Category Archives: 30SOMETHING

MAY
22
CELEBRATE (GLITTER INCLUDED)

Filed Under: 30SOMETHING, DIGITAL GOODS

Celebrate-WELLinLALast week I wrote my teary-eyed homage to the decade as it closes; this week I want to share the lightness and the humor of reflecting on a decade lived. Through-and-through a Gemini. One moment incredibly blithe and happy; the next quiet and contemplative. Writing these two posts – one serious, one humorous – fits both my ‘sides’.

Below is an overview of the major areas of “life” – if one can be so bold as to categorize life. Love. Family. Career. Fitness. Wellness. Food. My perspective on each of these life-areas as a 20-year-old, as a 25-year-old and my present day 30-year-old self. I hope this list makes you laugh. Feel a connection. And maybe find a little of yourself!

love

  • At 20: Boyfriend? A quick make-out session with that cute guy from biochem, but forget about that boyfriend part.
  • At 25: How on earth did I end up in Detroit, Michigan? At least the summers are nice. Too bad summer is only 8 weeks.
  • At 30: Long distance for the third time? Australia ⇆ Los Angeles? I must be insane or really love this guy. Is there a difference?

family

  • At 20: I will never have kids. Ugh. I don’t even want to get MARRIED!
  • At 25: Oh I’m so glad we have a puppy! A dog is so much better than having children!
  • At 30: One or two won’t be so bad. We can do this parenthood thing, right? Our dog will help raise our kids!

career

  • At 20: Busy making plans for world domination. And changing my undergrad major 4 times in 3 years.
  • At 25: 2 graduate degrees in 3 years completed!! $50k in student loans, no experience and no jobs to be found. Huh…
  • At 30: Can someone please give me a bottle of champagne vodka for surviving my first year of freelance?

fitness

  • At 20: You know, I’d love to stay and party but if I don’t wake up and run my 16 miles tomorrow I will totally let Hal Higdon down in my marathon training plan and ruin my times in the next race.
  • At 25: Have you heard of Lady Gaga? She’s so weird but my spinning group ex classes just LOVE her music! I’ll burn you a CD of my playlist!
  • At 30: Which way to savasana? Thanks!

wellness

  • At 20: I heard that you actually GET herpes and STIs at the student health center.
  • At 25: Campus medical is included in my grad assistantship package!! Health insurance is soooo expensive!
  • At 30: Will a company PLEASE offer healthcare that covers my green juice, yoga and monthly massage?

food

  • At 20: I don’t really know what “vegan” means, but it’s like the same thing as low-fat and low-calorie, right?
  • At 25: Are you serious? I grew up in the Midwest. How can I be allergic to dairy? How will I tell my family I can’t eat cheese?
  • At 30: I can’t eat 95% of the things they serve on this menu between my dairy allergies and food intolerances. Just come over and I’ll make lunch.

celebrate with me!

I made the above “CELEBRATE” as a digital goodie for YOU! Because a party is much more friend when you share it with your friends! Here’s what to do to get this pretty, glitter-filled reminder to CELEBRATE onto your desktop: (1) Select your wallpaper size: 1020 x 768 / 1280 x 800  (2) Install your wallpaper: Mac / Windows (3) Snap a picture of your device with its new “celebrate” theme and share on Instagram or Twitter by tagging – @WELLinLA on both – or #WELLinLA if you prefer the hashtag route.

MAY
16
ThirtySomething

Filed Under: 30SOMETHING

MelbourneAustralia

Don’t you want to be there? On a beach, in Australia, filled with brightly colored houses and sunshine. I do. Thirty-year-old me is going to be here in July of this year, spending the month with my fiancé in Melbourne. The idea of me traveling for a month AND turning 30 both sound foreign, but both events are less than 7 and 2 weeks away, respectively. WELL in Australia… not quite the same ring to it, but I like it!

As my twenties come to a close I’m trying to process the last decade of life. My twenties feel like the first decade worthy of reflection… introspection. My first decade as an adult. Defining who I am and what I want. The three words that best encompass it: overwhelming, scary and exhilarating.

