Happy Thursday -

👀 My Musings

This week is filled with gratitude. Let me give you some context:

• Summer 2021: I was interning with a nonprofit in The Triangle, and the Executive Director had just won a large $50,000 award/grant for her organization (shoutout to Annie!). Her leadership allowed her to support her nonprofit, represent women leaders, and further develop her expertise in leading and managing an organization. Long story short, I set my sights on applying for that grant in 2023 when the application opened again!
• Also Summer 2021: After reflection, I realized how much I loved business. Not only was my "dream school" UNC Chapel Hill, but I promised myself I would work hard enough to get into UNC's Kenan Flagler Business School. A Business Administration major seemed to be a good fit, but I needed to get into KFBS for that!

Again, these were both entirely stretch goals at the time that would probably go on my "Impossible List" (maybe more on that in another newsletter), but they both gave me something to work toward. And it worked out - this week, I received acceptance for both!

So again, filled with SO much gratitude and love. And as I've been reflecting on the concept of "journey before destination," these were my high-level thoughts.

Intrinsic Motivators

I have been reflecting on how fun the journey has been to get here. I never did work just to "get into the business school"... other than maybe ECON 101 😝. But it showcases how important intrinsic motivation is. If those high-level, fun-to-reach, "Impossible List" goals weren't in alignment with my intrinsic motivations - whether it be to take some super fun business classes or get the chance to support amazing high schoolers, I wouldn't have been able to pursue that "North Star" for the last 10% of my life (& to WANT to keep doing it after).

When I'm learning more about them and their work, one of my favorite questions is, "If you weren't getting paid and money wasn't an issue, would you still be doing your job?" This is always a question I love because it shows how driven people are in their jobs based on intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivators (and if there seem to be any trends on what jobs I should think about vs. not!).

Do your best to be "Hell Yeah" about the things you do!

Casual Magic

But, of course, let's be realistic - not every day is a perfect day. I've realized that I've become a very high-level sorta person (love strategic planning, setting the big goals, visioning, etc.) and a programs person (with students, at events, lunch with someone new, etc.) But some things just need to be done (like the Calculus homework I'm currently not doing), which doesn't provide much of that "intrinsic motivation." And sometimes, there are just days on days of less energizing tasks. But those are the days I challenge you to find the Casual Magic in things.

Sometimes, we're so in the weeds of our routine and our to-do list that we forget to enjoy the lil things that make life beautiful <3

So think about the Casual Magic in the little things - notice the nice weather, the kind human walking by, and even just having things such as the opportunity to learn. When you put goodness into the world, it helps remind you of your "why" behind your work (that "why" also has to be an intrinsic motivator for it to be sustainable 😉.)

But yeah, making sure your Intrinsic Motivators and Casual Magic are aligned with your "North Star" has probably been two of the more influential reasons I've been able to keep up the grind 💪.

My two quick asks of you this week:

• Pull out your phone and send a message to two people who are your "Casual Magic" when it comes to the people in your life! Tell them they're your causal magic, OR just tell them you're grateful to have them around ❤️
• Every day this week, in your notes app or somewhere simple, write a quick note about your casual magic for the day - whether it be people, things, or moments.

Just some rambly thoughts!

🧠 Productivity Tip

The 3 Alarms: Many studies show if you align with the identity of "who you want to be," you're more likely to do what you need to do to align with that identity. For example, if you want to become an artist but don't have that background -- if you identify as an "artist," you have a higher likelihood of practicing and growing that skillset, so you are, in fact.. becoming an artist 🎨 ! It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. CEO Coach, Eric Partaker, has a method where he sets alarms based on his Calendar regarding when he will start fulfilling "an identity." For example, in my life, when I need motivation, I set a 7:45 AM alarm with the description "Studious Student 🤓" because I have 8 AMs the majority of this semester 😒. When I feel overwhelmed, I set alarms like that for my nonprofit work, relationships, and health. It's simple and a little silly at first, but it does the job.

🥳 Community Event Spotlight

​Empower All Inc., a STEAM nonprofit for youth, is hosting its S.M.A.S.H summit on November 11th! The event is a compilation of hip-hop, mental health awareness, and STEAM! Share your vision, orchestrate collaboration, or simply enjoy a phenomenal day of inspirational words and beats. They are also excited to recognize & celebrate 50 years of Hip-Hop!

​Get tickets (& free student tickets using the code "WELOVESTUDENTS")

❤️ My Favorite Things this Week

1. 📕 Book - The one book I have succumbed to physically reading (but it is definitely worth it) is The Only Study Guide You'll Ever Need by Jade Bowler. She is a well-renowned college YouTuber on all things study techniques. If you're not actively in school, you probably won't benefit from it as much, but for those who are, it'll help you optimize your time studying outside of classes.
2. 🎙️ Podcast - An Unfiltered Conversation is a Colin and Samir podcast episode featuring comedian Hasan Minhaj. He shares how he got to where he is, the effect of analytics as a budding comedian, and how to find harmony between family and his work -- especially when shows like The Patriot Act put him and his family directly in harm's way.
3. 📱 Productivity App - All my peers are big fans of Notion, but the alternative I love is Monday.com. It's a project management software where I take notes for all my classes, keep up with my class to-do's, interact with others on team projects, and more. It's an all-around AWESOME software with a low barrier to entry when figuring out how to utilize it compared to other software with a similar purpose.
4. 🚀 Nonprofit - Book Harvest is a Durham-based nonprofit working to open the doors to provide literacy access for all children. Their hope is to ensure that children are lifelong readers and learners. They're one of the first few nonprofits I worked with as I started engaging in the nonprofit sector, and the way they've managed to connect with the community, understand how to support the families they serve, and share their impacts is what brings light to the nonprofit sector 💡.

✍️ Quote of the Week

"Hell yeah or no. Spend time doing/working/being things you love and are passionate about. If it doesn’t excite you, and you don’t have to do it, say no." ~ Derek Sivers, Hell Yeah or No​