Why Do You Save the Hard Stuff for Last?
Cross it off your to-do list
Greetings First name / friend, It's me, your friend Jen. I'm writing this to you from my tiny dining room table. I was thinking that some of you might not know me – like realllly know me.
So I wanted to share (4) random facts about me:
1. I was born on April Fool’s Day and I think having that birthday comes with a certain kind of personality that explains so much of who I am — I’m overly passionate and quite nutty about the things I want in life. I guess I’m foolish enough to believe in humongous and irrational dreams, but that’s what my heartbeat pumps to.
2. I’ve been a vegetarian since the age of 6 and a pizza lover since I could chew. I don’t like fancy pizza. I’m a greasy dollar slice kind of girl.
3. I got laid-off from a full-time job I loved in 2015 and walked out of the office building stubbornly promising myself I’d never work for anyone again. I vowed to do everything I could to forever be my own boss - a creative entrepreneur - and for the past 7-years, I’ve stayed true to that. I feel grateful — every single day — to wake up, show up, and continue to push forward to make that happen.
4. March is my lucky month. The best things happen to me then. I met Adam March 19th and Goofy March 25th. It’s a month that always brings the world’s most incredible surprises I never expected to find.
I truly mean this when I say - hit reply - and share something I don't know about you. I'd love to read it!
In this issue: A lesson about putting off the easy things in life, how to start your year brand new in September, and a fun list of fun stuff to dive into.
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. Thanks for letting this email live in in your inbox. It truly makes my heart explode with joy.
THE PICK-ME-UP
Yesterday I got a library card.
I know, I know, that sounds so unimportant to tell you.
But I'm telling you because it was one of those big deal moments that should never have reached that big deal status.
Before we lived in Brooklyn, we didn't live anywhere. We spent two years bouncing between cities, living out bursting suitcases, and forwarding mail to our parent's addresses.
So I got in this really deep-rooted habit of checking out library books when I'd go home to visit my family in Florida, packing as many as I could in my backpack, and traveling the country with them.
I always returned them...eventually.
And when we moved to Brooklyn, in 2019, I could have googled "nearest library" and I could have found that it was "a 15-minute walk away" and I could have printed a copy of our "signed lease" and gone over and got a library card - but that would have been too easy and made way too much sense.
All of us have 1-2 things that we do the hard way.
Not because we want to make our lives more miserable, but because we're blocked, we're stuck inside a habit, we're craving a little bit of drama and excitement, disappointment and adventure.
I'm the kind of stubborn who does like 10-15 things like that.
I once had a good friend say:
You make life way harder than it has to be.
And I printed that on a coffee mug because It's the truth and a part of me is proud of that.
I don't know why.
It's not like good things come from it. I've paid hundreds of dollars in library fines.
Anyway, high up on my list of things to do in 2020 and in 2021 and in 2022 was to get a Brooklyn library card.
And every week, I made an excuse.
Until yesterday, when I googled "nearest library", found one 15-minutes away, brought my signed lease, and got the card.
Was it easy?
Yes.
Did I make it feel impossible?
Yes.
Dear friend, whatever you're putting off, for whatever reason you're putting it off, it will turn out 97% less bad than you imagine it to be.
That's how it works. That's the beauty of life.
So go get it, whatever you've wanted for years, but just haven't left the couch yet to finally go off and do.
All my love,
Jen Glantz
Random Pick-Me-Ups
Everything I Enjoyed Reading (+ Listening to) This Week
Press play on my podcast all about how to restart your year in September - not in an overwhelming way
I love this artist a lot as background music to play when I'm getting work done.
An interesting article on how to tell if someone is lying to you.
So what books did I check out with my library card? Here's a preview of the four books I took out (the first four on the list).
What I've Been Telling My Friends About
Last year, I invented a card game and it's back in stock! It makes a really fun gift too.
The #1 thing I can't stop talking about is how much I love selling my clothes on a second-hand site. I've made $300 in two months, which isn't big money, but it's better than nothing AND I'm getting rid of items that I'll never wear again. I use Poshmark but there are other places too to sell your stuff and make the cash!
I drink this “healthy” soda every day. My favorite flavors are: root beer and cola! It's really, really, REALLY, good.
These gold sneakers, this fanny pack, these heart earrings, and these storage bins.
The End
Thanks for reading the Pick-Me-Up Newsletter. If you know someone who'd adore getting this in their inbox, will you send them this link? And if you want to keep in touch this week, you can find me on Instagram, Linkedin, and TikTok (for a real odd time).
Until next Monday, I'll be rooting for you and cheering you on! Have an epic week.
Jen Glantz
p.s. Sharing some odd facts about my life with you in this short little video