My idea to take on a challenge each month in this last year of my twenties as an homage to the decade crumbled mid-way through the year. A few years ago I would have stressed and obsessed, but present-day me shrugs and rolls with it. Everyday life and the first year of being a freelancer presented enough challenges in year #29 without adding more to my plate. It was in this last year that I realized the need for a “diet” version of life. Less of the junk food and more of the nutritious, good-for-me stuff. The realization that 20 might not be the new 30 but less is always more.

In short, I loved my 20′s but it is a decade I’m ready to close. I don’t know that I’ll ever experience as much growth in my life as I did in this decade. It was a “developmental sweet spot” on the best days and a roller-coaster ride most days. 30 is not the new 20 (watch this TED talk with psychologist Meg Jay on this very topic!) and I am so grateful for that.

“Thirty-year-old-me”. She holds so many promises and wants to experience even more – marriage, babies, more travel, the next stages of business and all of the surprises, delights and challenges life throws her way. She doesn’t take bullshit. She’s quick to learn from her mistakes. She knows the value of her time. She’s clear on who she is and what she wants. I like her. No, I love her. And I am so excited that I am growing into her. She’s a lot like my mom and that thought – that makes my heart swell and my eyes get a little teary. Good, happy tears.

I have a humor-filled post on turning 30 next week, but my more serious side needed to get the enormity of reflecting on a decade off her chest first. I would love to hear from you about your experience with your twenties. Share your story of your first adult decade – no matter where you are in life – if you’re in your 20′s (like my friend Rachel of OnePartGypsy); if you’re just leaving them like me; or if your 20′s were 10, 20 or 40 years ago!

<< post image source >>

MAY
07
LILLIE MAGAZINE IS LIVE!

Filed Under: 30SOMETHING, BODY + MIND, LOVED + LOVING

Lillie-Magazine-Spring-Summer-2013Eeeeeeeeeeee!!! The summer issue of Lillie Magazine is live! Yesterday was my first peek at the layout and I could not wait to share it with you (obviously… my excitement started in this post!)!

I am honored to be featured alongside five creative women from across the country, sharing the beauty products and routines that sustain us as business owners, bloggers and freelancers. The editors at Lillie are deeply committed to sharing luxe goods that are good for you and good for the environment. Our product submissions for the editorial piece were researched and triple-checked by their team! You’ll have to grab the issue to see the routines & product favorites of all the women featured in the editorial piece (teaser: I cannot believe that I’m only a few pages away from the fab Justina Blakeney – wow!).

Come back tomorrow – I’m sharing a product I love that also has me swooning over their great product design. This is not your momma’s Oil of Olay (or in my house it was always Pond’s Cold Cream). How lucky are we to be living in this time with products that meet all of our demands, from being safe and green to eco-conscious, luxe and cool? (answer: really, really lucky!)

P.S. I can’t wait to show this to my future kids one day and say: “Look how pretty your momma looked at 30! If you want to be like your momma, you better eat your kale!”

MAY
02
New Favorite: Lillie Magazine

Filed Under: 30SOMETHING, DIGITAL GOODS

Hello Monday! (crossing my fingers this is the start of a much better week for me and for you!). I am thankful for a forced “power-down” over the weekend with a broken phone! My pup and I packed in the car and traveled south to visit friends and spend time in the beachside towns of Oceanside, Carlsbad and Encinitas. I need to do this more – California truly is a gem!

On the topic of gems and lovely things… I’d love for you to check out Lillie Magazine, a bi-annual green living and eco-style print magazine. I’m swooning over the aesthetic, the design and the detailed attention to a beautiful, wellness-based lifestyle. Check out there trailer for the Spring/Summer issue (it’s so yummy!):

Lillie Spring Issue from SheShootsHeScores on Vimeo.

Even more exciting: I’m featured in the issue! Sharing a few of my favorite beauty products for healthy skin. And a little about my daily routine as a designer and wellness-lover. Me? In print??? I can hardly believe this is happening (pinch me!). Preview the latest issue here online and buy a copy for the full magazine (Mom & Dad, this means you!). Below are a few outtakes from the Venice-inspired Lillie photo session.

