What Level Are You On?
The Pick Me Up is a Monday morning newsletter filled with advice, personal stories, and tips to help you get out of bed and jumpstart your week.
Greetings, friend! It’s me, Jen Glantz. I’m writing this to you from a trendy co-working space in Brooklyn.
I probably don’t belong here.
Everyone is strategically dressed. Half the people look like they are going to brunch at a swanky restaurant in Palm Springs. The other half look like they rolled out of bed and effortlessly put on the most tailored and curated outfit to match their moisturized skin.
I am wearing sweatpants. Not cool sweatpants. Sweatpants that should never leave the house. It’s what I felt like wearing today. I am trying really hard to be comfortable with who I am, and what I want, all of the time.
A few minutes ago, the manager of the co-working space walked over to me. I thought I was getting banned because of my personal style.
He saw peanut-butter stained tinfoil on my desk and an empty bag of chips.
Mind if I throw this out for you?
How embarrassing. Everyone else around me is eating $22 salads they got delivered and I’m here stuffing down lunch like I’m in 2nd grade.
I tried to stuff the empty lunch bags in my backpack. I wanted to hide. I wanted him to walk away so I could go back to pretending my fuzzy sweatpants and I blend in here.
But he wouldn’t leave.
Come on, let me take that for you. I’ll throw it out.
If I was a dog, I would have growled at him. But i’m not a dog. I’m a 34-year-old woman.
So I handed over my empty lunch wrappers, said my regards and went back to furiously typing on my computer.
Happy Monday, dear reader. Love, your awkward human pen-pal, Jen.
In this issue: The many levels of friendship, AI tools that might take over our lives, a resource for people who are scared, and so much more.
Why you’re getting this: I'm Jen Glantz and this is The Pick-Me-Up newsletter. I've been sending it every Monday, for 8-years, to thousands of awesome humans, just like you. Thank you for letting this email live in in your inbox. It truly makes my heart explode with joy.
What Level Are You On?
Again my mom tries to tell me about friendship.
There are levels to it.
And I don’t understand what she means until she says it like this:
Not everyone is going to be your BFFFFF, the person you call and text and tell everything to, all of the time. Maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ll have one of those, but the rest of your people in your life won’t be on that level.
That level.
Perhaps that’s what I’ve been doing wrong for so much of my life.
I’ve constantly tried to turn every single friendship into that level. But not everyone you meet, build a connection with, and consider a friend, will get to that level.
According to my mom, that’s absolutely fine.
Again, she’s right.
We have friends for all different reasons, purposes, needs.
We have the friends who are great for quick catch-ups, the ones we run into around the neighborhood or text 2-3 times a year to see how they are.
We have friends who we meet for dinner, a walk, a Sunday afternoon coffee, every few months, and do a major debrief on life.
We have friends we feel so attached to for a few months, maybe even years, and then slowly, without anything eventful happening, they untangle from our lives and go back to being merely strangers to us again.
Every so often, we have a friend who we talk to 57 times a day, because they have reached that level.
There’s no reason to disregard a friendship that isn’t at that level. Love, adore, and appreciate the friendship for whatever level it’s on. Unless it’s hurting you or you want more from a person and have tried to express that - then don’t hang onto to the friendship being on that level, see what you can do to mend it, or pause it.
What levels do you have in your life?
I hope a couple of different ones.
Or at least a few that let you be…you.
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Sunsama
At the end of the month, all the things I procrastinated on come back around and haunt me and my to-do list. I find myself working late, unable to enjoy date nights, and staying up past my bedtime to rush to get things done.
This month was the first time, in a long time, that didn’t happen. Here’s why - I used Sunsama. They’re the only “planning assistant” that’ll act as your friend in need if you want to prevent burnout and establish a sustainable routine. It pulls your emails, calendar events, and tasks from your favorite apps into one focused view for just today and hand-holds you towards work-life balance.
Guess what? You don’t even have to put your card in to try it: Plan your day in Sunsama.
Quick Pick Me Ups
This song seriously puts me in a really good and dancey mood.
I started this blog/resource for people who are pregnant, new moms, or unsure if they ever want to be either. It’s called SCARED TO BE A MOM.
A look at some of the AI tools that might take over our lives - and our jobs.
A book a friend told me is a must-read.
I updated my Amazon store with some new favorites - let me know what you think!
Getting those wedding invites in the mail? Pick up this gift for anyone engaged/recently married.
1:1 Coaching: I have no more open spots for January and a few spots for 1:1 coaching that will open in early February. If you ever wanted to work with me as your professional side-kick to help you get a new career, start a side hustle/personal brand, or elevate your business, book a coaching session.
Share: Email someone this newsletter (thank you, dear friend).
I’ll be back next week with a new Monday Pick-Me-Up. Until then, I leave you with this:
Everything in life has an expiration date. Hobbies, friendships, jobs, even life. Stop pretending like anything will linger forever. Start cutting out the BS and really squeezing everything you can out of everything you love.