Reasonably Certain

How I Plan My Life & Preparing for 2025

• Episode 21

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EP #21: Ellen shares how she plans her life from weekly to yearly goals and how she is planning for 2025. She also covers how she stays organized and motivated and manages her goals and action steps to achieve them.

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>> Ellen:

Hey, guys. Welcome back to Reasonably Certain. My name is Ellen and this is episode 21. And the title of today's episode is How I Plan My Life and preparing for 2025. And it is November 18th when I'm filming this. Yes. So it is mid November 2024. However, don't, like, don't look at me like I'm crazy yet. Just listen, hear me out. This is not like, set in stone, but I just like to constantly plan things. I'm. I'm a kind of a control freak. So this is one way that I can have some sense of control in my life. Um, but I also just really enjoy organizing and like, I don't know, planning things. So I thought I would talk about kind of how I just plan my life in general from like every week to every month to every quarter to every year, and just how in general I stay motivated and organized. So, yeah, just like all aspects of my life, kind of like how I manage my household as well. I think it all goes kind of hand in hand. And it's just me, just myself. I'm not really managing a household. I'm just managing myself. And this would be even more helpful. I feel like if you had, you know, a family that you're taking care of, that you're kind of like the household manager or, you know, you and your partner are being the household managers. So I feel like this would be even more helpful if you had actual, like, activities and things to plan for with children. I just gotta. I gotta look after myself. So it's just me, myself and I. But I really enjoy planning things, like I said. So that's what we're going to be talking about today. However, before we get into that, let's start off with what I've been up to over the past week. And by the way, just before I even get into that, thanks for listening to my last episode. I've talked to a few of my friends who listened to it. It was a bit of a touchy subject about the election. I really do think it's worth a listen. Not to toot my own horn or anything, like, not to say that, but I do think that it's a nice summary of kind of the discussions going on around the election and maybe, um, a not super threatening way to digest it, no matter which side you're on. So that's kind of my hope with that episode is just to help people tune into the discourse and everything without hearing it from a super inflammatory source and having to go all over the Internet to find It. So anyway, um, over. Over the past week, what have I been up to? I went horseback riding finally, for the first time in forever. I've been really waiting to do that. I don't even remember the last time I went horseback riding. When was the last time I went? Um, it's been a couple years at least, so maybe was the last time I took lessons in Arizona in 2021. Yeah, it m. May have been three years. So I desperately needed it. It was just a trail ride, nothing exciting. I did get to trot a few steps because I was on the, uh, largest horse, and he was in the back of the pack when we were walking, so he would slow down a little bit. And, like, I remember before we took off. I'll explain all this in the video. I'm gonna post it either right before or right after this episode. But anyways, just so you know, uh, I feel pretty, like, comfortable in my riding abilities. Even after three years since the last time I rode. I was like, oh. I feel like, literally, it's like riding a bike. I'm like. It took me, like, five minutes to get acquainted again. And then I was like, okay, yeah, I'm, like, ready to do this, like, full time again. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to go. Like, let's go over a jump or something. Um, but we just went on the trail ride, and they were like, be careful. This guy, he tries to, like, eat the grass, and, like, he's gonna try and, like, you know, play games with you or whatever. And I was like, okay. I mean, sure. He was an angel. He did not. He was perfect. They kept being like, oh, you're gonna have to kick him a lot. Like, here's a whip. You're gonna have to kick him and whip keep him going. He was an angel. And even, like, the, you know, our group leader, our guide that was in the front, it was only the four of us and the guide, so five horses total. And he kept looking back, and my horse's name was Artiero, so he kept being like, artillero, Dale Fuerte. Give it a little. You know what I mean? And all he would have to do is say that. And Artillero knows the drill. I didn't even have to kick him or do anything with the reins. He just knew. So he would just give a few trot steps to catch up, and it would be fine. And in my opinion, he never would have needed to do that. I don't really need my horse's nose to be in the Other horse's asshole. Like, they can be 10ft away. Like, it's fine. But he felt like I was falling behind too much. I was like, I think we're just fine. The spacing is great, in my opinion. But, um, apparently I was too far behind a few times for the guide's comfort. So all he would have to do is just say, artillero dalle forte. Like, and he would just go. I'm used to horses where they will not even go if you sit there. And I mean, you. If you don't have spurs on, it's gonna, like, really take a while. But, like, when I had my pony growing up, um, I don't think I've ever expended so much energy trying to get an animal to move forward. Like, you know what I mean? So I was, like, expecting it to be terrible because they were setting it up like, oh, my God, he's just, like, such a naughty horse. Like, blah, blah, blah. Um, which is another discussion that horses aren't, like, inherently naughty. That's, like, a humanistic trait that we put on them. But anyway, um, he did not even try to pull anything once. He was literally an angel. And I'm like, okay, I know part of it has to do with the rider. Like, if you, you know, catch them before they put their head down to even try to grab the grass, like, they probably get the hint that you're not the one to mess with. You know what I mean? Like, they can kind of get a sense of who they can get away with certain behaviors. You know what I mean? So he was a perfect angel. I was like, so, so happy. So the only unfortunate part about that, that whole experience was that I was hoping my allergies wouldn't be that bad because it was just perfect timing that I had an allergy test a few days later. And coming up to the allergy test, you have to stop taking any medications that would be, like, an antihistamine. So I told the allergist, I was like, oh, I take 10 milligrams of Loratadine every day, which is like, the same as Claritin. And she was like, every day?

>> Speaker B:

Uh.

>> Ellen:

