It’s officially been a month since I received the news that my position would be eliminated at the fancy beauty brand that I love. As I mentioned in my previous post, I have time. I’m lucky. I’ve been asked to stay through June to transition. I don’t take for granted this extended opportunity as many of my colleagues already turned in their laptops on Friday. It was a sad day of goodbyes, something not uncommon in the corporate world, but painful nonetheless.

When I got the news, I immediately jumped into action mode: messaging old colleagues and scrolling LinkedIn. But after 48 hours of that, I realized it was premature and unnecessary. I talked through a lot of what my real next steps will be in my last post and that’s my reminder to adhere to my own advice.

That said, as I’ve started the process the career change, I’ve also taken this transitional period to lean into a few things that I haven’t prioritized in recent years—like reading! I’ve read more books in the first two months of 2025 than all of last year, which is partly due to the fact that I got a new library card after a decade of un-use.

I’ve also been running. Run/walking is a more apt term, but I’m 7 weeks into the 8-week “You Can Run” program on Peloton. I first completed this program last April. Then life got in the way, and I didn’t keep it up. This time through the program, I feel much more equipped and ready for the journey. I’ve learned things about myself, and the biggest is that I previously tried too hard to start back at where I was a decade ago. It’s finally occurred me – that’s not realistic! Once I erased those old paces out of my head and SLOWED WAY DOWN, the training got easier. I don’t care how fast I’m running; I just want to run. So, I’ve been working towards that. 🙂

Another thing I’ve been doing is LEARNING. I started coursework on LinkedIn Learning on both AI and WordPress, as well as started a Coursera certification program for UX and Experience Design. I haven’t built a website in decades, and I’m not looking for a gig specific to these studies, but it’s nice to get a refresher on such things. So much in the industry has changed since I last rolled up my sleeves at this level. It made sense to learn how to do the things again. I was a self-taught web designer in the late ’90s which opened the door that led to my career highpoint managing digital and social for my favorite beauty brand (not to mention, leading a kick-ass food and cooking site along the way). If I’ve learned anything, it’s that knowing how to make the things makes you a better marketer, leader, and business partner.

This transition period is also allowing me to embrace my morning routine. I’ve been consistent with morning pages and meditation—two rituals that I find incredibly helpful in setting the tone and intention for the day. I read “The Artist’s Way” back during the pandemic. It was always one of my mother’s favorite books. She was a creative to the core—an actress, writer, director. However, I didn’t pick up this guidebook for inspiration until after she passed away. I read it during the pandemic and, while I honestly didn’t finish the entire process outlined, the morning pages habit stuck. It also really works for me to pair the 30-minute brain dump with the meditation of the day in the Chani app that’s tied to my astrology.

And if we are going to talk about mornings, let’s also talk about nights. I’ve been SLEEPING. Sleeping A LOT. I’ve always been a good sleeper and can easily stay in bed for 8/9/10 hours. During this period, I’m not stressing myself out up about wake time. I’m getting the sleep that I need. I’m going to bed early. I’m taking my CBD/CBN/Valerian tea at night and I’m feeling very refreshed in the mornings.

Finally, I got re-certified in REIKI! I completed Level 1 certification back in 2021, but I never put anything into practice. I didn’t dig the initial training, and I never felt the confidence to put my hands on an actual human. Then I felt like a lot of time had passed. Fast-forward to 2025 and because the universe does have a way of having your back, I received an email the week before I got my job news that there was a Level 1 Certification Training at a yoga studio that I really respect. And even though I didn’t know about my job, I had a feeling. I knew something was brewing and figured this class would be both a good distraction and investment in myself.

I adored the instructor we had. The training was at Green Lotus. My classmates were great and I actually got to practice reiki on another human at the end of the day. It’s an intimate thing to stand over a human for a service like that. So unlike everything I’ve done in my life. But I enjoyed it. I loved being able to provide healing for another person. And with that, I’m attuned and re-certified. And I’m excited to practice and see if this is a modality that I want to pursue further.

Net, net? I’ve taken time to play. To be present. To give back to myself. If there is one thing that is very true about me, it’s that I’m a curious person. I want to know all the things. I love to learn. And when a current situation might not be working anymore, leaning into curiously and play can really flip a switch.

If anything? Take this as a reminder if needed. Life is for living and learning, as cheesy as that statement is (and no, I don’t have that on a wood plaque in script in my house). But it’s true. Stagnancy is safe but it’s boring. Now is the time to not be boring. XO