Category: Twenty-something

my favorite lunch activities

Posted on by jplatt27

I need a break around lunch time every day.  I’ve realized that I don’t need to use my hour lunch break simply to eat lunch. I can really maximize the hour by using it to clear my head, get some sun, fresh air, some movement for my body. Though I love going out to lunch on occasion, some of my favorite lunch time activities have nothing to do with food.

Here are some ways I love to spend my lunch break:

get my hair cut: I’m pretty sure getting my hair cut at lunch is one of the best ideas I’ve ever had. I feel immediately relaxed when I walk into the hair salon. It’s like a little spa break in the middle of the day. And then you go back to work with nice hair. Do it on a day you have a date night…bada bing.

go to the library: Sometimes I’ll go to pick up a book I’ve put on hold and other times I like to go and just look around. There’s something about discovering a good book at the library and then checking it out.  I just got this for FREE.  Woah.  Still blows my mind and makes me super excited.

go for a nice long walk, just letting myself wander: Earlier this week I went for a walk around the block that turned into a 30 minute walk into a neighborhood I hadn’t walked through before.  I started walking and got this feeling of I just want to keep going.  So I did. Look at this amazing house I stumbled on…

walk around a bookstore: Bookstores have a totally different energy than libraries. I love wandering around bookstores too, looking at all the new books on the tables. I don’t usually buy things during my lunch hour, just like to go and peruse. It totally takes me away for a little while.

read a novel: I like to take a book outside and read or go sit in the kitchen or the lobby of the building for a change of scenery. But even taking some time to shut off my computer monitor and read at my desk is a nice change of pace.  Good quiet, relaxing time.

Talk to me:

What’s your favorite thing to do during lunch?

Looking for new things to do to light you up during lunch? Take a look back at your inspiration list for ideas.

what i do as a life coach

Posted on by jplatt27

In September 2011, I wrote this on my blog:

We were on the boardwalk and a little girl was sitting two benches down from us admiring a new hermit crab and holding onto a green balloon.  It’s pretty windy here today and the balloon got caught in the wind and started bouncing down the boardwalk.  Did the little girl cry?  Nope.  She said “let’s get it” and started running after it with a big smile on her face.  She and her uncle finally caught up to it and she walked back our way with her arms around the balloon and a huge smile on her face.  They walked past us on their way to do whatever it is they were going to do next.  Two or three minutes later, we see a green balloon bouncing by again. It brushes Mike’s leg as it bounces under the bench we’re sitting on and a pinkish red one follows.  And here comes the uncle chasing after it again, the little girl following quickly behind, still with a big smile on her face.  And i thought, this is a great metaphor for life.  If your green balloon starts to blow or bounce away, just run after it with a big smile on your face. You’ll get it.

This is what I do now. As a life coach, I help my clients chase after their balloons with a smiles on their faces.

begin again

Posted on by jplatt27

After hearing Taylor Swift’s Begin Again on the radio multiple times, I finally really listened to it and came to appreciate it. I love this song so much for the message, the truth behind it.

We often let our past relationships and experiences shape our beliefs about how things are and will be in the future, about how we are and will be in the future. We let our significant other’s view of us shape our view of ourselves and what we believe to be true about ourselves–whether we are funny or not, pretty or not, that we do or do not look good in navy blue. The beliefs of the other person become our own.  And it’s understandable that this happens.

The surprise we have when we realize that something new is true.  That a different reality is possible.  That it doesn’t have to be that way. And that’s what this song is all about.  The beauty and hope of a new beginning. A new paradigm.

vacation state of mind

Posted on by jplatt27

This weekend Mike and I went to Charlottesville, VA to visit our friends Jess and Peter.  We left Saturday morning for a nice drive, stopping for Bethesda Bagel on our way out of town.

When we arrived, Jess had lunch waiting for us.  We sat down to a hearty lunch of chorizo, spinach, and cannellini bean stew with french bread.  What a nice welcome.