Yes. Yeah, I take it every day. And she was like. She was looking at me like I'm psychotic. Like, crazy. And I was like, yeah, that's what the doctors in the US told me. Like, just take 1 ton milligram loratadine a day to keep your symptoms away. And, like, that's also kind of a very American way to handle it. But I've also Done allergy shots in the past, but I was putting it off because it's honestly just a pain to go get allergy tested again and then start taking the shots again. Because I was thinking, like, in the US you have to take them every week for, like, six months straight before you can move up, like, every other week and then a month. But I guess I just found out from my friend Zarina. Hey, Zeri, again. Um, but I guess here they just start you off with monthly, apparently. I don't know if that's how every clinic does it. Obviously, some clinics could do it differently, but apparently they just start off with monthly. So I was like, wait, that's actually way less of, like, a, uh, commitment than every week for six months. Because it's just such a commitment like, that you, like, can't skip one week. I'm like, what if I travel? I go back to the US like, ah. So now I'm like, okay, wait, maybe I can do allergy shots and start riding horses again. Because, honestly, my allergies were so, so bad. So bad. Like, I was editing the GoPro footage because I wore a GoPro on my helmet and I was sneezing, like, every five minutes. It was honestly insane. And I was kind of just miserable for the rest of the day after that. So I was like, dang, yeah, if my allergies are this bad, like, I can't ride horses unless I do allergy shots. So that's unfortunate for me. However, I did have an amazing time, so I was really happy about that. And I wanted to put out a little GoPro video. It's not going to be a super professional video. It's just, like, a silly little trail ride video. And, yeah, so I just wanted to put it out just for. Mostly for the memories, but if you guys enjoy it, that's great. Um, anyway, so then I also decided that I needed to, like, find a better way to eat more vegetables during the week. And like, about a month ago, I did buy that Amazon Vegetable Chopper, where it's like, the Tupperware on the bottom, and then the. The lid has, like, the thing that opens and closes, and it has all the little grates of, like, different knives, shapes. What am I trying to say? It has all the different inserts for, like, different ways that you can chop things, and then you just put little pieces of vegetables on there, and you just slam it and it chops right into the Tupperware. So what I did at first I did, like, a salsa salad vibe. And then this week, I did, like, A sandwich. And I don't know, I was like, yeah, why don't I just make all the vegetables that I would maybe put on a sandwich, put it already chopped up. Because something, uh, about me, I don't know, I don't really like eating huge bites of vegetables because I think, like, too much of one taste and texture in my mouth that I don't really, like, at the same time, like, really grosses me out. And then I won't eat them. So I'm like, uh, let's find an easy and fun way for me to eat vegetables. It's like trying to make vegetables fun for your children. I have to do the same thing for me. So I'm like, how can I eat vegetables in a way that I find enjoy? Because why. Why should it be. You shouldn't have to be, like, forcing yourself to eat something and, like, hating every moment of it. Like, there's ways to make it more enjoyable. So I ended up kind of experimenting with some romaine lettuce, tomatoes, onions, red pepper, like a bell pepper. And then that was what I put in the container. Because I didn't want to put any sauces or stuff in the container because it was, like, enough to last for, like, three or four days. So I just left the vegetables chopped in the container. And then when I was ready to eat some, I would, like, get a bowl out, put some of the chopped vegetables into the bowl. And then I added, like, um, some chopped, like, deli meat, like turkey and salami, and then some random cheeses, whatever cheese I had in my fridge. Cause I was out of sliced cheese this week. So I got feta. Like, one day I used some feta. One day I used some, like, powder Parmesan that you would normally put on pasta. But I was like, whatever. It gets the cheese flavor in there. Like, I don't care. So I used, like, feta one day, powdered Parmesan the other day. And then I used mayo, guacamole, um, apple, cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and added a little bit of that. Just kind of, like, eyeballing it on top of the meat and the vegetables and mixed it all together like a giant chipotle bowl kinda. And then what I did instead of making a sandwich was I just toasted, like, two pieces of bread and then just put, like, little, uh, glops of this of the vegetable sandwich, uh, mix onto the toast and just eat it, like, in little bites like that. And I was like, this is way less messy. You get a perfect amount of each ingredient on each bite because it's all chopped finely and mixed together like a, uh, thick guacamole, basically. And I felt like a freaking genius. I am sure somebody thought of this before me, but I came up with this all on my own. I came up with this all on my own. Well, did I though? I mean, kind of. I put my own spin on it by chopping everything really finely. But, um. Oh, God, not Jimmy John's. What was it that I was literally talking about that has gluten free bread in Minnesota? Jersey Mike's. Okay. Jersey Mike's. So I guess I didn't, uh, the first idea I had of it was at, uh, Jersey Mike's. They sell like a sandwich in a bowl, but they don't chop everything up finely and they don't add all the ingredients that I have here. So it's slightly different. But that I guess is probably where I've originally got the idea from. But then I was like, wait, like, I can just put it on toast, like almost like avocado toast, But I'm just putting like one bite at a time so it's not super messy. And I feel like a genius. I found a new way to eat vegetables. Um, so yeah, you just hide the vegetables in like, some mayo and guacamole and balsamic vinegar and put it on toast. It's amazing. So that's been really great for me this week. I don't remember the last time I've eaten so many vegetables because I do cook a lot of vegetables, but I haven't like, eaten a lot of raw vegetables. So really thrilled with that. Oh, also my allergy testing. I got the results back and I am severely allergic to nickel. I already knew I was allergic to cats, dogs, dust mites, um, birch trees, horses. Um, but I wanted to get tested for metals specifically because I have been driving myself nuts trying to buy jewelry that doesn't make my ears basically bleed. Um, sometimes I can get away with wearing a pair for like, maybe 10 hours and then it'll start getting super itchy and irritated. And some of them, I can only last an hour before they're like, you know, bleeding basically. Um, and I've even bought like, nickel free, allergy safe, whatever, and they're. None of them are. Literally none of my jewelry is 100% not bothering me. Um, even my really nice necklace that I got from my family's jewelry store is the most expensive piece of jewelry I own. And not that it's like super, super expensive, but it is like, you know compared to the rest of the like cheap jewelry that I own. And even that still makes my neck itch after I wear it for like, it takes like a day because it's just sitting on my skin and it's not full nickel, but there's probably an alloy in the chain somewhere that leaks out that has nickel in it. Um, so that even will make my neck itch after like a day. And then honestly the only thing that doesn't super bother me is rings. For some reason rings, uh, and bracelets don't bother me so much. Probably because I'm not having them on my skin for such long periods of time. I literally usually only put rings and bracelets on just to leave the house for like a super specific event. And then as soon as I come home, I take them off. So earrings and necklaces are what stay on longer for me typically. And then obviously because the earring is going through like a very sensitive hole of skin in your body, um, that skin is going to be the most like, susceptible to being irritated. So um, yeah, my earrings have always bothered me and I was like, hey, I need to get tested for like a metal allergy because something is obviously very wrong and I don't know why I was like, ah, ah, am I allergic to nickel though? Like maybe it's something else, something weird. No, it's usually the first thing that's the most common that's probably going to be the culprit. And yeah, so I had nickel, like she put three patches, um, from this like pre made patch test that come with like 32 or something like 32 or 40 or I don't know, something like in the high 30s number, um, of samples. And it, they come in three different like panels of stickers. So each panel has like 10. Yeah, it's probably, each panel has like 10 or 12 things on it that it tests for. And then you have to have the stickers on your back for 48 hours and you can't sweat or shower or anything and get them wet. Um, they just have to sit there and be on your skin for 48 hours. And then you go back to the doctor to have them peel them off and check to see which you know, samples irritated your skin. And I had nickel like right here and it still itches so bad. And it's Monday, I had it taken off last Thursday. So it's been what, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, M, um, fourish days. And it blistered so bad. Like I was told it could get worse after you take the allergy. Panel off. But yeah, it got super, super bad. Like Friday, Saturday got way worse and now it's starting to get better. Um, but yeah, so I'm like severely allergic to nickel, I guess. So I guess there's even like nickel free diets. Um, not that I'm going to follow that to a T because I think the trace amounts of nickel in some of these foods is not enough for me to like completely cut it out. But it is good to know like what the foods that contain high nickel are just so that I don't make those like a primary staple in my diet. But if I consume them occasionally, I'm sure I'll be fine. Um, hopefully. I don't know, but I'm just not going to make them a staple in my diet. So if you're curious, let me. I have it up on chatgpt here. Grains and cereals. So like oats, oatmeal, whole wheat, um, brown rice and wild rice, which I don't really eat any of those. So it's actually totally fine because I'm gluten free. I don't eat oatmeal and I don't usually pick brown rice or wild rice. Most gluten free things are like potato starch and white rice flour, so not really worried about that. And the next high nickel foods are legumes and beans. So like lentils, peas, chickpeas, soy, all soy products, kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, all those things, nuts and seeds, peanuts, peanut butter, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, spinach, kale, lettuce, especially romaine lettuce, broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, canned fruits, mostly because the nickel leeches from the cans. So pretty much any canned food I probably shouldn't eat, uh, prunes, raisins, figs, pineapple, cocoa and chocolate, which it says very high in nickel, cocoa and chocolate and then black tea and green tea. Seafood, um, which would be like shrimp, mussels, oysters, canned