WELL in L.A. | Lillie Magazine 2013

WELL in L.A. | Lillie Magazine 2013

WELL in L.A. | Lillie Magazine 2013

WELL in L.A. | Lillie Magazine 2013

There are many people to thank for this opportunity and collaboration, from the editorial team at Lillie, of course to the talented Rachel for her vision, photography and creative direction; to Leylie Aghili at Tribute Boutique for loaning one of her original designs and accessories (and Angela for the email intro to Leylie!); and my dear friend Simone for giving me a makeup tutorial + shopping list specifically for the shoot.

Gratitude for collaborations and the talented people in my life are always at the top of my list of things to be thankful for in life. Our best works and best versions of our selves spring from collaboration.

MAY
02
HELLO FROM PORTLAND!

Filed Under: 30SOMETHING, COLLABORATIONS

Post-vacation bliss is a good space to live in and one we all need more often in our lives! Last week I let my inbox run wild while I played in Portland, Oregon, with my best friend. Over the course of four days we walked, hiked, ate, drank, laughed, traversed, put our toes in the grass, visited the hotel from The Shining and soaked up high doses of NW sunshine (I’m convinced it is the best kind of sunlight since it’s filtered by all the green!). I was posting adventures all along the way with the hashtag #PortlandLUV on Instagram.

Portland Travel | WELL in L.A.(my home-away-from-home office! very minimally used!)

My bestie and I take an annual girls’ trip – last year we went to New Orleans. Portland was vastly different from NoLA (flavors, people, temps, sites…) and an equally awesome vacation. Perfect for being agenda-less wayfarers! My best friend and I travel well together because we’re both totally down with little-to-no itinerary upon arriving at our destination. I know that probably drives some people crazy, but for both of us it’s a treat. We have very scheduled normal, daily lives most other days of the year. Having nowhere to be and no one to answer to for a few days is a necessary mental AND physical vacation.

Ahhhhhh…!!!

Once we settled into our awesome room at the glam Hotel deLuxe in downtown Portland (and after opening a couple bottles of prosecco from the very-well stocked mini-bar in our hotel room!) we hit the streets to explore. Portland is a very pedestrian and bike-friendly city. A car is not a necessity if you plan to stay in the downtown area. Portland’s public transportation, The MAX (“to the Max”… Saved By The Bell, anyone!?), is user-friendly and accessible all over. If you plan to wander along the “fruit loop” of Mount Hood and the river basin, do rent a car for the day. My tip on car rental: go to Priceline and use the “name your price” feature to get the best price on a rental. We could not find a rental near our hotel for less than $110/day; we took The MAX back to the airport to pick up our rental car at the very reasonable price of $40 for the day. Much more budget-friendly!

Other tips… You should definitely watch Portlandia before you visit Portland. At least a few episodes or clips on YouTube so you understand that pickling foods and the 90′s lifestyle is very much a thing (ha!). Bring an rain jacket and solid shoes you’re not afraid to muck up a bit. Sip brews of every kind, from coffee to kombucha and beer. They’re all local and all so good! Do ask around for vegan-friendly places if that’s your speed on the eating spectrum. The places we went were very happy and proud to serve up lots of bacon-pork-pancetta-flavored foods! I’m getting back on track with normal eating this week and always reserve the right to indulge in every sense on vacation!

Below are scenes and snippets from vacation in the gallery (with descriptions). Special thank you to Hotel deLuxe for the media special and extra goodies during our stay! If you live in Portland you have to get to their bar, The Driftwood Room (order the mushrooms, the butternut squash pizza and save room for the bread pudding dessert!). I’d love to hear from any readers who are full-time Portland residents or if you’ve visited Portland – I’m sure there are sites and experiences we missed in our very short stay in this very cool, green city!

