Jessica's Friday Five

Hi Reader, This week, we got some special film installed on the windows in our house that get the most sun during the day, and wow, it has made a huge difference in keeping those rooms cooler. I wish I'd done this many months ago. The local company calls it "glass tinting," and as our climate warms, it might be worth checking out if you are also in a place where there are super hot days in the future. Let's get to your Friday Five! Best to-do list app: I really trust Wirecutter's...

Hi Reader, This week started with an incredible group of leaders joining the newest cohort of Joyfully Managed Worklife. The next cohort will either start in November or January - put yourself on the waitlist here if you're interested. I also launched a new free resource about appreciation at work and am playing with some ways of potentially starting a podcast for all of you. If I could get the weather to cool down a few dozen degrees so I can start wearing sweaters, things would be really...

Hi Reader, I'm feeling hopeful these days. Maybe it's because my new shirt arrived, or because I just got connected with an organizer doing fantastic work in NC that I'll be coaching pro-bono this fall through Blue Wave Coaching, or the trip to Spirit Halloween I took with my 8-year-old that reminded me that the fall season will eventually actually arrive someday. I hope you are having some hopeful moments in your life, too. Let's get to your Friday Five! Saving Recipes from Social Media: I...

Hi Reader, I'm excited to share this week's Friday Five with you! In the last handful of days, I've chatted via phone and Zoom with some of you for the first time (folks considering joining Joyfully Managed Worklife), and it's been so great connecting with you! I told Keisha yesterday (hi Keisha!) that writing these emails feels like sharing my favorite things in a big group text and getting to know folks as individuals is a joy. Let's get to your five tips/resources this week! Chicken Orzo:...

Hi Reader, To write this week's issue of Friday Five, I had to sort through over 35 ideas of tips I wanted to share with you (and that's just the ones I had tagged for today in my list of over 300 Friday Five tip ideas!). Goodness gracious. I might create some little email series with tips for specific audiences that folks can opt into if they want (like you'd get 30 days of one tip per day for those who are managers at work, or 30 days of tips for parents, or 30 days of tips for business...

Hi Reader, In case no one has told you lately, you’re doing a great job. Things are hard out there for so many of us. You made it to today. I'm cheering for you. Let's get to your Friday Five! Tracking emails you're waiting on responses to: This week I was asked by a former client about how to keep track of emails that she's waiting to hear back about. Here's what I shared with her, and I thought it might help many of you, too! "I think the best way to do the "waiting on" setup is probably to...

Hi Reader, I love the energy as fall approaches - it's kind of a like a mini new-year with that fresh feeling. You know what I'm talking about - it's back-to-school vibes, even if we're not going to school or have kids that are. Psst - I haven't launched it publicly, but I will later this week or early next. Since you're on this special list of managers, you can be some of the earliest to know that my group program to get organized at work is now open for Fall 2024. We start later this month,...

Hi Reader, It has been a weird week for me. As you might have seen, I took my 10-year-old daughter on a cruise to celebrate her birthday last week. Since getting off the ship, I have been struggling with a weird situation that I'd never heard of until this week—it's called Mal de Débarquement, and it means that I feel dizzy all the time. It has especially caught me off guard since I spent an entire semester in college studying abroad on a ship and never experienced this. Let's hope it...

Hi Reader, I'm writing this about a week before you're receiving it. Why? Well, many years ago, I told my kindergartner at the time that when she turned ten years old, I'd take her on a trip - just her and me - wherever she wanted to go. That child moved into her double-digit age era last month, so per her request, she and I are on a cruise visiting Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Mexico. Here's hoping there are beautiful sunsets, good food, and no seasickness! Here's your Friday Five! Follow...