Vol. 68: On achievable challenges

For the month of February, my wife and I did a no delivery challenge. Takeout was allowed, but no restaurant delivery. We have a Chase Sapphire that gives us discounted DoorDash fees through a free DashPass but even with the reduced fees, delivery can still be a pricey habit. I’m excited to share that we achieved our goal! We may have had some help here because I spent 8 days in Michigan with my family, and February is also the shortest month of the year… I picked the shortest month of the year for this because I wanted an achievable challenge as a way of kickstarting and leaning into some healthier financial habits. And while we saved money on fees, we still did spend a considerable amount on dining out - we even got fast food twice, which we very rarely eat, but was a cheap way to avoid cooking. I’m excited about leaning into takeout over delivery in the next month and beyond even now that our challenge is over.

As I was looking for a personal challenge to give myself for the month of March, my yoga/fitness studio announced their March challenge where everyone who attends 16 classes a month will be entered to win a free month of membership. I went 10 times so far in February (and am planning to do my 11th this evening!) so this also feels like an achievable challenge - albeit a bit more on the challenging side since I’ll also be starting a twice weekly writing course in the month of March. It’s an absolute scam how much my mental health has improved since exercising regularly, and I like that this challenge gives me the opportunity to save $100 while honoring my body! 

My relationship with being “goal oriented” has changed so much over the years. I want to live intentionally and I don’t want to be complacent, but I’m also generally happy with where my life is at and the role I play in it. So much of “hard work,” and “goal-oriented” culture can be tainted by internalized capitalism where we’re not comfortable resting. Creating small, achievable challenges has given me opportunities to continue engaging in my life with curiosity and without shame. 

Looking ahead, I’d love to do a challenge where I read daily (my reading slump is horrible right now), put together a daily outfit, and maybe even vlog daily, but those still feel slightly on the challenging end of achievable challenges. What achievable challenges have you given yourself lately?

Books, books, books

Preorder Corner: Now that the HarperCollins strike is over, I’m so thrilled to share that I read and LOVED Nicole Chung’s A Living Remedy: A Memoir last December. This was one of my most anticipated 2023 releases, so I am grateful I got to read it before the year even began. Nicole is a gifted memoirist and this book is written with so much vulnerability and tenderness as she explores family, moving away from home, and grief after the loss of her parents. It is deeply moving and you can preorder it wherever you get your books or from Loyalty Books for a signed copy.

Recent Reads: To be honest, I’m in a bit of a reading slump and spending way too much time mindlessly scrolling TikTok when I should have my nose in a book. I was so excited to read a bunch of books for Black history month and could barely finish one. The good news is we can read Black books year round. The bad news is (speaking of challenges), I’m a couple weeks behind my 52 books/year goal pacing.

I read Nightcrawing. Let me be clear that this book was not the cause of my reading slump, but reading literary fiction while in a slump can be challenging to say the least. The writing and voice are stunning, and even more so when you consider that Leila Mottley wrote this book as a teenager. It was a brutal look at how often society, with systems of poverty and misogynoir, fails vulnerable Black girls. Content warning for police violence, survival sex, and abuse.

Currently Reading: I’m currently reading The Come Up: An Oral History of the Rise of Hip-Hop by Jonathan Abrams. I love oral histories, I love Black history, and I love reading about art & music - but when I finally started reading I found myself a bit intimidated because I find it hard to remember all the various historical figures and interviewees, especially when learning new parts of a history I’m unfamiliar with. That said, I’m only two and a half chapters in, so hopefully I can focus & get my act together!

That’s all, folks!

Please send me your well wishes and/or suggestions for breaking this reading slump. As I mentioned above, I’ll be in a writing class for March so I’m hoping the consistency will bring back my weekly newsletter. We will see!

Dress rented via Nuuly!