Thank you and some inspiring links to consume over the holidays
Thank you
This is my last newsletter for 2022 and I just wanted to start by saying thank you to all of you for being part of this community.
Running this newsletter for the last year has given me so much joy and connecting with you keeps me inspired and motivated.
I hope you enjoy reading my newsletter as much as I do writing it.
As the year comes to an end, I am torn between planning-doing and reflecting-relaxing. I hope to get some more reflecting and relaxing done over the last week of the year, and am going to try my best to stay present with my kids.
In case you are in between things like me and are looking for some meaningful holiday reading, here are a few thought starters with links to some newsletters that I love that you may enjoy too:
Mind over matter: You can do anything you put your mind to
I subscribe to The Profile newsletter, written by Polina Pompliano, former journalist and new mum, who quit her job during the pandemic to focus on this newsletter. Today 5-years later, she has thousands of followers (~100,000+ with thousands of paid subscribers) and it has become her full time job to read and write about incredible people. Super cool.
One of her recent profiles really stuck with me and I often think about it when I feel discouraged about doing something because I’m older, or feel like I’m not capable. It’s the profile of Diana Nyad who at 64 years old, became the first person ever to swim from Cuba to Florida without the assistance of a shark cage.
It took her 53 hours to swim 110 miles in open water. Before she embarked on this treacherous journey, she hadn’t swum a single lap for 30 years, and her journey was one of endless trial and error.
Anything is possible, you just have to put your mind to it. You can read her full profile here below.
Your content diet matters: Choose what you spend your time consuming
As working mums we have no time, yet we find ourselves wasting time scrolling on Instagram or reading junk on the Internet (guilty!).
Subscribing to newsletters I find interesting has helped me improve my content diet and learn so much on the way. They come straight to my inbox making them easy to find and quick to consume. I hate that I don’t read books anymore, but at least I am reading some good stuff.
I subscribe to at least 50 newsletters, here are some of my top ones that are perfect to look at as we end this year and prepare for the next:
The Daily Stoic: Ryan Holiday’s newsletter offers life wisdom rooted in Stoicism, a philosophy that resonates with me a lot. He also writes The Daily Dad, which although targeted at dads, is full of great parenting perspectives, I rarely miss an issue.
Farnem Street: This is a newsletter that is literally food for the brain. It is full of well-researched long form articles on living a better life, creating wealth and progressing in your life. It also has a great podcast attached to it that is run by its author and founder, Shane Parish. I have been a paying subscriber and I wish I had more time to consume all the goodness in it.
The Profile: Mentioned above, this newsletter is all about improving your content diet and every profile is fascinating; also written by a mum! Highly recommend subscribing.
Your habits matter - live session with James Clear
If you haven’t gotten hold of the book Atomic Habits yet, I highly recommend you get it. Written by James Clear, it talks about making tiny changes for big results. I am a big fan of James Clear’s writing, if you haven’t heard of him, you can check him out here.
He is having a live session on January 4 2023 with Anne-Laure Le Cunf of Ness Labs (another great website!) on the power of small habits and big plans, lifelong learning, cultivating flexibility and adaptability, how to deal with uncertainty, and more.
I have signed up for it, here is the link in case you are interested. All proceeds go to charity.
Happy Holidays
I have gained tremendous value from every link here, and with the little time I have to consume stuff, I am so glad to have found these. These links are my nerdy present to you this holiday season :)
On that note, wishing you a wonderful festive season.
Hope to see you back in 2023 with new ideas and new energy.
Love,
Abha