“Cherish these days” is a sentence that always gets under my skin.
I first encountered it when my son was born 12 years ago. “Cherish these days,” an old woman said when I dragged myself into the bagel shop, half-asleep and wondering where the hell my career had gone.
“These days?” I wanted to ask. “These right here?”
In a refreshing departure from the Hallmark status quo, I recently read an interview with an older author who was asked what she missed about having young children. She said she missed the mess. Not the tiny hands, not the adorable artwork, but a messy house because it had signified an energetic home and constant lively interaction. This was so resonant that I immediately changed my opinion about socks in the living room.
For context: my sons regularly take their socks off and throw them wherever suits them, usually late in the day, usually in the living room. Our living room is also filled with legos, dog fur, cat hair, empty glasses, old pieces of tape and shoes (dirty cleats!). This has always felt like insanity to me; as often as I pick things up, I turn around and the place is a tornado again.
But because of that author’s interview, I’ve been letting go and trying to embrace the mess. Socks in the living room? Deep breath. Okay! How boring it will be one day when the house is clean.
Why am I writing about this? At the end of last year, my clients talked about unread emails, to-dos that never got done, projects that never left the ground. We approach our work lives with the highest expectations and best intentions: we will be perfect at our jobs. But, in reality, there will be socks in the living room. Always.
As we head into a new year, I remind you: 2025 is going to be messy. Cherish these days, which will potentially be busted and gross, dirty and unaesthetic. Cherish your overflowing inboxes and long lists of tasks — not because they’re perfect, but because they’re real. We are living in real times with real CEOs selling out real users right and left for political gain.
Cherish every day that you show up despite it all; we cannot do it without you.
Day of Big Dreaming! Ten days left!
There are still TEN days left for you to complete this year’s Day of Big Dreaming! DOBD is a one day e-course for you to dream up and plan 2025 and, hoo boy, you might need some big dreams this year.
What happens when you sign up? You get access to videos, a downloadable workbook, resources and a Spotify playlist. Set aside a day (or two afternoons, why not?) and use “PLUCKYFRIEND” to get $20 off.
Two 1:1 starter packs left!
Plucky’s 1:1 cards are tools for managers that help you know what the heck to talk about in your 1:1s. There are three different decks: Starter (purple), Manager of Managers (gray) and Mentors (yellow) and I literally only have TWO Starter packs left.
Since the Starter Pack launched seven (!) years ago, it’s time for a refresh so I’m not reordering right away. If you’re in the market for a manager tool anytime soon, order one ASAP!
I hope that your 2025 feels aligned and predicts an easy road ahead but, even if it doesn’t, the new year has arrived anyway. It’s go time.
See you on the field.
xo Jen
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