“be easy. take your time. you are coming home. to yourself.” 💕 ~Nayyirah Waheed

By Jessica L. Williams • Issue #279 • View online

Shout out to Kirsten Goede for buying me coffee this past week! ☕️ Thank you!

Kirsten is a Graphic Designer as well as the Co-Founder of Big League Pins. They have a range of pins that capture the spirit of sport and the joy of life.

—

Last week’s call for shifts merged into this week’s caregiving challenges, not to mention that the world continues to be on fire with new things I can’t even wrap my head around.

Suffice to say, I’m feeling heavy and with multiple days with less than 4 hours of sleep. As Nayyirah also says:

“all the women. in me. are tired.”

One of my favorite authors/podcasters, Kendra Adachi, will often share a list of things saving her life right now. So I made one in November. And it’s such a good practice.

Here are five things that are saving my life right now:

🕺🏾. Dance.

I ran out to BeMoved dance class with 0 minutes to spare this week because we were doing disco (yesss, all the John Travolta pointing). Aside from sleep, this is probably the most sacred hour of my week where I do something just for myself. It does my soul, body, and mental health good.

👩🏾‍⚕️. Chiro/Physical Therapy.

My neck and shoulder woes are getting better(?), but it’s still so much of a journey. I’m so thankful that I have a care team to focus on healing those areas. This week, they also showed me some helpful tips for lifting and supporting grandma, and I’ve already been able to put that into practice.

🤕. The Good Patch.

I’ve found these hemp patches helpful this week with my pain, lack of sleep, and overall stress.

👩🏽‍🤝‍👨🏾. My squad.

My bosses who give me the space I need to step away and rest and encourage it. My friends who hold space for me and send me virtual hugs and funny memes. And my assistant who helps me show up on social media consistently without me lifting too many fingers.

👀. Checking in with myself.

I hope to make this a more consistent practice, but I’ve had to check in with myself more often this week to ask, “How do I feel? What do I need?” And then, based on the answers to the previous questions, “What can I realistically get done today?”

There is so much going on right now worldwide and in our own day-to-day lives. That is a lot to handle while also trying to build businesses. So I hope you can embrace the things you need to help you rest and recharge. 💕

What’s saving your life right now?

On to the picks!

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 😍

📚. Reading: The Housemaid. Premise: Woman hires a maid who ends up wanting the woman’s life. But everyone has secrets, and this book was a great twisty-turny company during my sleepless nights this week (#caregiverlife). Definitely had me questioning who was the real villain here.

🎧. Listening: Pop Piano Covers. Found myself needing to listen to some music without words and saw that they had added some new songs. If you like having music while you work without words, this might come in handy. (Yes, I still sing some tunes in my head. 😜)

🎨. Wearing: Art as Accessory. Loving these handcrafted earrings from Brandy Morris. Sometimes I moonlight as a model. 💁🏾‍♀️

#reads

Clarissa Explains It All

@Clarissa_Laskey

Please don’t ever feel guilty for stepping back, saying no, quitting, turning down an opportunity, being unavailable, unplugging or simply being quiet.

Some days that is how we process, unwind, take care of and our ourselves first.

1:00 PM - 2 May 2022

How To Manage Your Email In 17 Minutes A Day

Really great system in here for managing email. I liked how Tiago went over how it’s essential to set up downstream systems, including a calendar, a to-do list, an app for reference, and a read-it-later app. So you have places to put things instead of leaving them in your email. One thing he touches on, which I want to get better at, is only handling emails once—and then using one of those downstream systems to capture them.

fortheinterested.com • Share

15 Ideas You Can Steal to Make the Next 12 Months a Period of Remarkable Growth

“The normal part of my career is an office job. The risky part of my career is a side-business that could fail at any time. The plan that works for you will be different. The key is to add something in your career that excites you but perhaps makes you no money in the beginning.”

This is a favorite post that I often feel called to re-read. I have gotten out of the habit of journaling, and I miss it, so I want to see if it’s something I can add back in. Or perhaps it could wait for a different season. The other thing I want to understand better is how money works. And how I can start investing and saving for the future.

medium.com • Share

#icymi

😍. Last issue’s top pick was: I Borrowed James Clear’s Instagram Strategy to Grow My Email Newsletter

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#lifevibes

#supporters ☕️

Thank you Tunde, Jen, Michelle, Emile, Bex, Kim, 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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Did you enjoy this issue?

By Jessica L. Williams

Side hustler? Newsletter creator? Get inspiration, tips, and resources for entrepreneur-ing your way.

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“be easy. take your time. you are coming home. to yourself.” 💕 ~Nayyirah Waheed

Older messages

“It’s only in the darkness that she can discover the power of her own light.” 🤔 ~Bryan Anthony

“You matter, just by being here.” 💖 ~Morgan Harper Nichols

“Find something that makes you happy and use it to make others happy.” 😊 ~Saya Hillman

“It’s in the quiet moments that you are open to magic.” ✨~Courtney Carver

“Do not do more today than you can completely recover from tomorrow.” 🧐 ~Gregory McKeown

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