And Why I Quit Trying. I used to foolishly believe that if I could just clear my to-do list, I’d finally feel caught up. But I was only clearing it up to make space for the next stack of to-dos, and the next and the next. Another work email to answer, another post to write, another idea I swore I’d get to once “things slowed down.” The older I get, the bigger the backlog seems to fill up, in all things. Half-written blog drafts. Unread books. Old voice memos with “brilliant ideas” I’d never started. And the work and family stuff is too mammoth to even mention. The lists, plural,…
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Will You Still Love Your Passion Project in 5 Years?
Open your closet, wardrobe, clothing racks, or wherever you store your clothes, and take a good look. I mean really look closely. Out of all that’s hanging, folded, stuffed, or shoved in somewhere, and don’t forget what’s been left to fry in the dryer, how many do you actually wear? Not stare at, slide past to find that specific top, but put on and go out in? I’m betting that for most of us, the number is probably smaller than you think or want to admit. Maybe 10%, or 20% if you’re really lucky and diligent about changing up your look. Not to mention if you work from home, have a uniform,…
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Done Is Better Than Dreamed: A Real Way to Begin
Why Starting Still Feels So Damn Hard (Even When You’re Ready) You’re on your treadmill, or out on a walk, wrapping up watching the 9th video when you swore video #8 was *the one*. Then video #10 pops up, making you doubt everything all over again. Fast forward to after your shower and a meal that still doesn’t have enough protein to sustain your Big Age, and now you’re umpteen videos deep. Yet, somehow, you’re more confused than when you started, and mad enough to contemplate letting your idea, ‘your thing’, pass you by – again, wondering if it’s just you. Procrastination Station Welcome to OVER-DOING-TOO-MUCH. Well, that’s what I’ve…
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The Key to Knowing What Others Really Value…
So You Can Act Accordingly Honest mistakes aside. Way, waaay, over to the side. If someone said to you “I’ll text you back” four weeks ago and never did… they didn’t forget. They chose something else. If they’re too “busy” for a five-minute check-in, that’s a clear decision they’ve made. And yeah, it feels personal, because it is. At any age but especially ours, here’s where to stop internalizing it as a flaw in your character, your worth, or ability to maintain relationships. It’s not you. When I miss a call or text from any of my peeps, and it happens often because … well, life and no one’s perfect,…
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Make Reflection Easy With These FREE Daily Journal PDFs
Grab a fresh start or a quiet finish in just 5 minutes. Because life is a lot right now, make room for care, clarity, and a lil’ courage. Download free journal sheets. Check in and shift your mindset, one page at a time. These two free printable journal sheets help you start and end your day with less noise and more ease. Friends of mine keep them near the coffee machine or tucked on a nightstand. This way, they’re always within reach and ready to go. And yes, everything feels urgent, but you’re allowed to pause. Get Your Mind RIGHT (Morning) Insert your favorite wake-up brew & take a moment…
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Ignore Perfect Photos and Just Publish Your Blog Now
I’m saying this with all the love in the world, to you (and me): your blog post is not auditioning for a Vogue cover spread. Nor a shout-out at whatever the Met Gala of web content is. You’re writing to connect, inform, encourage, or move something in someone to act. Not only does it not need to be perfect, it never will be, and it doesn’t need to be to deliver impact. I’ve been there, and I still take more time than I need to on the “right” images. Stalking my go-to sites, trying to match that gorgeous mental image I’ve been carrying around. Am I trying to convey a…
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Unexpected Package: A Train Ride and a Misstep
(A short story by Irene B.) Eva stepped onto the train, already scanning for her seat and ready to claim her territory. She spotted her four-seater in business class, blissfully unoccupied; an internal “Yes!” erupted. Eva dropped her laptop bag on the table, her stuffed tote bag across one seat, and, keeping her crossbody closest, plopped down in the window spot with a relieved sigh. She’d move things if someone legit showed up. Otherwise, this quadrant sanctuary was all hers. Across from her, in another four-seater, sat a man already there when she boarded. Smartly dressed in a business suit jacket that looked on-trend and expensive, but in that easy-going…
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How Removing Digital Clutter Made My Content Workflow Better
I love a good app or 50. My phone, iPad, MacBook Air, second laptop, and my array of hard drives will groan but attest to that. So yeah, I love a good app, especially when they earn their spot in my productivity stack. But I want… no, need them to win. My iPhone Notes is currently drowning in the clutter of over 4,000 notes and well over 60 folders. I back it up religiously and care for it like it’s my third child. The obedient one. Lately though, I’ve seen how removing clutter made my workflow better, and how trimming down even my favorite productivity stack apps made space to…
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How To Say “Oh, No, but Thanks”, When You Don’t Want To Do Something
I Don’t have to. Don’t desire to. Don’t need to. And said just like that. I can hear myself say it. Clear, crisp, firm. My kindest boundary. Being a Londoner, though I’ve lived in the USA for two decades now, occasionally I’ve had to explain to folks that my use of “sorry”, before I speak, isn’t what they think though it’s an easy mistake to make. I’m not walking around burdened by guilt and shame for every tiny misstep I make. And I don’t mean to speak for every Londoner, but it’s cultural and a term for an “Oops”. A version of “excuse me”. A filler word we throw in to keep things…
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When the Problem Isn’t Money or Time, What’s Left?
I had two separate conversations recently with a couple of really good friends. Different days, different women, different dreams. But both hitting the same wall.Each of them had a clear, compelling vision for a business they wanted to start. Not a product you could touch or ship, but service-based ventures they were deeply passionate about. And here’s what struck me hard: the amount of thought they’d already put in. The clarity. The specificity of events and timelines they’d laid out to the end vision was so well-formed that I cut into their dialogue at one point and flat-out asked: “Umm… this is so well thought out, why are you not…
