Simplifying Into 2020

Winter is in full bloom in New York yet I’m still very happy to be here. Just the other day I was in Puerto Rico for work, contemplating whether I should move abroad somewhere sunny near the water, and though nothing is really off the table for me, I know that I am in the right place at the right time now.

I’ve been melting into some sweet time off, refusing to fly anywhere else. It’s nice to feel as though I actually live in this great city and to enjoy the pleasantries of ordinary life — my own bed, in my little brick-walled room, taking the subway to different parts of the city, writing at my go-to coffee shop, and meeting with friends! Shout out to my supportive friend Ali, who just moved here and made my world a little brighter, too! 🙂

Traveling a ton and not really having an ordinary life (whatever that really means) has increased my gratitude for simplicities — but above all, for the sensation of being grounded in a place and in myself. Routine and familiarity can be really good for the soul. I think we just need to be aware of becoming complacent & overly comfortable with something that isn’t serving us. That is when we reassess & rearrange. Despite our trying though, life is always in flux, so we will eventually need to adapt ~ and that keeps things exciting.

As you might tell, themes of stability, grounding, and simplicity have been flowing through my mind lately. (My last newsletter was about revisiting core needs — check it out here if you haven’t read it).

Sometimes life gets complicated, our minds run wild, and worry and anxiety can take hold. For me, it often manifests as this sensation of “being all over the place.” When this happens, I’ve found it helpful to sink into some routines: journaling, exercise, cooking, and sleeping at consistent times, to name a few. They remind me to lean into the moment and into the day with steady ease. They ensure I am taken care of before tackling any tasks.

I’ve noticed that lot of my stress and anxiety comes from thinking “I’m not doing enough.” It’s the never-ending “to do list,” a large appetite for creative expression, and the drive to succeed and achieve that both inspires and drives me crazy.

I don’t want to lose the spark to create, but I also want to make life easier for myself, so I’m choosing to come into 2020 with some renewed simplicity.

I recently watched a video by Sorelle called “Work Less and Achieve More” which resonated and inspired me to share some insights with you. In the video she talks about how our society is obsessed with constantly “doing” and when we scale back and actually do less, we can create with more passion, and subsequently, more impact.

These are some ways you can scale back at the end of 2019 & into 2020 in order to support your physical and mental health and ultimately create more joy and impact with the work you do/make. Of course, feel free to create your own list and to adjust as needed 🙂

When it comes to the “to do list”: remove the shit that you’re never going to do/ don’t really have to do. Just.Let.It.Go. Prioritize and set forth three main tasks for the day. If inspiration and creativity call, do that. Have fun.
Prioritize what consistently makes you feel good. Pump your energy into it. For me it’s writing. Despite having interest in other things, like making videos, or podcasts — writing is just what feels most natural and cathartic to me, so that’ll come #1.
Listen to your body. It knows what you need. Rest? Movement? Play? Nourishing food? It’ll let you know if you tune in.
Before starting something new, ask yourself: “What is my intention behind doing this?” Is it out of joy, service, passion, or because it’ll make you feel more worthy and loved? Know that you are inherently loved/beautiful/complete/ beyond measure and nothing can make you any more or any less.

Let me know what you think and how you choose to simplify before 2020.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Life has been moving super fast due to work and travel on top of it, but also the end of the year just has a tendency to go 10x faster, don’t you think?

The last month of the decade is upon us which prompts a strong desire for change, and sometimes it feels like there’s a lot to figure out by the end of the year. Where do we want to go? What do we want to accomplish? But most importantly — I’ve been getting clear about what my core needs and desires for the near future are.

I’m coming to understand and listen to the part of me that truly craves some stability and grounding. I’ve always been an explorer, wanting to swallow the entire world at once — seeing everything I could possibly see. Always looking for something, which to be honest, I’m still unsure of what exactly it is.

I’m a stubborn, nomadic spirit — but I’m learning that sometimes the inability to settle and lay down some roots can be problematic for my sense of well-being and security (core needs).

Becoming a fight attendant intensified the inconsistencies in my life, turning my world upside down in ways that are challenging to keep up with sometimes. Though I’m grateful for the opportunities it’s provided me, I feel as though I’ve lost substantial control of my stability — my sense of home and of belonging, as well as the daily routines that ground me to my body & spirit.

You’ve probably heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, as depicted below:

According to Maslow, humans are driven to meet all of our five needs: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem and self-actualization. Each time we meet a need at the bottom of the pyramid, we can continue moving up towards self-actualization.

My focus usually tends to hang out somewhere towards the top of the pyramid, as I intent to build esteem and to self-actualize. My guess is that might be where your focus usually is, too.

But at this point in my life, I’m finding it valuable to revisit some of the more basic needs before I can continue building loftier goals for the future.

My desire for stability personally relates to “safety,” as it affects my well-being & health. “Belonging” also comes into play, since I would like to call in a greater sense of community in my life.

I’m not sure exactly how all the pieces will fall together to meet these basic needs yet, but I’m confident that becoming aware of them and setting an intention to grant these desires is the most important step I can take right now.

If you are finding yourself wanting to set some goals for 2020, my little offering to you is that you identify whether your core needs are being met first, or how you can make the foundation of your pyramid even stronger.

Remember that you can personally decide what these needs look like for you. The concept of “stability and routine” used to be unappealing to me because I related them to boredom. But when I journaled on what stability and grounding look like for me, it actually does include making time for travel — just the more voluntary and refreshing kind lol.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this food for thought. I’m certainly processing and learning a lot as this year wraps up, and wishing you all the best as you make your way to the end of this decade, too.