fish obviously because it's canned. Um, and then you shouldn't eat foods cooked in stainless steel or nickel coated cookware, which I'm actually glad I found this out because I was just about to buy a stainless steel because I was always under the assumption that it's like healthier to cook with. But for me, probably not a great choice. So I'm actually glad I read this before I upgraded my pans because the pans that came with my apartment here are like probably giving me like free radicals or whatever the heck comes off of the teflon coated pans because like the Teflon or the coating, whatever that's in it is like coming off. So I need to get new pans because it's probably super unhealthy that I keep cooking in those. And it says foods that are safer for nickel free diets. White rice, corn, unprocessed meats like chicken, beef and pork, eggs, dairy, potatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, apples, pears, bananas, berries. So if anybody else has a suspected nickel allergy, um, hopefully that was helpful for you. Uh, so, yeah, that was on Thursday that I got my allergy test results, I suppose. And then I'm actually waiting to go back next week. It's like I just, I'm at the doctor like at least once a month because I just went to the dentist today too. I feel like I'm. It's like every other week I'm at the doctor, I swear. It's just I stay at the freaking doctor. My point in saying that was. Sorry, I'm. I'm very like all over the place with my thoughts today. Hopefully this is not a confusing episode. Um, but I'm going to the allergist again next Tuesday because they did a blood test and this is new for me. I don't think my allergists in the US did blood tests for my allergies. We only ever did the prick tests and that was it. I never requested a patch test when I was there. Um, but I don't remember them doing a blood test. So I'm wondering, this is what. It's a bit confusing. They never tell me what they're ordering in the blood test when they tell me to go for a blood test. So I'm like, okay, not sure what our, what we're, uh, looking for here, but I do get the results in the Sanitas app, so that's good. I can always see it afterwards, but I'm always like wondering if it would be nice if they could tell me ahead of time, like what they're ordering. But sometimes I feel a bit rude asking, especially in a second language. Anyway, blah, blah, blah, whatever. So I still have another appointment to see what the blood test is supposed to tell us. I don't know. Um, then on Friday I went to a co working space with my friend Yoli and she was able to help me a ton with my content pillars. So if you guys are looking for any sort of like, help with, if you're like a creative person and kind of doing like your own freelancing thing, or anything like that. Um, and need help just with branding yourself or promoting yourself. You can check her stuff out and actually, I'll have her on the podcast soon as my first guest. Exciting. Um, but yeah, so that was super helpful. We did that on Friday. And I hate to admit it. I hate to admit it, guys. I wish I could say I love 1000% working from home, like, all the time, but I hate to admit it. It is kind of nice to go to an office type location once in a while. And when I say once in a while, I mean, like once, twice a month. That's like what I would prefer. And I don't want to go to an office where I would be specifically working with my coworkers. I just like the environment. So, like, the co working place we go to is really nice because it's all everyone working separately. No one works together. It's all, like separate remote workers. Just, like, working in a co working space. And it's nice to just be around people that are working, but that you don't have any obligation to speak to. Um, so I was like, dang it. I hate to admit it, but there's something about it that just gives you a bit of energy. Um, it can be a bit draining to, like, leave the house. But then I also gain energy from, like, being around people that are all working, you know, in a similar way. And then on Saturday, I went to brunch. And then after that, I helped Yoli with a photo shoot, which was super fun. So I can't wait to see the results of that. It was her photo shoot. I was there just kind of helping out and, like, helping, you know, make sure her hair was in the right place and, like, helping with outfit changes and stuff like that. On Saturday night, I went to my friend Renata's birthday dinner, and that was super fun. And then on Sunday, which was yesterday, I was just so exhausted and I couldn't bring myself to film, so I just, like, had a chill day. And I actually did a lot of the planning that I'm going to be talking about today, which makes me feel much more prepared for the topic of today's episode. So that's good. Um, and also when I was at the dentist today, I did accidentally bite the dentist's finger. I don't think I've ever done that before. But, um, like, every clinic does something slightly different, right? So I think today was the first time I got, like, the bitewing X rays done. I've done the one where you sit your chin on the Rest and like, they do the scan around your face. But today I did the one. I did that. I did the scan around your face one and I did one that was like the bitewing in your mouth. But I'm used to, I don't know what you call them. Bitewings, that's what I would call them. Where it's like a little piece of plastic that you bite on that then is just kind of like to hold your teeth in place for the X ray machine to, like, take a picture of the side of your mouth. So she had her finger in the plastic thing in my mouth and I just like, she had it in place and I started to bite down and like, her finger was still, like, in between my teeth. And she's like, oh, that's my finger. And I was like, oh, my God, I'm so sorry. Um, but it was the type of bitewing that you actually don't bite. So it was just like a sensor and she put the. Obviously like the sanitary plastic over it. And then she's like, can you just put your finger behind it and hold it there? And I was like, okay, sure. So that was the first time I've ever done that where you have to hold it in place with your finger. Seems a bit weird to me. Like, it makes more sense to me to have like, the little piece of plastic connected to it that you bite on. But whatever. Um, so that was kind of funny, but, yeah. Wow. I think that was the longest intro I've had in a while. But there was just a lot to catch up on, which is all good things. All good things. Um, topic of the week again, let's get back into it. So, planning. I really enjoy planning and organizing things. I also love Canva. And by the way, I owe Canva a little apology. Um, a few months ago, I was hearing the news that they were going to raise prices on pro plans, and I was like, oh, no, no, no, no, you don't, girl. Um, and I couldn't find any information on if it was going to be for just like, enterprise, like, team plans, or if it was going to be also for individual pro plans. Um, but the good news is that my contract did renew last month in October, and it. The price did not raise. It stayed at like $118. So sorry, Canva. Sorry to you, girl. Maybe you could have made the information a bit clearer on the Internet. But I'm still an avid Canva user. I use it literally every day. So I'm glad to say that I'm still with you girl. I'm still using Canva. Um, so I have a yearly calendar in Canva, and I'm gonna try and show some screenshots of this, uh, for those of you that are watching to hopefully make it a bit clearer. But just imagine like, you know, those giant paper calendars that you can put on your wall. It's literally like a line or a column, Sorry, like it looks like an Excel sheet. A column M for each month, and then each row is just like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 for each day of the month. Uh, so then there's 12 columns for each month and it's just like a big sheet with like 365 boxes for you to plan every day of the year. And it's amazing. I am obsessed. I started doing this for the first time for 2024. That's when I first had the idea of like, huh, A, uh, yearly calendar. Because last year, or, well, sorry, this year, like the beginning, at the beginning of this year was the first time that I was like, okay, I'm living in Europe. I need to like, actually take advantage of living here and start traveling more and conquer my fear of traveling. Because I'm terrified of hotels and public spaces that are, I feel, are disgusting. But what am I going to do? Just sit in my room all day? Like, I need to start traveling because that's like half the reason why I moved to Spain. So that was when I had the idea to use a yearly calendar because I was like, okay, I know myself. I want to have some space in between trips. Um, so I knew that I was going to go home twice to Minnesota and that, ah, I usually go home for at least a week or two every time just because it's such a long plane ride that I'm like, okay, well, as long as I'm going, um, I'm going to be there for a while. So for me, I just like to have the year at a glance so I can see like, okay, for these couple weeks I'm going to be in Minnesota. For these couple weeks I'm going to be in Scandinavia. And then I can plan everything around that and like, give myself breaks if I were to have more trips planned. Uh, so that's why I originally thought of a yearly calendar. And then ever since I did it, I was like, wait, I kind of love this. Plus, it's a really easy way to just save a picture of it and then you have a snapshot of like, obviously you're not going to have every detail of every day saved on it. Unless you want to get that detailed, that's totally up to you. But it is kind of nice that you can just save a photo of it and then you have a snapshot of your year. So if you were like, oh, what did I do this day? You're like, oh, uh, that's what I did. Without having to go through like a ton of photos and videos and notes and stuff. Like you just have one photo with every day of the year on it and you can see exactly what you did on each day. And I don't write down every single day if I don't really have anything going on. And it's just a regular boring day. I don't fill in every day or every square for every day. Like I only really fill it in if I have something that I either one might want to go to. So I just remember that it's coming up or that is like a holiday or a birthday or an appointment. That's usually things that I have filled in on here. And then, you know, obviously I might have some other things, but usually it's something that I have like booked in the future that I would like to attend that I can then plan for. Um, but just like, you know, random everyday things I'm usually not writing down. Uh, yeah, but I really, really enjoy it. I like color blocking the weekends and then color blocking trips just so I can again visually see the difference in the weeks. And um, I already started my 2025 yearly calendar and I just found this on a template on Canva. So you can just search like in the elements or the designs. You can just search like yearly calendar and there will be a ton of pre made templates for you to choose from. So that's what I did. I did not make this myself. I just picked one that somebody had already made. Um, so I think this is going to be my new thing for planning every year. I really enjoy it. And I cross. I have like a little bar that I just copy and paste to like