A Series of Observations

Who doesn’t want to be the best version of themselves? We all have moments where we feel a little separated from ourselves, maybe we don’t look the way we want, our mind might be a battlefield and our routines got thrown out the window because we feel overwhelmed.

There’s a LOT of information out there. What not to do, what to wear for your body type, every single type of supplement is proven to be the most wonderful thing, or the next cause of our grief. Diets don’t work, but oh my god don’t you dare eat that because it’s too high in this or that, and I swear I hear the word PROTEIN like a war chant in my brain anytime I try to enjoy what I call a carb salad (just a bowl of pasta).

There’s a flipside to all of this of course. We have never in human existence had so much knowledge available to us so instantaneously. It’s a beautiful thing, to be able to Google every impulsive question or symptom.

As much as social media culture has no doubt gotten a little out of control with certain things, we always have to remember that the real power lies in how we engage with it. We are the creators, we are the contributors, so I believe that this interesting notion of “glow-ups” and the surrounding culture is something we can use to motivate our everyday lives.

There are two sides to every coin, and I hope that the comparison game that comes with our lives being so open to strangers doesn’t inhibit someone from feeling fulfilled in their lives just because they don’t look like someone else, or don’t have the same opportunities.

With that thought out of the way, I wanna talk about these “glow-ups.” I think when we close our eyes, we can imagine the person we’d really like to be. What they are like, how they dress. At least in my mind that amazing woman is a tangible thing, and doesn’t always feel like a dream but rather that she is who I will be someday.

Lately I’ve felt a disconnected from that version of myself, and I’ve been a little lost on how to find my way back on track. That’s why I’m having the urge to have a “glow-up.” It feels quite motivating to do things that allow me to be creative, connect with myself and grow spiritually or change physically. It’s time and I know it.

It’s more motivating and inspiring knowing that it is my choice. Puberty, as we are all painfully aware of, is a natural change forced upon us. It’s messy, emotional, sometimes literally ugly, and we often have no idea what’s going on with us. Since that time, our natural evolution continues, but there is so much more control over it. If there is a change in your life you’ve been wanting to make, I hope this gives you the courage to start, no matter how much time it may take to implement!

I’m going to share a few things that I am going to do to actively choose myself for the foreseeable future. You can give yourself any timeline that you like, but make sure it is realistic to the goals you have set for yourself. Also keep in mind that the internet can be a powerful tool for this. Search up ideas on Pinterest or TikTok. Those platforms are great because they are visual, and if you see someone else achieving these things, maybe it’ll be less daunting or show you what mistakes to avoid making. Just toss the bullshit out of your mind when you see it and only incorporate things that resonate with you!

For simplicity’s sake, we will separate things into categories, including: Health & Wellness, Lifestyle & Fashion, Education & Spirituality, Professional Life, Financial, and Relationships & Connection.

Let’s begin…

Health & Wellness

1. Minimum 10,000 steps a day
2. Narrow down supplements to only essential things
3. Cycle syncing, including with food
4. Weightlift more and try more classes at my gym, even if I can only make it 2x/week
5. Prioritize sleep
6. Try new recipes, and recreate ones I love from restaurants
7. Daily stretching
8. Hydration and the sun are keys to my happiness, get as much as I can!
9. Meditate or word vomit journal more
10. Continue using affirmations
11. Express more gratitude and finding the good in all situations
12. Compliment people more
13. Limit screen time, continue regular social media breaks
14. Caffeine and alcohol free
15. Massage and acupuncture 1x/month
16. Maintain hair with regular salon visits (I’m currently growing out my hair, so I go every 3-4 months for a trim and restyle and I usually do a special service with some fun treatments attached)
17. Continue laser hair treatments
18. Try out professional facials and other self-care elements
19. Try out light therapy and cold/heat therapy practices
20. Practice my makeup more (I used to spend time in my room doing makeup without anywhere to go, and I miss doing this!)

Lifestyle & Fashion

1. Improve morning and evening routines
2. Prioritize rest (ideally one chill day or night a week where I have zero responsibilities and don’t have to leave the house)
3. Create more and prioritize hobbies
4. Post more content
5. Romanticize my life more
6. Plan out outfits and document them so I never have to wonder what to wear
7. Weekly preps during the weekend
8. Prepare the night before for the day ahead, so mornings aren’t stressful and I have what I need
9. Sew more clothes for myself and continue to take care of the clothes I do have
10. Get through my entire sewing pile
11. Continue to explore my unique style and figure out what works for me, including accessorizing
12. “Get ready” everyday so I feel put together (no this doesn’t always mean I’m done up everyday, some rot days are needed, but even a sweatsuit set makes me feel better than random worn out clothes)
13. Continue Greek citizenship process
14. Step out of my comfort zone more and take risks in life for great things to happen
15. Redefine boundaries and set them (including with myself)
16. Continue therapy and gain skills and confidence from my time there
17. Continue sustainability practices and adopt more where I can
18. Continue to make my personal spaces reflect my style and be more comfortable/functional

Education & Spirituality

1. Continue to read fiction and non-fiction (I try not to have more than 2 books started at once)
2. Continue to practice Greek, and bring that into my everyday routines
3. Podcasts I’m listening to: (I listen to these on Apple Podcasts, but you can find them on Spotify too)
   • Problem Solved with Jeff Guenther, LPC
   • The Psychology of Your 20’s with Jemma Sbeg
   • Wellness Her Way with Gracie Norton
   • Finding Mr. Height The Podcast with Ali Jackson and Erica Spera
   • 9 to 5 ish by theSkimm
4. People I’m learning from:
   • Ted Talks – Various topics
   • Barbara O’Neil – Holistic education
   • Katie Steckly – Social media and content creation
   • Gracie Norton – Female wellness
   • Jeff Guenther – Therapist and mental health content creator
   • My personal therapist
5. Practice radical acceptance and get more comfortable with unknowns
6. Continue to explore my tarot, and prayer
7. Learn more ways to be more sustainable and eco-friendly

Professional Life

1. Keep resume updated
2. Take new headshots
3. Apply for full-time jobs
4. Practice interview skills
5. Learn about negotiating during the hiring process
6. Have a list of questions to ask employers ready
7. Create a new 5 year plan to refine goals and steps to get there
8. Network more

Financial

1. Create a personalized budget
2. Make predictions for how much I need to save for certain goals (this will also help me determine what salaries I should be negotiating for with my next job)
3. Continue to contribute to IRA and savings accounts
4. Learn more about investing
5. Invest in myself the most
6. Learn more about passive income
7. Only buy items when something needs replacing, minimize unnecessary consumption
8. Quality is always better than quantity, quality items will last longer

Relationships and Connection

1. No more one sided relationships of any kind
2. Continue to practice honest and open communication
3. Phone calls > texts
4. Ask questions to enhance connections
5. Say no without explanation
6. Boundaries make relationships better, not worse, don’t let people walk all over you
7. Distance myself from people who are toxic to me, not every bridge needs to be burned, but I am my own #1 priority
8. Remember that the length of time that you know someone does not dictate the quality of the relationship
9. Listen more than I talk when problems come up

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This might seem like a hefty list, but there’s a lot on here that I already do and it’s important for me to continue doing. I also think it would be fun to do a monthly check-in to see where I am at with incorporating these new things into my life.

Let me know what things you’re going to try to add to your life, if any! I wish you the best of luck. Or if these types of things aren’t for you, I’m curious to know why.

Thank you for reading and have a good weekend!