MAY
02
WELL Lately

Filed Under: 30SOMETHING

My heart feels big and it feels heavy sitting in my chest today. Last night I dropped my fiancé off at the airport. For as long as I’ve known him – 15 years – and for as long as we’ve been together as a couple – year number 8 in progress! – traveling and working abroad has always been his dream. In the last two weeks the right offer came through and we both agreed he needed to take the opportunity. Every day since then has felt like a blur. It’s the third time that he and I have lived in separate locations for work. I’ve written about long distance relationships on The Daily Love; I’m weighing the idea of writing through this third experience with long-distance-love in “real-time” (versus reflecting on past experiences).

long-distance-love

Anyone living far from the person who holds the biggest piece of their heart knows this feeling. I know in a few days this heaviness I feel this morning will start to lift. I am thankful for my friends and family, all of whom are keeping me very busy in the coming days, weeks and months with visits, weekend trips and all the phone calls and emails filled with love and support.  I will continue to do everything I do – yoga, running, hiking, eating healthy, soaking up the sunshine, laughing and working toward my dreams and goals. I will cherish the person I love for doing the same and holding up his end of “the bargain” to be a great partner and to be true to his dreams and goals. And I will most certainly look forward to visiting him – in Australia! – this summer.

Beyond that, there’s been a few more changes in life and in business that I’d love to share with you.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

This Site: If you’re new to the site, welcome; if you’ve been reading for awhile now, thank you and I hope you find the changes to your liking ;)! The main navigation menu (below the “WELL in L.A.” banner) is now the blog categories. Click on one and you’re taken to those posts. I wanted the focus on WELL in L.A. to be about the writing and sharing my love of wellness and life. For that purpose, my business site – the design and consulting – is now a standalone website.

Building a Business: The beauty and the burden of being freelance or having your own business is that there are no rules. But there are no rules (you see how this can be a problem?). In fact, I was talking about this very topic + blogging with my friend Sharzad on last night’s episode of Young Female Entrepreneurs TV (video below). I’ve restructured my package and process in hopes that this new format resonates with potential clients who want to work with me for both my design and consulting/know-how skills. It’s a killer package, but I am obviously biased ;)

Blogging Love: I dearly love writing and creating content. I’m looking for places to write and outlets to partner with, which is work and hustle in terms of finding the “just right” fit for both parties (the cover photo for this post is for an upcoming guest post on a site I adore!). I’m beginning to consider the idea of bringing on a second writer for WELL in L.A. to offer fresh perspectives and content. I’m always in search of great partnerships for the blog (don’t miss this week’s giveaway with The Neshama Project!), sharing people and brands that are devoted to promoting the art of living well with you, my readers.

Stepping Away: Google Reader announced last week that it is ending its service in July. I spent a good chunk of time last weekend devising a solution for my blog and how I read blogs. I’m sending out a once-a-week RSS email via Mailchimp or you can grab the RSS here and import it into the reader of your choice. I’m on board with Feedly, which will easily pull in your current Google Reader organization, like folders and starred items.

Making More Time: If I could make more time I’d bottle it, sell it and live on islands! Plural! I’m loving this beautiful piece from Alexandra Franzen on the yogi principle of “asteya” or “non-stealing” with regards to work and communication. We all know theft in the form of the physical and tangible but what about when you’re unconsciously stealing someone’s time? I’m trying to be more bold, yet gentle (as is more my nature) to ask people to consider the principes of asteya before sending 10 emails regarding one topic over the course of the day. And putting this into action for myself and respecting other people’s time, as well. A very good change to make.  

So … that’s what’s new with me!

I’d love to hear what’s new with you! And thank you for reading this post. Simply writing already makes my heart feel better :)

MAY
02
Happiness Starts Now

Filed Under: 30SOMETHING, BODY + MIND

Have you ever been in the midst of so many changes you feel like your head may spin off its very axis? My intention with WELL in L.A. is to stay on the “lighter” side of life, sharing ways to “be well” through words, design and pictures. But life isn’t always as clean or neat as pictured. It’s taken a lot of discipline and mustering a smile even when I didn’t want to over the last couple of months. I’m writing this now because I’m finally finished saying “I’m okay” and forcing a half-hearted smile when asked “How are you?”. Because the real answer is not made for small talk: “Life is messy. The future is equal parts frightening and exhilarating. I’m taking it all in, day-by-day. Please ask me ‘how I am’ again tomorrow.”