cross off each day. And I love it. I don't know, it's just like my favorite way to see my life at a glance. So like the yearly calendar is kind of like a 40,000 foot view, like very high level, not a lot of detail, but just nice to kind of see like the big milestones all in one place and then appointments and stuff. Like things that I know that are like milestones basically. And then each tier lower, like quarterly, monthly, weekly, gets more and more detailed as you go on quarterly. Um, goals I would say are still pretty like 40,000 foot view. Um, because I would say they're mostly like my yearly goals. So, like my calendar is like my yearly plans. My yearly goals are something that I write down as well. So I did write down yearly goals yesterday that I can go over and I made a vision board for 2025 as well. Um, but my yearly goals are usually just split out into quarterly goals. So kind of like what do I think is achievable in the first quarter of the year and then the second quarter and then the third quarter and then the fourth quarter. And I review those every three months. And it's not like I'm having some sort of intense quarterly business review with myself like you would in a corporate setting. But it is nice to just kind of take these lofty yearly goals and kind of chop them up, chop them up into a bit more bite sized pieces. And I think three months is a nice Runway to give yourself because a month feels like really short, honestly for a lot of like loftier goals and a year feels too long. So I like quarterly goals because three months, I think is like a great period of time. You see people do like the 75 hard challenge. There's a lot of like two to three month type runways for people to do goals. Because I think it gives you enough time to like build the habit, see if you can stick with it and make some sort of progress by the end of three months. Whereas, like, you can't even really build a habit within a month. It takes like basically a month to build a habit. So then you give yourself like two more months to see how far you can go with it. And if I don't meet those deadlines or whatever at the end of three months, it's not something that I like beat myself up about. I'm just more so setting like these random kind of like just throwing spaghetti at a wall and seeing what will stick. So I'm like, okay, like, let's just give myself a little bit of a challenge, like January, February, March. What do I think I can realistically accomplish in that time? And let's just see if I can do it. If I can, great. If I can't, it's fine. I'll just add it on to the Q2 goals, like whatever. So that's kind of how I imagine like my yearly goals trickling down into my quarterly goals. And then my monthly goals is in a very similar fashion, just kind of like a trickle down of my quarterly goals. And I have a recurring reminder in my phone calendar on the last day of each month that just says reflect on goals for the next month. So like on November 30th I'll get a reminder that will say reflect on goals for the next month. And then ideally I would sit down that evening or the next day. It doesn't have to be like right when I get the notification, but it's just kind of a good reminder to be like, oh yeah, when you have a chance next, sit down and just see like what you have planned for the next month. So me just thinking out loud, like for December, I'm gonna try and finish all my yearly goals of 2024. Most of them I'm probably not going to be able to finish being like realistic. Like I wanted to hit 10k on YouTube by the end of the year. I'm close, but I'm probably not going to hit it. But that's okay. Um, M. I wanted to hit like 5k on Instagram. I've kind of given up that goal, to be honest. Instagram, I love, I love Instagram. I love posting stories, but it's not where I find a lot of passion and trying to grow. I. I would love to know if anybody's grown an Instagram account in the last year successfully without bought followers. I don't want bot followers. Even if you don't pay for followers, it's like bot followers still somehow flock to your account and I don't want them. I block every account that doesn't seem like a real person. So maybe that's why my follower account is so low. It could probably be a lot higher if I just let any random weirdo account follow me. But uh, I like to try and keep it as like realistic as possible. So I delete any spammy sort of accounts. And then I think on TikTok, like, yeah, I would love to hit 10k on TikTok. And I think that's probably the most realistic that I could do by the end of the year if I like really stick to a consistent posting schedule on TikTok and post like three to four TikToks a day. But that is going to be a short, short, short term goal. Like just one month of posting like three TikToks a day. And I would have to have like all the TikToks planned out in advance and just be like, this is my next part time job in addition to a podcast like every morning I'm just going to do like boom, boom, boom, like TikToks. And that's not something I could keep up. I don't Think realistically while still having a full time job. But I could maybe do like, okay, for December, I'm gonna just do a big push for TikTok in specific and kind of coast on the other ones. Because you can't. It's not like you can go full speed ahead with all platforms at all times. Some people might be able to, but for me it's really difficult. So I kind of have to pick one and be like, push, push, push. And it's like you're pulling, pushing in different level levers of different platforms in different areas of your life at all times. So that's how I would maybe look at my monthly goals is like, okay, what can I realistically achieve in the next like four weeks? Um, maybe going to the gym again, eating more vegetables again, like stuff that's not a huge, huge goal. Or like maybe you can just chip off part of a larger goal. That's usually what I'm doing. Um, so just chipping off a part of a larger goal and then eventually after you chip off enough pieces, you've completed the goal, which is great. And then my weekly plans is usually not as much goal based. It's very much like action steps to get me to a goal or just like tedious daily household management tasks like take, uh, take the trash out, do laundry today, wash my sheets, um, have the handyman come fix my cabinet that's broken, which I need to do still. You, uh, know, just tedious stuff like that. Usually so that I stay on top of everything. So usually I'll spread that out and I just use the no Notes app on my laptop. Well, on my phone too, but I prefer to type it on my laptop. And I just have like a to do note pinned to the top of my notes. And I just have like Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. And then each day I just have little bullets that I edit. Usually on Sunday night, usually is when I'll edit them and just be like, okay, what do I have going on for the week? Do I have any appointments? Do I have any like dinners or brunches or stuff with friends activities? Do I have any significant deadlines for like work or something like that? You know what I mean? So I try to keep track of things like that. And then once I have all the tedious stuff down, then I'll be like, okay, where can I push for the extracurriculars in my life? You know what I mean? So it kind of goes by priority as well. So like work, my regular day job is number one. And then like, household tasks is number two. And then like, my podcast is usually number three. And then, um, like, grocery shopping, meeting up with friends, going to the gym is usually like number four. And then number five is like any other content that I can spend time to push or to plan. So that's usually like the tier system of how I'm planning things and, like, the priority and how much energy I'm gonna have every day and blah, blah, blah. So my weekly planning is usually the most different compared to my monthly, quarterly, yearly planning. Um, hopefully this is all making sense. I could just be rambling and sounding like a lunatic, but hopefully that's helpful. So, moving back to my vision board, like I said, I also make my vision board in Canva. I used to make physical vision boards on, like, a piece of poster board from the store and, like, print things out and cut them and paste them on. Um, but which I still totally enjoy, but I find that I change it frequently enough that I prefer it to be in a digital format. So I just keep it as, like a deck on Canva. So I literally yesterday just made a copy of my 2024 deck and updated it to 2025 and made a few changes. And honestly, a lot of things are the same, which is nice. Like, I find in years past, like, I would have such kind of, not lofty goals that were unrealistic or anything, but I think when you first get into making a vision board, it can be kind of hard to decide, like, what you even want or, like, what's realistic or, like, how to even get to what you want. So now that I've been doing vision boards for, like, probably six years now, I feel like I've fine tuned it pretty well to, like, how I prefer my vision board to look and, like, what I like to focus on, uh, you know, in each phase of my life, I guess. So I can show you guys my vision board. I don't mind sharing it. I'm not, like, superstitious about it. I think if anything, it will hopefully inspire you guys or just give you an idea of how to make yours. But yeah, like I said, uh, even though I'm making my 2025 goals now in November, 2024, doesn't mean that that's, like, set in stone and, like, that is what I'm gonna work on for 2025 and I can't change it. Blah, blah, blah. Like, I'm probably gonna change this, like, five more times before 2025 even starts. You know what I mean? But I just wanted to have, like, A fresh deck already, because it's like, okay, 2024 is kind of, like, gone. I have a few more weeks to. To try and finish whatever goals I had, but it's like, I'm already looking forward to next year, um, and trying to, like, look ahead as much as I can. So that's why it's really just a personal choice, though. Like, you don't have to make a new deck or anything. You can just keep updating the same one. It's again, completely up to you. Um, so I have different sections in my deck. It's not just one slide that has a bunch of, like, images on it. It's like, how many. How many pages long is it? It's 28 pages long. I've just slowly added sections over time. So originally, like, in 2018, I would just have the one poster board and then maybe a small list written on the back of my goals. Like, maybe like 10 goals for the year. Um, but now I have a lot more goals written down and have a lot more slides. But it's mostly just broken down more. It's not really any different, but I just like to be a bit more specific and intentional with, like, each section of my life, I suppose. Um, so that's why I have so many different slides. Um, so I really enjoyed, if you guys remember. I don't know, I saw this on TikTok on 222 22. It was like, February 22nd, 2022. Um, they were calling it. What was the 20th? You know what? Let me just ask ChatGPT. Okay. Yeah. So, I mean, obviously the numerical significance because it's 2 22, 22 or 22 to 22, however you write your date format. But anyways, it's all the twos have a lot of significance. Um, angel numbers. Some said it was like a spiritual portal, collective consciousness, Pluto return. Um, yeah, I don't know. But I saw this lady talk about, uh, a visualization board

