Battling Expectations

Plus my Summer reset

Every few months I accidentally think about newsletter metrics and growth and I forget all about my own measures of success (creative fulfillment and connection with others) and instead think of how to become successful by society’s standards. This mental spiral almost immediately demotivates me and I typically stop publishing for a while as I toil over what content I should be focusing on, what more I could be doing, how to reach more people, and on and on and on...

They say, “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” I think that entirely depends on how much is dependent on what you do, and how sensitive you are to the outcome of your work. Sustaining a life (or multiple lives) doing what you love is often far more complicated than this quote makes it seem. We are so defined by what we “do” that it’s hard to identify why we’re doing it, and what we like about it.

In these moments of stress, I try to remind myself that I love to write and share my thoughts with others. It challenges me to grow a skill I enjoy practicing and explore my interests with more depth. The number of people who read my newsletter ultimately doesn’t matter to me, even if I sometimes feel like it should.

All that being said, I’ve been doing a few things this Summer to shake off this anxiety and keep myself in a creative headspace. I hope they will revive and inspire you too <3

Cold Plunge/Submerge Yourself in Cold Water

You can go ahead and add cold plunging to the list of things people won’t shut up about once they start doing it. I can’t describe the feeling of euphoria (yes, euphoria!) I feel when I dive into cold water. There’s tons of science behind the benefits of cold plunging, but I’ll spare you the details and just tell you that you’ll feel healed every time you do it. I am lucky to live by The Puget Sound so I try to dive in every day, but I also love a cold shower.

Make Food from Scratch

It’s been almost a year since I started making all of our bread products from scratch (bread-making guide coming soon I promise!) and it has been immensely fulfilling. I love working with my hands and being creative in the kitchen. I’ve recently started quick-pickling, making granola, and homemaking pasta sauce, and it’s been really fun! Making food grounds me in the present moment and reminds me to feed and care for my body (which is easy to overlook!)

Assign Summer Reading

When it comes to reading, I typically stick with fiction. I’ve challenged myself to read a few “out of my comfort zone” books in an effort to expand my mind. Right now, I’m reading Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari and Plato’s The Last Days of Socrates.

Find New Music

Nothing inspires me more than finding new artists whose music is so genuine and unique that they restore my faith in the music industry. Songs that send shivers down my spine or make me want to dance can revive me no matter how stuck I am. My most recent favorite is Orbit, whose song “Friday Night” pulled me out of a slump a few months ago. His latest album of demos is fantastic.

Thanks for reading!