Don't wait for things to be perfect.
It's Monday. I'm here for you.
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I met this really wise woman at the park this week and got lost in conversation with her.
At some point, the bugs were starting to bite, as if to tell both of us that this long exchange of words between two strangers who will never, ever see each other again must end.
So it did, but before we went back to our realities, she said:
One more thing I want to tell you. You're supposed to break your own foundation, but you need a solid one first before you break it.
👋Welcome to the Monday Pick-Me-Up. The advice came out of nowhere. It took me a few days to figure out what she was trying to say. But here’s what I came up with:
Plan for perfect? Not worth it. Find ways to function in the mess.
The advice came out of nowhere. We were talking about the meaning of Gemma's name, the beauty of this neighborhood, and how heavy the pollen has been the last few days.
Okay, thank you, I told her. I'll remember that.
The truth is, some people can sense things without you having to say those things.
Like when I saw her, my hair was in a sweaty twisted bun. Not the cool Hailey Bieber kind. The kind that says: the day has been so tough and shitty that it's a miracle my hair is holding itself still inside this clip.
When I saw her, it was 5pm and 95 degrees outside. I was with Gemma (the baby) and Goofy (the dog), but the stroller was going one way, the leash the other, and my limbs were stretched out trying to hold on tightly to them both — to so many other invisible things.
Most people would pass by and think nothing of it. New moms! They are heroes looking like they got stuck inside a car wash!
But this wise woman stopped to talk, and I didn't need to say much for her to know that the day just wasn't my kind of day.
It took me a while to figure out what she was trying to say, but eventually, it hit me.
When I want to change my life, I'm so strict with my rules. No carbs!!! 10,000 million steps!!! Consistency!! No mistakes!! No breaking the rules!! Ahhhhhhh.
And I'm able to crush those goals on Monday! But always - literally always - something happens on Tuesday, and all my grand plans to eat healthy, work out, stay focused, get my work to-do's done, and be the best person in the entire world — clog the drain.
By Wednesday, I've backtracked into my own bad habits. I'm eating a chocolate bar for dinner while scrolling TikTok and pretending my overflowing inbox of emails are love notes I can read next year. They, in fact, are not.
By Thursday, I'm mad at myself. I'm upset that the things I couldn't control around me (see: toddler sleep regression, canceled childcare, someone in the household catching a common cold, etc.) were enough to knock me down.
By Friday, I've taken on the identity of a person who does not have the ability to change. My sob story is a Broadway-esque monologue — with no intermission.
You're supposed to break your own foundation, but you need a solid one first before you break it.
I'll never know what this wise woman was trying to tell me, but at that moment, I think she was trying to say this:
It's okay to have a blueprint for what you want to change in your life — and how you want to change it.
But you also have to have a plan for when the things around you are flopping.
When things are flopping and you can't cook up healthy meals or hit the gym or answer all the emails in your inbox or handle stress better with a 60-minute yoga class….but you still want to change….what the heck are you going to do?
Have a foundation…know what you want in life.
Find ways to break it…and how you'll recover when it is all broken.
That way, you can get back on track faster, without the 90-minute monologue and the self-pity or the endless guilt.
Don’t plan for the perfect.
Find ways to climb back out under the thick layers of mess that will always find a way to fall on top of you by Tuesday.
Love,
Jen
How I used AI to make life easier this week
I use AI a lot in my daily life to just make things easier or to get free help — fast. I want to share some of these ways every week with you.
First, finances.
I’m spending too much money on my credit cards every month. I wanted to find ways to cut back and be more aware so I can spend at least 25% less in July.
Here’s what I did:
I downloaded my last credit card statement..
I uploaded the statement to ChatGPT and used this prompt: Can you review my credit card statement to suggest practical ways I can spend less next month?
Here was the response:
⚡Instant Pick Me Ups
📖: A writer I have admired for a decade published his first memoir last week. It’s so so so good. I’ve read everything John writes and am truly so proud of him!
🛍️: I kinda promised myself I wouldn’t buy this shoe style because everyone in Brooklyn wears these BUT then I found this cool pink color and I grabbed a pair. I love them. Super comfortable and great for the summer because they are so lightweight. The color is bold and stands out too. The only negative review is that they make a squeaky noise but that’s probably temporary!
📺: Rewatched this movie on Netflix and loved it more than the first time. Such a sweet rom com for a Friday night at home on the couch.
🎵:It will be a while before I stop listening to this song on repeat.
Why you’re getting this: I'm Jen Glantz and this is The Monday Pick-Me-Up newsletter. I've been sending it every Monday, for 9-years, to thousands of awesome humans, just like you. Thank you for letting this email live in your inbox. It truly makes my heart explode with joy.
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