{Afton Mountain Vineyards, the mountains, the fresh air, amazing!}

Right after lunch we headed out for some wine tasting at two of Peter and Jess’ favorite wineries in the area: Pollak Vineyards and Afton Mountain Vineyards. Luckily Peter and Jess are veteran wine-tasters and brought snacks for the car ride in between–I was feeling the wine after the first round and started housing Chex-mix. I don’t know what it is, when I drink a lot I can. not. stop. eating.

We went back to their house for some down time before heading out to dinner.  We had dinner on the Downtown Mall before going to see Michael Jackson tribute band, Who’s Bad.  It was such a fun night–so different than anything we usually do.

On Sunday morning we relaxed before heading to brunch.  And when I say relax, I mean I really relaxed. I laid in bed reading Gone Girl all morning.  It was so amazing.

My state of mind was so different than a usual Sunday morning.  I was completely relaxed, the only thing on my agenda was to read my book. I didn’t have any of that gotta-do-this, should-do-that anxiety that usually plagues me on weekends. Nope, just lay here and read.  I think it’s because we were on vacation.  Vacation mindset is so different than normal life mindset.  Just relax, hang around, no expectations or pressure to produce anything, to do anything other than enjoy yourself.

Now that I’ve had a taste of this vacation mindset, I’m inspired to incorporate this mindset into my normal life. It’s certainly going to be a challenge.  Just this morning I woke up feeling like I should be doing x, y, or z even though it’s President’s Day and I’m off today.  I’ll have to continue to remind myself that I will get things done and that relaxing, when done fully, is so worth it, so enjoyable.

Am I the only one that has this problem?  

 

 

 

how I prepare for an interview

Posted on by jplatt27

Some of my favorite people are applying for jobs!

Here’s how I prepare for interviews:

I create a handwritten sheet that looks like the picture above.  Writing it by hand helps to solidify the information in your head in a way that typing doesn’t. I recommend handwriting it.

It has three sections:

  1. why Joanna, 
  2. why the job/company, and
  3. questions.

In the first section, why Joanna, I list qualities, skills, and experiences I have that make me a good candidate and that I want to remember to highlight in my interview. You can include projects you’ve worked on in the past, successes from previous positions, or just qualities of you as a worker/person.

In the second section, why the job/company/organization, I list things about the job that interest me, reasons why I’d want to work for that particular company, why you applied, etc.

And last but not least, the questions section.  Here I come up with 3-5 really good questions, ones that show I know enough to ask a good question but also are things I’m curious about. You should always ask questions at the end of the interview, and have questions prepared ahead of time just in case you get caught up and can’t think of one in the moment. Asking good questions shows your interest in the position. The answers to these questions can give you clues about the working environment, how they problem solve, how the organization handles certain situations.  You can use the questions to get information you can use to compare and contrast your current job or previous positions, etc.  One tip for creating your questions: make sure they’re not too leading–you don’t want the interviewer to think you will or will not take the job based on how they answer.

After I fill out my worksheet, I review it a little bit but truthfully I hardly have to reference it in the interview because I spent time thinking about it, writing it, and looking at it.

How do you prepare for interviews?

a fraternity house & a pain in my heart

Posted on by jplatt27

I was driving back from the grocery store and passed a fraternity house in the neighborhood. There were guys and girls outside grilling burgers and drinking beer.  It was an Indian summer night–high 70’s on October 24. The whole thing seemed so carefree.

I only saw them for a second but I got a pang of nostalgia in my heart. I miss those days when your life could be dictated by the weather.  Hey, yeah, it’s warm out, let’s have a cook out. And everyone you know is pretty much free for burgers and beer pong.

Prior to this scene I was proud of myself for making the commitment to go to the grocery store on a weeknight after I’d already been home from work, for deciding to be proactive and get the ingredients to make pumpkin dip for my book club.

Like woah, I’m old. Not only am I not in college anymore, but enough time has passed that I could’ve gotten another undergraduate degree.  Done the entire thing over again.

I miss those days of friends all the time, group lunches, shorts and flip flops, and boys walking around in backward hats.