WELLinLA

making raw almond milk; cold-recovery juice; scraping vanilla beans

The lasted 10 weeks of my life have consisted of the following “mix”: a postponed April wedding; moved and completely furnished a new home; questioned “the big picture plan” for life; started to better understand the value of my time; made bold requests and “big asks” (intentionally vague; life in progress!); dissolved a corporation; re-organized business processes; broke this website (repairs/facelift coming ASAP); suspended the 11×30 goals for weekly goals; and, on many days, resisted the urge to buy a one-way ticket to anywhere but here.

wellinla.com

locked out of my house for what may be the first of many times

I’ve trusted that life will get better, even when my eyes were bleary with tears. And it is getting better. I am braced for what’s next – both good and bad. You have to consciously seek out the silver lining when you’re going through shit. I found my silver lining by saying “thanks” to life for never allowing me to get too comfortable, never allowing me to settle for less than I deserve or to be less than I can and should.

WELLinLA3

wellinla.com

comfort is… sleepy naps in the sunshine & a great cup of turmeric tea

I spent the morning reviewing photos and posts from the last 10 weeks. It was a wonderful reminder that life – even in the middle of what seems like too much – is sweet and filled with hope. A pictorial reminder that I’m my best when I focus on self-care and nourishment. On slowing down, working from my core values and putting time into my most important relationships. Being reminded to count my blessings and exercise more compassion. Cutting out all the “extra” and the noise of life. Until I realized these things and had time to deal with the “slipstream of chaos” I couldn’t fully indulge in that new year/clean slate feeling. But it feels right to do so now. It feels good. Maybe I simply needed an extra month before the start of my new year.

wellinla.com

wellinla.com

bright, beautiful wares from KOOSHOO & cold-weather comfort foods roasting away

Photos from this post are from Instagram – cherished moments that have seen me through the rough spots. Born from this period and in the vein of sharing more of what’s good and what’s inspiring (thanks to Kate and MB for being my muses), there will be a new blog category – “WELL Loves”. Posts dedicated exclusively to sharing stories, events, photos and things that marry words, wellness and design. The first post is scheduled for Saturday. Please stop by over the weekend and indulge in a little WELL!

DEC
03
11×30: Learning to Be

Filed Under: 30SOMETHING, BODY + MIND

I love how the universe gifts us with exactly we need at every stage of life if we’re open to receiving those blessings. The two weeks of November were an incredibly trying time of my life. I’m honestly not sure how I would have coped with the personal challenges without yoga and meditation (my life has its equal shares of ups & downs; I simply choose to focus on the positive parts). The song “Let It Be” floats through my mind as I think about what I’ve been going through – so much of it being beyond my control.

Let It Be | Meditation | WELL in L.A.

When I created these goals for myself in June of this year I had no idea that I was equipping myself with the exact tools I needed for each month. October was a big turning point in my freelance career – new projects, time management, learning to balance passion and business sensibility. The one place I found peace was on the yoga mat. My head may be filled with conflicting thoughts and feelings of disorganization when I enter the yoga studio. Taking 60 to 90 minutes of giving back to myself leaves me feeling more calm, more clear and able to tackle the next set of challenges life throws my way.

Let It Be | Meditation | WELL in L.A.

For that matter exercise – from running to spinning classes – has always been means to quiet my otherwise busy mind. The hour to disconnect, be “off the grid” and to form meaningful relationships with people who share similar interests. It’s a matter of wanting and making a concerted effort to find and cultivate community. Get out of your comfort zone and create meaningful conversation. Find connection. Don’t we all deserve that at the very least?

Let It Be | Meditation | WELL in L.A.

