grant — www.brit.co
I haven't heard some of these before, but here are my favorite three of the ones Theresa mentioned:
1️⃣Do creative work at the opposite time of day from your most productive time. So if you are a morning person, you may be more creative at night.
2️⃣Embrace the change. Since we are trying to get used to new routines, this might be giving us an opportunity to change how we do things. Maybe pick one shift every week you can try.
3️⃣Make work work for you. As introverts (me!) we may get drained by video calls, but may prefer audio calls. But extroverts may prefer video calls. It's good to recognize that about yourself and see where you can make adjustments.
If You’re Starting a Side Hustle in 2020, Start Here — medium.com
If you're starting a side hustle now versus even a couple years ago, some things don't really change like finding your idea, building an email list, figuring out what makes you special, getting started, but also continuing to keep going. There are some good resources in this list including Chris Guillebeau's Side Hustle School podcast and The Dip (which I just added to my reading list last week).
Why I'm Calling This Our 'New Now'—Not Our 'New Normal' — advice.shinetext.com
Loving Martha's shift in how we talk about the world right now. And will try to adopt this as well. 👉🏾 "Calling this our "new normal" doesn't reflect the fact that things can change. They can get better. And while the future is uncertain, this particular way of life won't be our forever. It's not our new normal.
That's why I've started using a phrase that captures how we're adapting and the ability for things to still change: I'm calling this our "new now."
#upcoming
I Can't: Instagram Story (Virtual Edition) on 5/6 — www.eventbrite.com
Saya runs this mastermind I'm in and gave us a little sneak peek of this workshop the other day and I already learned so much about Instagram stories. They are a great way to have fun, show your personality and get some engagement so when she mentioned she was doing a full class I was automatically saying "yes please". If you have been thinking that you can't do Instagram stories, join us!
I Can't: Side Hustle (Virtual Edition) on 5/20 — www.eventbrite.com
Excited to partner up with Saya and lead this virtual workshop! If you've been wanting to start a side hustle, but you are feeling overwhelmed, this workshop is for you. Bring all your questions and challenges and let's show you that you can side hustle. 😉
#icymi
😍 Last issue’s most clicked pick was: 23 Ridiculous Side Hustles No One is Doing
Your Side Hustle Gives You Street Cred with Jessica L. Williams — shows.acast.com
Had a great podcast discussion with Martin McGovern. We talked about side hustles, how to get started, and how to find time. We also talked about how side hustles can be used as a job search advantage. 🙌🏾
#lifevibes
#supporters ☕️
Thank you Mea, Kristian, Maria, Avery, Adam, Monale, Barbara, Shenee, Desiree, Lisa, Kandice, L'Oreal, and LaVerne for being #jesspicks supporters!! ❤️ Want to help support this newsletter? Buy me a coffee.
