👋Who cares about the future. Let's make a mess of life right now.
It's Monday. I'm here for you.
Do you ever look at yourself in the mirror and think:
Whooooaaaa….when did all of this happen?
How the heck did I become all of this? Have my ears always been this size? Is that gray hair waving at me? Have the lines on my palm rubbed off on my forehead?
Is that how life works?
Welcome to the Monday Pick-Me-Up. Let’s talk about the future. But also how to make a mess of your own life right now.
Greetings friend.
It’s me - Jen Glantz.
Happy new year.
For the first full week of 2024, I didn’t leave my house without wearing these funky looking 2024 party glasses. I wore them everywhere.
But by January 2nd, people were starting to side-eye me like I was dancing the cha-cha in some sort of clown outfit. A lady on fifth avenue in Manhattan looked up at me, saw the glasses, and hacked out a loud haaaa,haaaa,haaaa.
Adam!!! I said, on January 3rd, still wearing the glasses, still receiving odd little looks. Everyone is looking at me like I’m crazy!
Well, he started to say, gently, as if he was about to tell his 35-year-old wife something she should have long-ago discovered, like the truth about the tooth fairy. It’s not exactly the new year anymore…
NOT EXACTLY THE NEW YEAR ANYMORE???? I shouted back at him like HE was the odd fool.
We’re so quick to move on. To hop along toward the future and forget about the time that we’re currently in. What a troublesome way to live. Let me explain:
Every year, I write this future letter to myself on New Year’s eve. I drop it in an email and schedule it to hit my inbox exactly one year later. I pour my heart into what goes inside the letter as if the goals, resolutions, must-do’s and don’ts will seal my fate for the year ahead.
My letters could pass the word count for a mini e-book. It takes me both breakfest and lunch to finish. I do not dare let anybody see what I have written inside. If Adam even glances over at my screen, I shut it, bang my first on the table, and sit some place else.
I used to love these letters, live for them. I’d spend the year la-di-da’ing around, doing what one does, and then, on December 31st, cozy up on the couch with a root beer float, and read what was inside.
But this year, when I opened it up, I was vehemently mad.
The things I had desperately hoped would come true in 2023 were stuck inside a letter I forget I even wrote.
I had these gorgeous goals mapped out for myself and I didn’t even remember 90% of them until the letter was right in front of me.
No. No. No.
This is not the way to live life. We can’t lock the things we want for ourselves up in some sort of time capsule and dream that they come true.
We have to remember them, see them, share them, hold them, fail at them, try at them again.
I don’t want to plan the things I want for myself in the future and forget about them as I live my life right now.
I didn’t write a letter to myself this year.
I took a sticky note. I **wrote my goals down on them. I took another sticky note. I wrote the goals on that one too. I did this a few more times. Then I placed the sticky notes all over my tiny little apartment (bathroom mirror, above my bed, on the fridge, on the kitchen table, on the arm of the couch).
Can’t miss them now! Can I?
As for the glasses, they are still on. It’s not a goal of mine to wear them all year but I might pop them back on every now and then, on a random Wednesday in July, when life feels funny, because if I’m laughing things off, why not let the world laugh back at me?
*I also want to add that I wrote my goals in pencil. It’s okay to change what you want or who you want to become*
⚡Instant Pick Me Ups
📚; I just finished listening to this book and I adored it so much. It reminded me of the toughness of life and what it takes to continuously pick yourself back up again. I thought it was going to be a cutsey little fun book but noooo not at at all.
🧦: Perhaps the greatest tip that has come out of my endless TikTok scrolling was from an influencer who said start the new year off with all new socks (that all match) so you don’t have to waste time finding socks that go together or wearing ones with holes in them. I replaced all of my socks with these.
🎵: I can listen to this song 100 times on repeat. I’m pretty sure I’m close to hitting that number.
📝: An article about how it takes over 200 hours to become best friends with someone.
⏰You’re Not Getting Any Younger So...
Say hello.
I overheard someone say that his 2024 resolution is to be more friendly, make more small talk, and simply just look someone else in the eyes and say: Hello!
How easy, how actionable, and how necessary.
We all crave human interaction but we all shy away from it and turn to our phones instead.
Shame, the people around us are fascinating gems if we just give them a chance.
I like his resolution so much I went up to him, shared my name, and told him in addition to more walking, water, and fearlessly going after my wants, I'm going to add waving hello to my own goal list too.
Ps. Sharing this advice from a friend who commented on my Linkedin post about this.
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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Who the heck is Jen Glantz? Hi, that’s me! I’m the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire, a nonfiction author, and content creator. I live in Brooklyn with Goofy (the dog), Gemma (the baby), and Adam (the husband). I eat pizza almost every day. If you want to say hello, hit reply or leave a comment. Ps. if you want to work together: I offer company workshops, digital courses, and pick-me-up coaching.
See you next week! Woohoo!