In November I continued to make yoga a priority, but shifted the focus to meditation. At first I thought meditation had to be very structured: setting up the environment, the perfect time of day, the best readings… and then felt a little disappointed when I couldn’t quiet my mind. The research side of me wanted to follow the “mediation rules” by the book. But no one can seem to agree on it being one thing, as evidenced by its definition (source):

“…promote relaxation; contacting spiritual guides; building internal energy; receiving psychic visions; getting closer to God; seeing past lives; taking astral journeys and so forth … to more technical exercises targeted at developing compassion, love, patience, generosity, forgiveness and more far-reaching goals; effortlessly sustained single-pointed concentration single-pointed analysis, and an indestructible sense of well-being while engaging in any and all of life’s activities.”

Let It Be | Meditation | WELL in L.A.

I talked to friends, to you guys!! and loved the support and encouragement. Meditation isn’t a practice that has a right or wrong way. It’s about creating time for time to reflect and be a better version of yourself. So that you can get out in the world and do big things with your better you.

Let It Be | Meditation | WELL in L.A.

Which brings us to December, the next goal: 31 Days of Writing. I have a few lofty, big goals when it comes to writing and the only way to be better at anything is to practice. I’m going to marry the meditation + the writing, using quiet time in the morning before the day begins to empty my mind and push the needle along on the big life goals related to writing.

Let It Be | Meditation | WELL in L.A.

If you’re new to WELL in L.A. I want to say “HELLO!” and welcome! December is a busy and full month, but I want to encourage you to adopt a goal as the last “hurrah” for 2012. Make it good, make it count! See the full list of my goals and challenges + recaps on all my monthly challenges completed to date below. And if you’re wondering why it’s 11×30 vs. 12×30 … it’s simply because it took me a month to fully map out how I wanted to roll into year number 3-0 of life!

Eating Vegetarian // July 2012 (Link to Post)

Eating Vegan // August 2012 (Link to Post)

Eating Raw // September 2012 (Link to Post)

Yoga // October 2012 (Link to Post)

Image source for this post via Tumblr.
Get the full “Let It Be” poster/image here.
Please remember to link & tag with love!

MAY
02
11×30: The Mid-Month Meditation

Filed Under: 30SOMETHING, BODY + MIND

Meditation-WELLinLA

Meditation and the livin’s easy… right. Quieting and taming this monkey mind is a feat. I’m trying, I’m trying, I’m trying as much as I can to apply daily meditation practice into my every day life. What I’m learning: this is a practice that is going to take me years – a lifetime – to put into practice. And I’m okay with that. Much like yoga, there’s plenty to learn and and grow into over a lifetime.

DO YOU PRACTICE MEDITATION?

Here’s where I’m at: trying to find a podcast that isn’t super-cheesy (so far, I’ve not been successful). Tracking down a book of meditations (I love Rumi, but I’m having a hard time following the poems in a meditation practice). I find I need to move my body so my mind will be still (yoga or running before I meditate). I need a modern-day translation for my meditation practice rooted in the traditions and techniques that have been used for centuries. Finding Get Some Headspace has been a blessing! And I love founder Andy Puddicombe’s perspective on meditation:

It is not that meditation causes the change to take place, but rather it creates the conditions for change to take place. It reminds us of that fundamental essence, which is innocent, vulnerable, gentle, kind, content, fulfilled, untouched, uncomplicated and free from habit. (read the full interview here)

This passage on meditation made me smile. Especially admitting that meditation can be a pain in the ass!

Meditation can be a pain in the ass. Even to the most seasoned meditator, it can be a struggle. However, I can absolutely assure you that it is incomparable in its benefits. There is nothing that comes close to meditation in terms of harnessing the power of the mind, and using the mind to create an amazing life.

So – what’s your take? Do you have any tips or suggestions for making a meditation practice? Are you interested in joining me on this journey? I would LOVE to hear from you :)! P.S. you can buy “silence in a can” here.