Thinking back on this scene now, I’m filled with the same intense nostalgia that hit me that night. I’ve had bouts of nostalgia a few times over the years, but nothing like this.  I’m not sure where it’s coming from and why it’s staying with me.  I just know it’s here now.

 

 

my favorite outfit

Posted on by jplatt27

On my business blog yesterday I shared an exercise for self-reflection based on your favorite outfit. Here are my answers:

What is your favorite outfit?

My weekend morning outfit: Gap G-flex yoga pants, a cotton tank, and a long cardigan

What do you like about this outfit?

I like that it’s comfortable but also looks put together.

How does this outfit make you feel?

Relaxed but motivated to go do something, cute (these pants look good on my butt!), like myself, cozy

How do you move in this outfit?

Confidently, with ease, with a little pep

What activities can you do in this outfit?

Run errands, read a book, go to my favorite coffee shop, go to yoga, lay on the couch, relax, cook

——

Tell me some of your answers and then head on over to www.cupofteacoaching.com/blog to read part two of the exercise!

back from a long holiday

Posted on by jplatt27

It’s been over a month since I wrote!  December was a doozy for some reason–just lots going on and since I haven’t been doing a great job of managing my SAD, my energy for anything that wasn’t completely necessary was pretty much nil.

But, I’m back from 9 days in PA and this break has brought my writing brain back.

I guess I’ll start where I left off: Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving was great this year.  We changed things up slightly and it worked out perfectly.  We relaxed through lunch with Mike’s family, not looking at our watches with one foot out the door the entire time. Then, I took a nap for an hour or so.  As soon as I woke up I was ready to go to my Dad’s to see my family! We got there around 6:30 and ended up staying ’til 11:00! Because I wasn’t tired and itching to go to bed the whole time, I was fully present and really relaxed into the evening.

I’m into this casual, come and go when you feel like it thing.  It’s much more my speed.  Though we still went through all of the same activities we have for years, the mind-set was different. And that changed everything.

I’m glad to be back.  Looking forward to catching up with you all much more frequently in 2013.

Love, love, love!

a powerful gift

Posted on by jplatt27

In coach training this weekend, I realized the best gift Mike has ever given me.

The greatest gift Mike has given me is the freedom to be who I am, accepting and loving me just the way I am.  As long as I’ve known him (since middle school), he has not tried to change me. He meets me where I am without judgement, only openness and love.

My first thought in response to this realization was pure gratitude and wonder.

Next thought: My wish is that I can give him the same gift in return.

Now I realize a gift even more powerful than either of these, one I wish to give as well.

I could give this gift to myself. Imagine if I gave myself 100% freedom to be who I am.  What if I began to love and accept myself as the person I am in this moment?

Most of the stress and unhappiness in my life comes from self-criticism.  From believing that I’m not good enough, that I should be more, do more.  That I should be x, y, or z, even though that’s not me. So imagine how wonderful it would be, how my life would change, if I was kind to myself.  If I was as loving and accepting of myself as Mike is to me.

Starting today, I will give myself this gift. And I will receive this gift from myself.

As I type this I’m a little scared. Like wow, this is a big commitment. But I have the power to make this change, one thought at a time. Though it won’t be easy, it will be worth it.

 

my vision board

Posted on by jplatt27

In preparation for my vision board party over the summer, I made a vision board of my own.

Here it is:

I kept feeling like it wasn’t done but after a month or so, I realized that this board does, in fact, reflect the life that I want.

Starting at the bottom, I want a career that is a foundation for the lifestyle I want, one that allows me to help others, to feel balanced, to continue to grow and evolve, and to have a flexible schedule.

The heart of the life I want, the middle of the board, is filled with family, friends, love, and a warm home.

And at the top, romance, relaxing, alone time, beauty, leisure, vacation.

It is my hope that each of these pieces supports the others.

With this vision in mind, I can continue to create the life I want.

Have you ever made a vision board?  What are some key things you’re looking for in your life?