for that day. 2:

22, 22. And she like, please, somebody, if somebody knows, like, how this should work, please let me know. But. Or, like, how this came about. I don't know the origins of this. She just said in her video that, like, you should have 12 or. Sorry, you should have nine quadrants on one page. You can, like, physically cut paper out and do it in color this way, or you can do it, you know, editing online like I did, and that each section should have a different color. So, like, wealth is purple, glory is red, Love is pink, Family and home is green. All things you is Yellow, Creative is white, knowledge is brown, career is blue, and travel is gray. I don't know. I tweaked the colors a bit because she used, like, primary colors, like, really intense, and I wanted them to be a bit more past pastel and, like, aesthetic for my vibe. Uh, and then what I did is I just put a couple pictures and, like, a little statement of what I want in each area of my life. And this has stayed pretty much the same since February 2022. Like, I've only made a few tweaks. Like, I just changed the number of, like, subscribers and followers I would like to have on social media. Still pretty lofty for me. I don't. I won't really be upset if I don't make that, but I was like, hey, I need to. Maybe. Maybe I need to make my goals a bit bigger. Like, maybe I'm just not shooting high enough and that's limiting myself. So I changed that, and I was like, you know what? Why not? Who cares? Um, and then everything else pretty much stayed the same. So these are all things that I think, in general, for the remainder of my life will still probably hold true. So it's kind of like I'm always holding myself, like, hey, remember, what you want is over here. Like, just keep looking over here. This is what you want. Don't get distracted by other stuff going on. Like, remember, you told yourself this is what you want. So, like, keep always working towards it. So I really enjoy this. It's kind of like a good, um, statement for yourself, I guess. And then I have an actual vision board of, like, what you would consider maybe a more typical idea of a vision board with just, like, some photos and stuff of things that I would like. Uh, like, again, the goal to hit, like, a certain amount of subscribers and followers. Going to the gym, uh, getting a sponsorship for the podcast would be great. Maybe getting a car. Although I'm just obsessed with that Mercedes. I don't know why. I'm just obsessed with it. I like to have a few quotes that I feel are, you know, resonating with me. Um, I would like to start investing money. I would like to make more money. I feel like every day, all I do is I wake up every day and I'm like, how do I make more money? How do I make more money? I think everyone can agree with me. It's like, I feel like I've worked so hard in my life, and I'm still always just barely treading above water. Like, how do I make more money? How do I Make more money. Like, it's just like I'm somehow still. It just feels like I'm spinning in place. Like, I'm always working hard and I am making more money, but my money is never going far enough. So plus, I moved to Spain and like, my salary is way lower than it was. So it's like I made it to here and then moved and made a lot less money. Even though my lifestyle is happier, I make way less money. So it's like, dang it, I knew that was gonna happen, but it's still kind of like, dang it, I still have to make more money somehow. So my 30th birthday is next year. I want to continue horse riding lessons. I want to finish my website. I want to continue going to fashion weeks. I want to continue doing, like, fun artsy activities with my friends. Like, we really enjoy going to, like, ceramic painting, wine and paint. Um, just like those kind of activities where it's like, let gets your mind off of things. It's nothing too serious. It's like a fun, creative activity activity. Um, just taking more photos, being confident in clothes that I wear. Um, and I would love to get a breast reduction. I'm like, okay, I'm turning 30 and I want to get a breast reduction in a lift. I would love for those two things to happen next year. But I've had breast reduction and lift on my vision board for like five years now, so hopefully it will happen. But, um, yeah, so that's my vision board of, like, my overall goals. And then in Canva, there's actually a notes tab at the bottom. So then in the notes tab, I started by writing everything in my notebook first with my new colorful, uh, pens that I got from Flying Tiger. So I wrote everything in my notebook first because sometimes I think just writing physically helps. And then I typed it into Canva. So in the notes tab, I wrote all my goals. And I think it's, yeah, 21 goals, which sounds like a lot, but a lot of them kind of have to do with each other. So I would love to make more money, obviously, pay off all my debts, invest, upload to social media, consistently increase my follower count on, you know, various platforms. I want to start a substack, finish my website. I would love to read one book a month. That's been a goal for me for the past few years. And I've only ever read maybe like three or four books a year, if that. So I would like to just increase my reading or listening with audible, whatever I decide. I would like to Continue going to the gym regularly or get back into the. Going to the gym regularly so I can finally lose a bit more weight and just feel more comfortable with myself. Um, I want to reach out to more brands on a regular basis and have more, like, brand partnerships and just get to know people in the industry a bit better as well. Just like, in general, like, networking. I already mentioned a few others. I need to get allergy shots. Like, some of these are, like, very boring, um, things, but they are things that I would ultimately like to be. They are things that I would ultimately like to have done. And then I have some travel goals as well. So I would love to go to fashion weeks, like I mentioned. So those are kind of my main goals. But then I also want to go to Budapest, Scotland, England, Miami, Minnesota. My sister's probably going to have her wedding next year as well. I also would love to go to Cotis Jerez El Rocio, because that's seems to be where like, a lot of, um, equestrian activities happen in Spain. So I would love to go to the south of Spain because I have not really explored Spain much since living here either. And then I have a bunch more vision board slides, which is not necessary by any means, but I like to kind of get more specific and be like a bit more. Yeah, just a bit more specific, which, with each area of my life. So, I mean, it's essentially just like more pictures that I saved from Pinterest for each area of my life, I guess you could say. So I did the same ones that were on, like that first. First visualization board, like the 22222 1. I basically just took each of those sections and made a separate slide for it and made like a specific vision board for that area of my life. So you kind of get the point there. Just a lot of vision boards. And then I have a slide for each month of the year. And again, this is just so that I can have another way of looking at things. At a glance. This is kind of overkill because I also have the yearly calendar, so it's kind of redundant. Like I'm just writing things in multiple places, but I don't mind it. I kind of like having both. So this is a bit redundant, though. Like, you definitely don't need both. You don't need any of this. This is just me telling you what I do. But anyway, I'm also planning things that I would like to do that I know cost a bit more money, like hair appointments, Botox appointments, things like that. So, like, in January, I Know that I want to get a re up on Botox and then I have like some birthdays traveling and honestly all I have written here right now is like holidays and birthdays or, and taxes due, things like that. So nothing like super exciting. Not like a ton of trips planned yet or anything. Um, but I like to just have birthdays and holidays in my head so that I don't forget. Especially if I'm planning on celebrating someone's birthday and it may pertain or, and it may require me to travel or like do a bit of a bigger celebration. Like I want to make sure that I plan ahead for that and make sure that I have like time off work and stuff. And then at the very end. So I actually only have 26 slides right now. At the very end I have like a few slides with items that I would maybe like to treat myself with throughout the year. So I've been really loving the brand guest and I love all of these items from their website. Like, oh, uh, they're gorgeous. Like the bags, the jackets, the blazer, the dress with that print is just stunning. If I could have all of that in my closet right now, I would. But I don't know realistically if I'm going to spend money on any of it because it is a little bit expensive. But if I do treat myself, maybe I'll like pick something off this page and treat myself with it if it's still available on their website by that point. And then the second slide here I just updated yesterday and I did actually just make an order off naked.com to get that dress because it was only like€75, which I feel like is pretty reasonable. Um, but then I have a few other things listed here that I would like to buy. So, um, I would love to upgrade some more