i often talk in vague platitudes, but that probably doesn’t do me or anyone any favors. so, what did this week *actually* look like for me? work has been a lot lately. and what that looks like is calls all day every day, working on cash flow projections after hours, obsessively wondering if i used the word “precocious” correctly during that call on wednesday, grappling with viewing someone leaving the company as a personal failing, being ridiculously excited about someone new joining the team, catching-up w mentors to help advise on our long-term strategy, jumping on client projects, submitting big pitches, giving presentations, and mostly, putting out fires. i don’t always love being 23 with the constant pressure knowing that my ability to perform dictates whether we meet payroll, whether we can properly show up for our people/our values. but, i put in the hours in the hopes that others don’t have to, to avoid any potential disaster situation in the future, to try to lead with integrity. and amidst all of the 3AM nights — people always ask me, are you making time for *you*? and the answer is equal parts yes/no. these past few weeks, i’ve made less social plans than usual, and it’s not fun trading dinners w friends for lonely hours working on a deck — and i hate looking at my texts seeing that most of the people that i text these days are work-related. that said, amidst it all, i also did do a lot just because. i made 100+ satirical infographics, i streamed the masterpiece that is bridgerton s2 in a day, i rapturously watched judge ketanji brown jackson demonstrate what leadership should look like, i went on live to laugh w @lizzikania, i did not miss a day of playing worldle/heardle/worldle, i posted my first sponsored tiktok ever!?, i cuddled w my cat, i celebrated st peters representing New Jersey so beautifully, i sat w my roommates for hours processing the mundane, i did my laundry, i got to celebrate the wonderful humans that are @natejones3 + @davisburleson, i ran into old friends, i made new friends, i wrote this. i write this without any real takeaway, but instead, just to remind myself, that i’m doing my damn best — to do my job, to find my joy.