JJ

First alarm goes off at 5:45 AM. I fell asleep on the couch again with the lights on, so that’s great - somehow thought I missed my 9 AM job interview

Snoozed alarms until 6:45 AM

Started my morning routine by taking my daily potion of focus pills, happy pills, and brain injury pills. 

Popped a few nerd gummy clusters into my mouth after the unopened package kept staring at me. Decided that wasn’t a substantial enough breakfast, so I ate a Greek yogurt after that.

Prepared for a job interview. Part of this included maintaining my Duolingo streak. I asked myself if it was appropriate to wear an Eagles sweatshirt. Opted for a random black shirt in my closet instead.

During my 9 AM job interview, I was asked why I got into counseling. I think I should write a book about it because the interviewer had to take a second after my response since she felt so moved…her words not mine. Even though I knew the requirements of the role, I visibily winced at the fact that I’d spend most of my days calling people on the phone, so I'm not sure if I’ll get a call back for this one.

Changed into a Corona t-shirt…definietely more appropriate than an Eagles sweatshirt, right? Supposed to run a meeting at 10 AM for a youth development action tank at Penn GSE. I made the meeting all about me, proposing a service that I developed called a Possibility Portfolio, rooted in Dr. Mike Nakkula’s five-step model of possibility development.

After the 10 AM meeting, I followed up with some Penn colleagues about ideas for how to structure our website. Marketing and Communications is my nightmare. 

It’s now 12 PM. I am still on the phone, and it’s too late to cancel my City Fitness WE/FIT class scheduled at 12:15. I haven’t returned to a full-time job since sustaining a head injury 2 years ago, so I have no business eating a $15 no-show fee. I forgot to consume anything other than two cups of tea in between meetings, so I grabbed one of those jalapeno chomp sticks while still on the phone. Forgot my water bottle, but it was too late to turn back. 

I have been doing these kettlebell classes three times a week for the past few months, and I’ve been feeling super strong. However, it doesn’t feel great to clean and squat heavy weights when I forget to eat and hydrate on a regular basis. Working on my mirror selfies.

After a 45 min workout, I stared at nothing for a good 30 minutes while on a cryobed. I entered a sweepstakes for a 6 day vacation and a pair of AirPods. This City Fitness recovery room was my pseudo office for a good few months until the coffee shop reopened next door, so yes, I have taken Zoom calls with this bluelight ambiance. It brings out my eyes.

2 PM - Talked with a parent of a client I am working with about college application progress. 

2:20 PM - Made myself a bagged Trader Joes salad, the thai mango one. The only appropriate response is, “yes, chef.”

2:45 - 3:30 PM Therapy - Sad girl season - fighting demons, nothing new.

3:30 PM Immediately began doom scrolling the internet after therapy, ignoring the screen limits that I set every 15 min. 

4:50 PM Only thing that got me off Tik Tok was a call with a colleague. 

5:45 PM Made one of those dense bean salads from Tik Tok. First time I’ve mealed prepped in weeks. Beans, salami, mozzarella balls, sundried tomatoes, fire-roasted peppers, jalapeños. Used the marinade from the mozzarella as the base of my vinaigrette -  measure everything with vibes.

Phone eats first. 

Until 9:25 PM Worked on a puzzle, and I’m convinced some of the pieces are missing. Completing 1,000 piece puzzles has become my healthiest coping skill.

9:30 PM Nathan, Bruce, and I interviewed a student from Japan for a career development program we’re holding in January-February for about 25 students in the Asia-Pacific region. I am leading the Strategic Academic and College Planning module. My ADHD meds have definitely worn off by this point.

Jackie has been spending most of her time recently finding really good Philly food spots and learning how to prioritize herself for the first time. She is the founder of PossibilityU (possibilityuprep.com), which seeks to reimagine college counseling through earlier intervention and more holistic student support. You can find her on Instagram at @ecyojeikcaj.