jewelry. Like I said, I'm getting some piercings done soon as well. So I want to finally invest in like some nice jewelry that I know is nickel free for sure. So like maybe titanium, sterling silver. Even though silver can still have some like alloy in it. So it might have nickel in it. But um, yeah, unless it's like 24 karat gold. I know it's like expensive and annoying. So I'm like, okay, if I get jewelry, I need to get some nice jewelry that's not going to bother me. And then I'll probably more than likely get this vagabond bag to ah, function as kind of like a tote bag and a work laptop bag. Um, yeah, so those are just kind of some things that I Have, like, on my wish list, I guess you could say, of things that I would like to buy, um, and kind of keep me motivated and that I can treat myself whenever I maybe hit a goal. So, yeah, that's how I plan my life. That's how I plan my trips and my days and my weeks and my months and my quarters. And yeah, really thrilling. But honestly, it's mostly landmarked by like, yearly goals, lofty goals, appointments, holidays, birthdays, and those are all the milestones. And then I kind of try to fit everything else in between the cracks and yeah, so I just like to have everything at a glance. It makes me feel more in control of my life and makes me excited to plan trips and things like that and look forward to things and. Yeah, so I hope that was, I don't know, helpful or entertaining to listen to, but that's how I plan. And I make a lot of to do lists. I make a lot of lists in my notes app. So this is not like, it's not like I just sit here and have this perfectly planned setup and never change it. It's. It's usually changing all the time. Okay, so moving on to pop culture and trends, I recently watched Don't Move on Netflix and it's what's inside on Netflix. And I actually yesterday just watched part two of season four of Outer Banks. So I've been watching a lot of Netflix recently. And yeah, first of all, with Don't Move, I really recommend it. I like, I say all the time I really enjoy a thriller. And I would say Don't Move was more of a thriller than it was like a full blown horror movie. So I didn't have any, like, scary nightmares. I wasn't like, super terrified from it. Um, and I thought that Kelsey and Finn were like, amazing leads. And I really enjoy movies that make an amazing story and, like, a really suspenseful story with minimal actors, minimal characters, minimal scenes and sets and like, lower, I guess I'm not sure that this was necessarily a lower budget movie, but, like, that they can make a really amazing story and like, really keep you captivated with. With minimal characters and sets, if that makes sense. So, uh, I thought Don't Move was really, really good. Um, it's definitely a bit scary if you're like, a little freaked out by, like, scary chasing. And. And I would say the number one word for it is like, suspense. Um, because don't move, I guess, like, spoiler. Kelsey can't move for majority of the movie because of something that Finn does to her. So if that's something that you would be really freaked out about, I guess. Don't do it. And then obviously there's some violence. But I wouldn't say it's like really, really horrific violence or anything like that. It's more like a suspenseful horror movie, I guess. So. Really, uh, enjoyed. Don't move. And then it's what's Inside I had heard about as well. And I finally watched it today and it was really, really good. Again, like, minimal actors, minimal sets, and a really good plot. And I love the concept. Like, I actually kind of hope they do maybe a second movie or that there's other movies that come out that are similar with kind of a similar idea in mind. But I like, I don't know, I think the more I think about what I enjoy when I watch like a movie or a show is like the. The study of like, the human mind and like, character building and like, interpersonal relationships. And it's. What's inside, like, is like eight people. And it's just all about, like, interpersonal relationships and people's motives and, yeah, super, super interesting. Again, I would say it's more of like a suspenseful thriller rather than a horror movie. So if that's what you're into, I would really recommend those two movies. And then I watched the second half of Outer Banks season four yesterday, and, um, yeah, what can I say? It's just turning into like another mega cringe series like Riverdale turned into. So I really enjoyed seasons one and two of Outer Banks. And then they made the third season, which I was already like, okay, like, we're introducing new villains and stuff. Okay, maybe I can get into it. And then at the end of season three, I was like, hey, that's probably it, right? Like, there's, you know, not really much story left to tell. They got the treasure. Great, whatever. And then I, uh, remember when I watched the first half of season four, like a month ago, I was like, what the hell? Like, they, jj just spent all the money. Like, what the. What the. So I was like, is this their lazy way of writing that they lost the treasure and all the money basically just so that they can have a new problem and a new treasure to chase again? Like, is that their way of just erasing everything that they did in the first three seasons so they can, like, have a fresh start? Basically, that's. That's what it seems like. I was like, that seems like a pretty lazy way of, like, writing that, that issue, but okay. And then, I don't know, it was just like super cringy. Like I've heard that there was some drama between the actors. I don't know if that's true or not. I don't know. I really wanted to like it, but the first half was like, okay. It was a bit cringe, but I was like, okay, like maybe, maybe. And then the second half I was like, girl, come on, what are we doing? Like, it's just getting to be too much. It's getting to be too much. I think they would have, uh, if they would have ended it at the end of season three, it would have been like a pretty nice wrap up to like a good series. Um, now I just wish that season four, like did not go ahead or if it did that they like wrote it better. I don't know. Anyway, it just kind of seems like they're trying to stretch out a show that like, you know, could have been really great with just three seasons. But anyway, um, still can't stop myself from watching it though. So maybe they don't care because I still watched it anyway. So that's what I watched on Netflix recently and enjoyed it. And specifically talking about more like TikTok and like funny stuff. Um, so when I was at my friend Renata's birthday on Saturday, my friend Cielo was there and we were talking a couple months ago about wanting to, wanting to go to an improv class together. Because I watch a lot of comedy packages, podcasts on YouTube, like Caleb Huron, um, why am I blinking out all of a sudden? But I watch like Caleb, Britney, Drew, Curtis, Connor. Um, I would say those are like my top four like comedy esque YouTubers that I watch. Um, and I really love their humor and I just think I could do improv. I don't know, I've never done it. I've done a theater production once because like my entire elementary school did a theater production for every six grade class. Because our elementary school went from kindergarten to sixth grade. So sixth graders always did a play with like the fifth graders kind of helping participate and doing like the choir. Uh, so we did Dr. Seuss or like Horton Hears a who or something. Yeah, that was like our classes performance. So I've done theater once, uh, when I was 12. I've never done anything like it since. So I don't know why. I have this like gut feeling that I would just be good. But I, all throughout my childhood I was like, I could probably just be on snl. Like I think I could like, I don't know why I have this blind confidence about me But I just feel like I have, uh, a knack for, like, comedic timing, and it is not that hard for me, and I really enjoy it. So I don't know, maybe I'm being way too confident, but I just kind of feel like it would come very naturally to me. Improv, not so sure. Acting like, a little stupid and trying to be funny, Yeah, I think that comes naturally to me. But improv, I don't know. I do really love the yes. And. And building off of each other's bits in podcasts. Like, that is one of my favorite thing about what, listening to funny podcasts. Uh, and that is improv, essentially. So, yeah, I think me and Cielo are gonna do it maybe this Sunday so I can update you guys and let you know how that goes. But then I was thinking about, like, other creators and, like, um, the improv sort of vibe that I would want to give off personally. And I remembered dax flame on TikTok. And if you don't follow Dax Flame, I don't know, you should. He originally was in Project X. Oh, that's what I wanted to mention. Um, it's what's inside, for some reason. Gave me, like, a low key Project X vibe at first. I don't know why it's not about a giant house party, but it gave me, like, similar vibes for some reason. Um, and then it fit kind of well because then I was like, oh, yeah, I want to do improv this week. We should probably book that to join the class. And then I was like, yeah, Dex Flame, Hello. And I. I think I just need to play some of his TikToks for you guys, because he's so funny out. Uh, like, before I was filming, I was, like, pissing my pants laughing because he's so funny.

