The Em Dash #9
What. Is. Up, Friend!
Ya girl is in a great mood this morning. Why? Because I woke up to doom and gloom and thunder and lightning. I feel so energized!
Maybe you’re the kind of person who loves summer and sunshine and the second the sun starts setting before 9 pm you’re filled with dread that winter is coming. Honestly, I eventually get to that point too, BUT not yet.
First comes fall—at least in Chicago—and it’s beautiful and cloudy and crisp and the vibes are simply immaculate.
Fall has always been my time of renewal, not spring. Maybe it’s because there can’t be rebirth without death? (It’s not morbid, just true.) Maybe it’s because it’s the start of the school year? (I haven’t been in school in 7 years lol.)
Whatever the reason, I find September the perfect time to reassess my goals, get rid of ones that don’t matter to me anymore, set new ones, and come up with super intricate plans to achieve them.
Full transparency: those plans always fail. They are too intricate. Too rigid, too detailed—very much made for some “ideal” version of Sabrina that straight up does not exist.
This year is different, though.
Through years of therapy, observing myself as a full-time business owner for the last 1.5+ years, intentional journaling, and countless deep talks with my husband, I have a newfound understanding of who I am and how I work.
This year, I’m setting myself up for success by:
✨focusing on just two goals at a time (instead of 5 or more!)
✨taking my cycle into account when I make project/goal plans (if you don’t menstruate, you can work with the phases of the moon! I’ll list a book below that can help you learn more.)
✨building in wayyyy more break time than I ever have before, like full ass days off, not just small breaks throughout the days
✨identifying input rather than output as the desired outcome (e.g., success is determined by “did I sit down to write today?” rather than “did I write 1,000 words today?”)
✨giving myself LOTS of grace
Maybe I’ll share some of what I’m working on if you’re interested.
My Current Read and a Book About Cycles
The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom by Felicia Rose Chavez
Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Ambitious Women by Kate Northrup
Contrary to what the title says, this book is for anyone who wants to understand the cyclical nature of time and energy—people who menstruate use that cycle, and people who don’t can use the phases of the moon to guide their energy.
Note: These are bookshop.org affiliate links
Happy almost fall, First name / Friend!
P.S. If you found this useful, forward it to a writing friend! They can subscribe and be part of the cool kids club, too. 😎
