Jessica's Friday Five

Hi Reader, I just spent five days at a women's camp where phones lived in a "phone spa" (drawer), and I deleted all social media and email apps for the week. Checking my phone just once or twice daily to call home and check texts from friends felt so refreshing. Now I'm back in smartphone land, already craving another escape. Every time I try tech boundaries, it creates such clear joy and ease. Do you have any "tech sabbatical" practices? I'm considering what a regular rhythm might look like....

Hi Reader, This issue of Friday Five was written many days ago before I headed to a camp near a lake in the woods in Michigan where I'm facilitating a little as a counselor and hopefully getting in some fun and rest and reflection time as well. When I come back, I'd love to have replies from you all - do you have any sort of life hacks or tips that really help you that would make a good tip for the Friday Five community? Let me know! I love hearing from you. Spend more time with your friends:...

Hi Reader, This month I've pulled together tools for you to support building a feedback culture, bring a little surprise joy into your team, facilitate a meeting towards success even if you're not the one leading the meeting, and show up for your team in the midst of this busy season of year. Let’s get to your Monthly Management Memo - as always with something bold, something new, something borrowed, and something to pursue. 🔥Something Bold - Feedback CultureA while back, I was helping a...

Hi Reader, The world continues to be a tough place to navigate as of late. If you need a little joy, here's your reminder that I share my favorite memes of the week on Insta and Facebook every Friday morning. Let's get to your Friday Five, shall we? 5 tips to make your life a little easier or more joyful. To help you declutter, ask this question: I've been on a bit of a decluttering spree the last few months, picking at least one small project per weekend to spend 10-15 minutes organizing and...

Hi Reader, I'm coming to you today with a bunch of tips I'm thrilled to share with you. At the same time, it's been a rough week. It's super warm weather where we live right now, and the AC we replaced less than a year ago with a quality system is somehow broken 🥵. There's a ton of alarming things happening in my country's government as well that are clear moves towards authoritarianism. When it all feels like too much, the thing to do is identify the next right thing you can do to help,...

Hi Reader, Finding ways to fit exercise into my day has never been a strength for me. About a year ago, I discovered that "body doubling" is effective for me in getting things done at work, especially when I start attending FLOWN sessions (I go daily). My good friend Sierra recently reminded me that exercise classes can give that same kind of support when it comes to taking care of my body, and she's right - when I'm signed up for a class and it's on my calendar, I'm nearly always going to...

Hi Reader, It's been the first week of school in our community, and wow, it's so easy to forget how much work and overwhelm that brings with it for parents. From forms to purchases to routines to design and so many messages with important details coming in apps, emails, and flyers - it requires a ton of capacity. If you work with parents of school-aged children, be gentle with them in the coming weeks. If you are a parent of school-aged kids, what can you set aside this month to make things a...

Hi Reader, School starts next week for our local public schools in my community, and I'm flabbergasted that the "back to school" season is here (the temps still scream summer, as some of the memes I posted this morning attest to). But I'm also totally delighted by it. I love the back-to-routine vibes, I love the excitement of all the preparation (even if it's also overwhelming), and I'm hopeful that things go well for my daughter and her friends as they embark on their first days of middle...

Hi , Across industries, leadership is incredibly challenging right now. This month, a nonprofit I've admired and supported as a donor for years is closing down many of its programs and laying off staff due to a lack of funding. Another organization doing similar work, led by a former colleague of mine, is in a similar place and is fundraising to keep its doors open for the critical community work it leads. If you're struggling with similar challenges, I see you and appreciate all that you're...