>> Speaker C:

These are my top three moments from November. Oh, cool. Armie Hammer's memoir is out. I'm so excited to read Armie Hammer's memoir. You know what kind of hair the ocean has?

>> Ellen:

The ocean? There's no hair.

>> Speaker C:

It has wavy hair. If the ocean had hair, it would be wavy.

>> Ellen:

Whoa.

>> Speaker C:

I'm going on a hinge date tomorrow, so I'm gonna ask my friend for dating advice and a makeover.

>> Ellen:

I think the most important thing on a date is being comfortable and confident. And you mentioned you wanted a haircut. Yeah, I can't with the slow fades between clips. Oh, my God. One of the most important things about being in a relationship is having shared values. Oh, my God. All right, thank you. Enjoy your hair. Uh, something fresh could help with Confidence. Nice. This feels like a mandatory, like, work corporate training video. I think a shirt like this would be incredible.

>> Speaker C:

It feels really nice. Thanks so much for your help.

>> Ellen:

Yeah. Good luck with your date.

>> Speaker C:

I just ordered a pizza. Uh, and when the delivery driver gets here, I'm going to introduce them to how.

>> Ellen:

Saw it.

>> Speaker C:

The driver will come here and then I'll introduce them, and then they can just chat with you and do whatever they want.

>> Ellen:

Freaking pan clip.

>> Speaker C:

No, they're almost here. Hi. Thank you so much. Uh, thank you so much. And I actually would love to. I would actually love to. To introduce you to Howie, uh, Mandel today.

>> Ellen:

Uh.

>> Speaker C:

Would you like the chance to talk to Howie Mandel? Oh, okay. Thank you so much. Awesome. Have an awesome day.

>> Ellen:

Okay.

>> Speaker C:

That was awesome. And it's actually my birthday today, so it was cool that I got to spend time with how. Amanda. The best birthday gift I've ever gotten is you guys.

>> Ellen:

This one got me. Yo. It's so stupid. Like, fifth grade potty humor. It's so funny. Oh, my God. Oh, I think I broke my leg.

>> Speaker C:

If you saw this, what would you do? Today we're gonna find out.

>> Ellen:

Ouch. Get out. I think I broke my foot. No, I can't. With the slow fade clips. I can't. Oh, my God. I'm gonna cry. Oh, my God. My m. Stomach hurts from laughing. Oh, my God.

>> Speaker C:

The message of this video is that it's so, so important to help people.

>> Ellen:

Thank you. Okay, okay, okay. Loving that. Great exposure therapy, too, by the way. Just like I need to be more uncomfortable with being uncomfortable. Um, also very related, Nathan Fielder. If you guys have never watched Nathan for you, then I highly suggest that you watch it.

>> Speaker B:

Have you drank your grandson's pee?

>> Speaker C:

Yeah.

>> Speaker B:

What are you talking about?

>> Ellen:

That's what they say.

>> Speaker B:

Yeah, who says that?

>> Ellen:

My grandma.

>> Speaker B:

Your grandma says drink your grandson's pee if you get scared.

>> Ellen:

Not grandsons. Any little kid.

>> Speaker B:

I have never serious about it.

>> Ellen:

I heard from my grandmother the music in the background. You can ask your parents or grandparents. Maybe they tell you to.

>> Speaker B:

I will ask, I guess.

>> Ellen:

Thank you for being the hug I can.

>> Speaker B:

When you look at me, you probably see a guy who has it all, but really, there's a large part of me that's immature and underdeveloped, especially when it comes to women. Every girl I liked growing up rejected me. And because of that, I've grown into a man who is chronically nervous around women. Now, if someone came to me with this problem, I'd suggest immersion therapy where you overwhelm Yourself with your fear in order to overcome it. So tonight, to inspire you, I'm going to attempt to overcome my fear of the opposite sex by dating not one, but 10 women at the same time. Wish me luck. I needed to get 10 women to agree to date me.

