"Stick to the Plan" Weekly Wisdom

 

True confession:  I am notorious for having grand plans, mapping them out to execute and then..... not following through. It is a horrible pattern in my life. And the plans are good!  Well thought out, reasonably easy to complete and then my momentum fades. "The best laid plans of mice and men" seems to be the story of my life. 

But today, this shall be no more!  I have started making plans and I have all intentions to stick to them. I am starting small though because I do not want to overshoot my shot. I am starting with home projects like cleaning my patio cushions and refinishing my patio table. The week before this happens, I am making the plan, reserving the time in my calendar and sticking to the plan. 

My hope is to create the momentum that lasts instead of fades. I have spent way to many years in a state of horrible execution and I feel defeated. When in the midst of life life-ing, there are a plethora of plans that do not happen - could be because of a personal or professional curveball being thrown into your life. We cannot stop or change those BUT we can still make short term plans to keep us on course. 

I am starting with the short term plans and none of my plans have a rigid, fancy step by step guide. I am actually tackling that patio sitch today and knowing by doing so, I am going to continue to chip away at my very important long term plans as well. 

The plans are made and I am sticking to them. 

#Inputs | #EmbracetheHellYeah

~AE

"Say Hello" Weekly Wisdom

 

I really enjoy a little stroll in the evening and so do a lot of people in the neighborhood I live in. Over the past month, I have walked by more than 75 different people. Out of those 75 people, I was the initiator of a kind hello as I walked by with 75 of them.  47 of those I said hello to said hello back. Out of the 28 of the people who did not say anything back, 10 of them smiled. This left 18 people who did not respond. 

I am that person who does say hello to everyone I walk by because I believe there is something so powerful about the "hello."  I did this experiment because I wanted to know how many people I encounter in this small time of my day and how it was reciprocated. I know people can have a really bad day and do not want to interact with anyone, so I am not taking anyone not responding to me as a negative. What I am taking away from this is that saying hello will never be the wrong choice. 

We need to normalize these tiny interactions with each other instead of being scared. We should not hold back because of the fear of not getting a hello or gesture back. We should be doing it to be kind and maybe being a bright spot in someones day. And we should never expect anything in return, this is not what kindness is all about. 

#Inputs | #EmbraceTheHellYeah

~AE

"Happy New Year of 2026" Weekly Wisdom

 

Happy New Year!  How is yours going so far?  We are wrapping up the first quarter of the year and here I am rolling in, right on time to align with my New Year and maybe a few additional bonus weeks to boot. I have started 2026 with a bang and look forward to keeping it up allll year long!

I have seen so many of you sharing your intentions or words of the year. I would love to know where you all come up with your words?  Are you on the lookout all year? Does it come to you right before the ball drops? How have your previous words played out for you?

I know it may seem a little cliche to pick a work every year, but I think setting an intention for what you want in your life is never a cliche. It helps set the tone for you: how you will show up, how you will live each day, how you will keep yourself on task. All of these are very difficult because with all best intentions can become all things lost. 

Ever heard of "National Quitters Day" being January 17th for when we begin to bail on our new years resolutions? And by the 2nd week in February, almost 80% of us are over it. This includes that "word" we designate for the year.

Maybe it isn't a word for you, maybe it is something else. How are you keeping the fire alive all year around?  My word and intention for the year is "INPUTS."  All day every day, I am exposed to inputs. Television, news, books, music, prayer, podcasts, conversations, social media, articles, friends, family, peers - the list is endless. 

The average human may process 34 GB of information a day or 100,000 words or roughly 2 books or spending an average 11.8 hours consuming information across all channels. 

This is why I chose my word. If I am absorbing all this information during the day, I need to make sure I am choosing quality inputs. I am going to decrease the doom scroll, be mindful of negativity (but still being aware of what is happening around me), choose quality sources from people I admire, and finally, surround myself with people who lift me up, not bring me down. 

Share with me your word and let's start maximizing each other's inputs. 

#Inputs | #EmbraceTheHellYeah

~AE