I’m not usually a list-making kind of girl, but something made me sit down and think about how I want to approach the first few weeks of summer. To be transparent, I’ve been feeling a little tired lately, and overall pretty overwhelmed by the internet lately. This is not a new thing. After running this business for almost 17 years, it’s easy to fall into decline from time to time. The rise of ‘customizing’ every part of your life, nonstop AI conversations, and the sheer amount of content available in the world fascinates me. Florida has been unbearably hot this past week (looking forward to the upcoming trip!), and my house is a disaster because we’re working on some ongoing projects. Although I’m grateful for everything in my life, my Atlantic-Pacific plate is very full right now. Given this, below are some things I plan to focus on this summer to reset and better enjoy this season of life.
Replace reading with doomscrolling. Read 10 books before the end of August. This is a very light goal, but I am intentionally implementing this list so that it is not something that can discourage me.
Being more active when making plans with friends recharges my energy. Sometimes I leave my social life behind and that’s not the friend I want to be.
Reduce my wardrobe by 20%. This is the big one. I’ve realized that I haven’t been as diligent in 2026 about organizing and clearing out items I no longer need. My wardrobe has become overwhelming and a point of stress in my life. It’s time to change this.
Take less work. I will maintain my current contractual obligations but will have a lighter workload this summer. It’s a privilege to have brands and retailers that want to work with me. I never take it for granted. Throughout my career I have recognized that there are certain periods of time when I need to step back a bit and reset. This doesn’t always mean less work, but it allows me to focus on creating better organic content without the pressure of deadlines and forced ROI.
Volunteer more. It sounds simple, but getting out of myself and my bubble helps me in so many ways.
After a lot of thinking, I decided that I didn’t want to travel too much this summer. Instead, I plan to go back to NYC for a long time and reconnect with the city and my friends. I love to travel, but only when I’m in the right frame of mind. I have a lot going on behind the scenes and the idea of jumping on a billion flights and managing multiple hotel reservations and transfers didn’t sound exciting at all. Instead, it felt tired. So, I’ll pretend the year is 2019 and I’m living in the city again ;).
Make at least one new recipe at home per week. I’m grateful that we will be in a bigger apartment in NYC this summer. It will feel more like home than transformed into a small hotel room. I plan to have a cozy space for cooking, reading, and even entertaining with friends on the terrace.
Most of all, I’m going to try to live in the moment more and enjoy this summer season to the fullest. I’m always trying to find the perfect work-life balance and sometimes that means not being online constantly. Wish me luck!