>> Ellen:

What kind of experience do you have in this field? What that means?

>> Speaker B:

What that means legal experience.

>> Ellen:

Can we just not do this question?

>> Speaker B:

Can we not do that question?

>> Ellen:

Okay. Do you know how to file documents in the courts? Not his face. Do you like skateboarding?

>> Speaker B:

Do you like skateboarding?

>> Ellen:

No, I don't like skateboarding. But I asked you a question. Can we move on?

>> Speaker B:

Can we move on?

>> Ellen:

Okay.

>> Speaker B:

It seemed like I was nailing the interview and at the end I asked Ms. Castaneda for an evaluation. Alright, so I know that was a mock interview, but if that was was a real job, would you have hired me based on what you saw? No, but maybe. No but maybe though, right?

>> Ellen:

Maybe.

>> Speaker B:

Wow. I just landed a job at a law firm meeting the words of a seven year old by acting confident.

>> Ellen:

Uh, okay, sorry guys. That I really like. That's my type of humor. Um, and then Abbott elementary, been still watching that and also, um, just highly recommend if you have not seen it. It's super funny. Yeah. So I'll probably vlog if I go to improv. Um, I've, it's been on my to do list for a while now, mostly as an exposure therapy thing to just like be comfortable with being uncomfortable and I'm just gonna like really own it. Like I tell myself all the time when I have fears, it's like it really is best to just like go through them and really like almost the opposite. Like your initial default fear is to like run away and hide. But once you start practicing like running into it head on, like doing the complete opposite. Like instead of you're running into your fear head on and just like seeing what happens. So that's kind of what I'm doing with improv, but also with a lot of things. It's like effort. What happens if I just run right into it and uh, it will probably be fine. So then once you practice that enough times, you get better at getting over your fears. But anyway, I haven't laughed that long in a while or that hard in a while. Um, but yeah, so this week, like I said, I have hopefully, uh, improv and I'm probably just going to review my goals that I just wrote literally yesterday and try to break them down into a bit more bite sized chunks and like put some more tangible Bite sized steps in place that I can handle. Like pick a book on audible because I have some credits available. Um, go to the gym tomorrow morning. I can go to the gym tomorrow morning. I'm gonna do that. Listen, uh, to my book. While I'm at the gym, go fix, uh, my hair. Because also, I paid for a corrective color service. And he pulled out the silicone cap. Yeah. And I was like, I'll let you do your thing. I'll let you do your thing. Like, I'm not gonna tell you how to do your job. Maybe he's got a little trick with the silicone cap that works. And, uh, I went in for a consultation, like, two weeks ahead of time and everything. And I was like, this is going to be a corrective color. Because if you guys remember, I bleached my own hair when I was in Minnesota. And then I tried to fix it with a bit of demi permanent dye, but there's still just a lot of pieces that are looking crazy. So I went in hoping that they could do a bit of a corrective color, as in touch up my balayage, fix my face framing highlights. And I was thinking, when I said corrective, I guess I should have been more specific. Even though I pointed out the highlights that I didn't like about, like, several times, I, uh, was thinking that since I pointed out that I hated the highlights I did. That they would actually try and fix them. He didn't do anything. He just did the cap and that's it. He didn't go back and do low lights. He didn't try to do, like, more precise face framing highlights. He just did the cap and sent me on my way. And I was like, how is that a corrective color service? And I wish I would have said something right there and then, but I didn't, like, sit in the mirror and inspect my hair. I just, like, let him blow it out. And, you know, at the end of an appointment, you're kind of like, hey, well, you're expecting them to have done what you asked. And I was like, okay, even if he didn't do lowlights, like, maybe, maybe the highlights that he did with the silicone cap, like, blended it enough, like, maybe. So I didn't want to be rude and, like, sit there and pull apart my hair and like, inspect his work right in front of him, like, as if I'm doubting that he did his job. And so I was just like, well, I trust him, like, he must have done his job. And then I got home and I looked at it. And I was like, bro, what did I literally just pay for? Uh, so I'm getting really, really frustrated with people, hair colorists, because I just feel like for the amount of money I'm paying, I'm like, what am I literally paying for? I'll just botch it myself at home then for that price. Like, I just. I don't know. So I have a little bit of bleach left from bleaching my eyebrows, which I need to redo anyway. So I was like, this week I need to fix, uh, my face framing highlights, because I don't know if you can tell in the camera, but maybe I'll just put a photo in for you, because it's truly. It's. It is not good. What he did that there was supposed to be a supposed corrective. Okay. I just took a photo, and I'm going to put it in the. In the video for you guys. But I told him, and we did the appointment from the beginning with my hair parted down the middle. And I told him I always keep it parted down the middle. And even still, there's, like, two stripes on one side and one stripe on the other. And the stripe on the other doesn't actually go all the way to my hairline. It's like a quarter inch back. So it just looks, like completely unintentional. Like, a complete random bleach mess. And I'm like. And then when you start to pull it back a little bit, it's, like, really uneven. Like, there's more little pulled through spots on the right side than there is the left side. And I'm like, uh, I'm just gonna do it myself then, because I don't trust anyone here because what am I gonna do? Go pay €300 again for someone to mess it up and not do what I wanted? Like, I just. Oh, if you guys know a really good blonde specialist in Barcelona, please tell me. Like, please. I am so fed up. So I think I'm gonna go to the hair store again, maybe get a bit more bleach and a bit more developer, because I think actually the stuff that I have for my eyebrows will not be enough for me to just. I'm just gonna literally take, like, two hairs at a time, take a teeny brush and, like, paint on a teeny bit of bleach to try and fix and not f up like I did when I was doing my hair in Minnesota. I'm gonna try and take, like, literally four hairs at a time, paint it on, and then maybe take, like, a Bit of, um, Saran Wrap, actually, and just, like, put it in the Saran Wrap rather than try to do actual foils on myself. And then I might have to go get some actual, um, demi permanent dye again and do some more intentional lowlights in these highlights that are back here because I want to break up the giant chunk of blonde color that's in the back that does not belong there. Oh, all right. Rants to finish off the episode. But anyways, so I want to try and fix my hair this week. I need to give myself a haircut because, by the way, that corrective color pricing that I paid for at the salon did not include a haircut. And I was like, I'm not paying extra for you to cut my hair. I can do that myself. So I have my hair cutting scissors with me. I brought them home from Minnesota this September, so I do have proper hair cutting scissors and I will just do that myself this week. So I need to do my nails, my hair, my brows. So, you know, these things all also have to be planned into my schedule as well because doing my nails takes like 4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours sometimes, and doing my hair is going to take a whole evening or afternoon. So anyway, thank you guys for listening or watching. Um, I hope this was helpful. I really, really, really, really enjoy planning and organizing and just making to do lists and dreaming up goals for myself, even if they feel extra super lofty. But it's nice to always have something kind of pulling me forward to keep me motivated. Uh, and I always like to have at least something super exciting in the next, like, quarter to look forward to to give me some motivation. Otherwise I find if I don't have any event or trip or activity to look forward to, I get a bit depressed. So I'm like, okay, at a minimum, like every other month, I need to have something, like, pretty exciting to look forward to. Otherwise I get really depressed and unmotivated. So I need, like, these milestones, like, every other month, at least to keep myself going. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed. Have an amazing week and I will see you in the next Episod by.