👋 Keep Trying

It's Monday. I'm here for you.

The Pick Me Up is a Monday morning newsletter filled with advice, personal stories, and tips to help you get out of bed and jumpstart your week.

Greetings friend.

It’s me — Jen Glantz.

This is the week where at least one person will ask you what you are thankful for.

And if you’re like me, you’ll tell them: Everything.

And when they ask you to be more specific, you’ll make them regret asking that, because you’ll ramble off an unedited list of things that are both intense and odd, usual and unusual.

Like:

I’m thankful for the guy at my local pizza spot who does not judge me for coming in every night and ordering two slices. When I asked him recently if I’m his most regular customer, he said: Yes, but you’re also my favorite.

I’m thankful for being alive. Yep. I’m alive. I don’t ever want to forget that. I don’t want to take that for granted. In a year when someone you know dies, you can’t help but be so grossly aware of the fact that you are still here and they are not. How the length of life can be unfair, no matter how you look at it.

I’m thankful for friendship. The many different forms of it. People say that after you have a baby, you’ll lose a lot of friends, especially if your friends don’t have kids. I experienced the opposite. I lost friends who I was already losing before I was pregnant. But I had so many friends hang on, even during my sleep deprived stupor or my inability to show up fully for them.

I’m thankful for my baby girl who I love with every piece of me. I feel like I’ve known her forever. I feel grateful that I get to be with her for the rest of my life.

I’m thankful for my health. After I had a baby, I went for my annual physical and asked the doctor to double check everything. She said that once you become a parent, your fear of dying reaches a whole new level. Mine is as tall as the Empire State Building. I’ve always wanted a big life for myself. Now, I want her to have a big life too and I want to be there for much of it as possible.

Okay, I’ll stop there. That’s my list so far.

What about yours?

Happy Thanksgiving, my dear reader. Thank you for being here, for reading this, for caring. I completely and utterly adore you.

In this issue: Part four of the year-end inventory process and little life updates.

Why you’re getting this: I'm Jen Glantz and this is The Pick-Me-Up newsletter. I've been sending it every Monday, for 8-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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⚡Instant Pick Me Ups

📚: A few years ago, my friend recommended this book and I laughed in her face. I am already untammed - I told her! I don’t need this book. But I saw it was free and available to listen to on my Libby app. Plus, I was in one of those moods where I felt like a self-help book could help my stubborn self. So I pressed play and then hours later texted this friend a formal apology. This book is a life-changer. I want to read it ten more times. TBH it’s such a great book that I bought the hardcover so I could highlight quotes inside of it.

👗: All of the picks from the past few months are all inside this list here!

🛠️: I’ve been working hard on a few big things. Bridesmaid for Hire officially launched (3) new tools. We have a maid of honor and best man speech writing tool + a vow writing tool. They are fun, interactive, and super easy to use. All of them are here + free to test out! Plus, the tools were featured in The New York Times.

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Let’s give it a whirl

Here’s the truth.

Big questions in life usually happen one after the other.

This week, everyone will ask you what you’re thankful for.

But once the turkey is cut and the pies are served, people will ditch that question and begin to ask you:

What are your resolutions for the new year?

?????

Goals! What are your goals! Who do you want to be? How are you going to be that person!!!!

I believe in spending December eating leftover apple pie and trying to figure out what happened in the year you just lived. I believe in using the last month of the year to decipher what’s great about you —- not just what you want to change.

So this week, as part of the inventory (part 1, part 2, and part 3), the question I have for you is:

Next year, what do you want to try?

Picking goals is too loaded. It’s soo permanent. You might not be ready for that, yet.

But brainstorming a list of 10 things you want to try, is much more fun.

You can even brainstorm them within categories.

Finance, health, career, hobbies, friendship, etc.

Before you feel pressure to answer the questions of what do you want to accomplish in 2024?

Simply ask yourself a no-strings attached question:

What do you want to try?

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👩 Real Life Pick-Me-Ups:

• I’ve lost my workout routine. I used to be so good about going to a high-intensity bootcamp class 5-6 times a week. But it took a toll on my body and everything started to hurt - not in a good way. I ended my membership. I do a yoga or pilates class when I have the time. But mostly, I’ll put on my sneakers and go to the gym in building at 8pm and slowly walk on the treadmill. The old me would view this as lazy. The new me knows that this is exactly what my body needs right now. Nothing more. It’s not like me to care this much about my body and give it what it needs. So I’m thankful for this era I’m in with these calm little workouts.

• I’ve been making this soup once a week and it’s so good. Pro-tip is that Trader Joe’s sells a container of carrots, celery, and onions, pre-copped, for like $5. I buy that and it shaves off 10-minutes from this soup making process.

• Next week will be my last Monday pick-me-up for 2023. I’m going to miss writing this newsletter. But I’ll be back in January! I want to spend a little bit of time in December lost in my own thoughts and feelings.

Until next week (Happy Thanksgiving!!!),

Jen Glantz

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