DEC
08
Getting Unstuck

Filed Under: 30SOMETHING, BODY + MIND

This is not the post I had planned for today. I think today was supposed to be something light and full of photos, but it didn’t seem to ring true. The beauty of blogging is the ability to show what’s going on “behind the curtain” and let people into your lives. My preference is to focus on the positive in my writing. But not sharing the growth that can come from the “not-so-sparkly” moments of life would be a missed opportunity to help anyone who may be feeling the same way. We all have times like these – they’re unavoidable in this beautiful human condition.

I’M HAVING A ‘STUCK’ MOMENT

Everything seems fine on the surface, but for reasons I can neither define nor tangibly explain, I have felt stuck and frustrated this week. What is making me feel so curmudgeonly? I don’t know. To top it off, I’m one of those people who makes their bad mood worse because they feel guilty for feeling negative, which only magnifies the situation.

The month of November and the beginning of daily meditation could not have come at a better time. I’ve been reading up on mindfulness and meditation practices and styles in preparation and found this gem explaining how to ditch negativity and get out of a rut:

Meditation-WELL-in-LAThis article on Daily Muse, which offered great solutions for getting out of short- and long-term slumps, like removing anything unnecessary from your calendar – i.e. coffee dates, meetups and that  mile-long errand list many of us are prone to maintain. I spoke with my “trusted board of advisors” about the shade of gray I’m feeling this week to get a little more advice and insight. To create opportunities for growth from these feelings. What am I doing to break away? Here’s the starting list:

1. Checking email 3 times a day

I am all too easily distracted by incoming emails. Returning from our recent vacation was the confirmation that I needed to get a grip on my inbox. I typically answer emails right away. This chips away at my flow and the time in my day. Ideally I’d love to answer emails twice a day by the year’s end, at 9:00am and 3:00pm. I’m crafting 3 templates to answer most of my emails (based on the types I receive). I created a priority list for who receives responses and when. My emails will, for the most part, be short and to the point. If someone really needs you in the immediate sense, there’s always the phone! I’m using my phone’s alarm to let me know when to check email. More? Check out tools like 5 Sentences, tips from Tim Ferriss and this piece from INC. which says that “changing tasks makes you dumber than being stoned”. Harsh, but true!

2. Making ME the priority 

This is essential. In order to be the best me for my clients, customers, family, friends and loved ones putting myself first is a non-negotiable. Eat well, move my body and find time for creative things I love in the day. You can and should be selfish, too.

3. Practicing meditation, gratitude and writing notes

In fairness, this is a bit of lumping 3 things into one. Daily meditation is my goal for the month (this is my source for guided readings); gratitude is what I strive to find in every day; hand-written notes are what I write at the end of the week. These 3 things combined put me into a sunnier mental state.

4. Assessing where and how my time is spent 

Ughhh… I am not looking forward to this but I know it’s necessary because time has been the biggest frustration. If you’re an employee, freelancer or entrepreneur, this should be a given. Saying that I’m too busy is a cop-out; it’s really that I haven’t been managing time as effectively I as I should lately. It’s time to find out what needs to stay/go and change as I move into 2013.

5. Finding calm before the holiday storm

Holidays stress me out. Inherently it means travel, cold weather, not the healthiest of meals and spending time in small spaces with lots of people. I very much love my family, but I like to visit with people one-on-one (see “Me? An Introvert?”) and have quiet around the holidays. I’m working to clear my mind of the negative thoughts and focus on the positive, like spoiling my niece and sitting around a cozy fire.

6. Focusing on goals for 2013

There are times I feel really clear on my goals and some days – some weeks – I feel things are completely off and I need to figure out what I’m doing with my life. A quasi-mini-post-quarter-life, first-year-of-freelancing freak-out. I’m looking for a mentor and am setting up meetings with a fellow freelancer who challenges my business decisions, helping me stretch and move toward the next big goals. I’m also setting aside 4 hours a week to assess the various areas of my business before 2013 hits.

So yes… this post may seem a little off base, but I promise you that writing it was like therapy – so thank YOU for reading! I hope that you find pieces of it to be valuable for when you find yourself in a funk/rut/slump. I feel like mine is a short-lived one and will be over by the start of the new week, but I would love to hear your advice for how you bust out of ‘em when they cross your path.

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