Welcome to Easy, Breezi.

Your friend who sends you a weekly update on what she's working on, reading through, and thinking about – in a list.

This newsletter’s going to be a little different than the previous ones. I want to share with you all, 25 important (and hard) lessons I learned over the last few years.

It’s not all work related. There’s a little bit of everything because that’s what life is right? A little bit of everything ✨

Oh and I promise you, there’s nothing about cold showers or morning routines here. My goal is to provide you with a different perspective on things. Some takes are hotter than others. It’s food for thought if you will. Thanks as always for reading, xoxo.

On work, career and figuring out your goals

1. Don’t spend time trying to figure out what you like, just focus on avoiding all the things you don’t like: by avoiding things you don’t enjoy doing, you’ll a) be happier and 2) find what you do like by process of elimination.
   

2. You’ll know you’re making the right decision when no one understands it: the ratio of highly successful people: average people is extremely small, so by making the choice that other extremely successful people would – most won’t understand it or support it.
   

3. Making a lot of money early in your career sets you up for failure: when I decided to quit my management consulting job to join an early-stage startup, I took a $40,000 pay cut and let me tell you, best decision ever. I became so much more tolerant to risk and removing the golden handcuffs of a big salary gave me the freedom to pursue opportunities that had way higher upsides.
   

4. Having bad leaders teaches you way more about leadership than having good leaders: earlier in my career, I had the fortune (although I would have definitely called it a misfortune at the time) of working under someone who embodied what seemed like every characteristic a leader should not have. Through that experience, I began to understand what type of leader I wanted to be, and perhaps more importantly, the type I did not want to be.
   

5. Contrary to most advice, your work is your life: you go to work for most of the waking day, during the most formative decades of your life – if you don’t like your job, you won’t like your life.

On love, dating and tons of failed relationships

6. Thursday is the best night for a first date: then make plans for brunch on Saturday morning as a second date and spend the third date doing an activity, like coffee and visiting the farmer’s market
   

7. Stop asking your friends how you should text them back and just send the text: only took me 25 years but I’ve finally found the courage to text someone back without an entire group chat of women proofreading it first
   

8. What you believe, is what you will experience: if you believe that no one is ever capable of loving you, you simply won’t accept it. The beliefs we hold onto influences our lives significantly and determines how our story unfolds
   

9. If you’re in love with someone who doesn’t love you back in the moment, know that this is not a reflection of your worth: sometimes we’re ready and another person is not, sometimes we try and another person does not, sometimes we choose to make it work and another person will not – and that’s okay
   

10. Falling in love is one of the best feelings in the world: and I hope you never try to hold yourself back from that

On fears, comparing yourself to others and negative self talk

11. Feel the fear, and do it anyways: failure fuels fearlessness, so if you keep doing things you’re scared of you’ll either become more successful or more fearless

12. Everyone photoshops everything: celebrities, influencers, your friend from college – everyone smooths their skin and reshapes their body so don’t ever compare yourself to what you see on social media
    

13. It takes conscious effort to be happy for your friends: jealously is part of the human repertoire of emotions, feel it, then remind yourself how much you love your friends and actively try to change how you feel
    

14. There will always be someone who can’t see your worth: just don’t let it be you
    

15. When you feel like shit: get in your car, drive to your favorite parking lot, put on your favorite song and cry in peace

On personal development, alone time and being successful

16. Read more fiction: you can learn just as much from them as you can from nonfiction
    

17. Don’t get too attached to any one version of yourself: things change, people change, ideals change so when you feel like you’re not the same person anymore – that should be something to honor
    

18. The reason you feel unsettled is because you aren’t supposed to settle: don’t feel your evolution, claim it
    

19. It’s okay to want to make a lot of money: not sure why I felt ashamed to say that out loud for so long but yeah, I can’t wait to be rich
    

20. Success favors extroverted people: the more you can make yourself known (especially on the internet), the larger your surface area for success becomes so go to the event, write the newsletter, introduce yourself – do it all

On hopes, dreams and our precious lives

21. Dream bigger than what you allow yourself to: because you are absolutely capable of creating the life you can’t stop thinking about
    

22. It’s nice to be in tune with your mortality: actively reminding yourself that existence tomorrow isn’t guaranteed is a actually very positive thing
    

23. Positive affirmations actually work: write them down in your journal every single morning
    

24. Let everything unfold just the way it’s supposed to: trying to steer your life in the direction you “think” is right is exhausting, have deep belief that everything will always work out
    

25. You’ll never regret buying concert tickets: :)

Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for being with me on this journey. 24 has been a life-changing year for me and I can’t wait to see what 25 has in store. I love you all with my whole heart ❤️ Have a slice of cake for me!

If you found anything in this newsletter helpful, I'd love to connect on Twitter – tweet me a screenshot of your favorite part and let's chat 👋

I'll be back next week with more lists!