On my heart this week.
Whew. I lost myself quite a few times over the past eight weeks but I’m finally out of the woods and it’s so good to be back, y’all.
The last time we spoke in October, I told you about my decision to defer my graduate school studies. That choice gave me some much needed breathing room and the space to slow down and establish a healthier, more sustainable life pace.
The thing is — I didn’t breathe deeply or slow down much at all. In fact, I did quite the opposite. I accelerated. PEDAL TO THE FLO 🏎️. A week after I deferred, I went to Amsterdam to visit my colleagues at WeTransfer and regroup on a big endeavor we’re conjuring.
While I was in town, I did the absolute most. Across four days, I had 20-ish meetings, coaching calls, lunch catchups, ideation & strategy sessions, and my first solo presentation at the company All Hands. Mix that with jet lag, minimal hydration, late nights romancing the city and no exercise, and you’ve got yourself the perfect recipe for burnout. And burn out I did. I was a wreck.
In the FHWL survey, many of you asked that I share more about my growing pains and ins and outs of my creative practice. So, this week on the micropodcast (press play up top ☝🏾 to listen), I shed light on my run-in with burnout, the road to recovery, the clarity stillness is bringing me and how I’m shifting my habits to operationalize my life.
I’d love to hear from y’all on this, too.
How have you avoided, navigated or recovered from burnout? And how are you designing the life that you want?
Meet me in the comments and let’s talk about it!
P.S. — Going forward, I’ll be publishing the FHWL newsletter biweekly instead of every Monday. The next edition will be in your inbox on January 3, 2022 ❤️.
Gifts for your growth.
I was talking to my friend Wes today about betting on myself and my ideas more. PRAXIS. is one I’ve been sitting on for a few months. I shared this image for it on IG the other day:
Through a combo of lightning talks & special guest interviews, hot seat coaching, intimate breakout rooms and moderated Q&A, I designed it for us to do more of what we did as children: get messy, ask questions, get feedback, show & tell, throw ideas on a wall, take them apart, see what sticks and grow without fear of ridicule or failure.
If you’re not on holiday break yet, and you’re interested in getting strategic guidance on your career and creative growth while co-working and moving ideas forward in a nurturing environment, click this link to come practice with me. And use the code FHWL for 25% off 🎁.
While we’re on the subject of burnout this week, here’s a convo I filmed with Skillshare that’s applicable for not only entrepreneurs but anyone who works.
⚡This blog post (thanks, Malori!) about the four energy zones helped me rethink what my days look like and how I’m devoting time.
Fuel for the week ahead.
✨ Moses Sumney’s new album Blackalachia released earlier this month with a full-length live conceptual performance film. It’s breathtakingly good and premiered on WePresent with a beautiful interview by Doreen St. Félix.
✌🏾I love reading and hearing stories about why people quit jobs. No Sugar, No Cream magazine has an interview series on the theme and this one with Ashley Johnson is a great read.
🎧 🎶 One more playlist to round out the year. You can find this week’s Seven Bops on Apple Music or Spotify.
Wishing y’all an abundant week ahead and a satiating wrap to 2021.
See you in the new year!
Love always,
HMKM
From Holley, With Love • Monday, 122021