We made it to Day 21. I started this series because there were places in my life where I already had enough insight. What I needed was movement. These 21 days did not leave me with everything figured out. They helped me notice where I was stuck, what I was avoiding, where a plan no longer fit and when I needed to make a different choice. They also reminded me that knowing what to do and being able to do it are not always the same thing. That is true for me, and it is true for many of the people I work with. We can be thoughtful, experienced and deeply aware of what is happening around us while still needing support with our own next steps. I know what I’m doing, and I still have my own work to do. Both are true. For those of us who refuse to look away from genocide, colonialism, racism, attacks on women’s and human rights, animal suffering and environmental destruction, caring cannot be where our work ends. But none of us can respond to everything alone. We need places where we can think honestly, decide what our values ask of us and build the support and structure required to keep moving. That is why I created this community. Some of you are already doing this work and need support to continue. Some know you want to do more but aren’t sure where to begin. Some are trying to figure out what your next step is. You belong here. Day 21 ends this series, but it does not end the practice. So I want to ask you: -Where in your life do you already know what needs to change? -What is making it difficult to move? -What kind of support would help you take your next step?

I didn’t feel like making a video today, so I didn’t. One photo of me and Bodhi is enough. I’ve been awake since 3:30 this morning, so I took things slowly. I spent a quiet morning with Bodhi before heading out to work through a few things on my list. Not everything got checked off. Some things did. I had a beautiful lunch with friends. We took our time coming back and browsed through a store for a while. This evening, I shared another delicious soup with them before coming home with Bodhi and settling into our usual routines. It was a good day. ☀️ Taking my own advice means not making this commitment unnecessarily rigid. Showing up today looked like moving at my own pace, getting a few things done and enjoying the day without forcing myself to make a video. How did you show up for yourself today?

I had a plan for this trip, and it was a good plan. I brought enough products. I packed for summer. I planned to get my hair cut when I returned home. My suitcase was already packed to capacity. Then I chose to extend my trip, and the circumstances changed. Now I’m running out of things. The weather is getting cooler. I need warmer clothes, a new suitcase, a haircut from someone I trust with curly hair and medical appointments in a place where I don’t speak the language. None of these things is impossible, but every ordinary errand involves research, translation, transportation, timing and a lot of decisions. Everything becomes a whole thing when you’re somewhere new. This isn’t about regretting my decision. I wanted to stay, and I’m glad I did. It’s about recognizing that the original plan can’t carry me through circumstances it wasn’t created for. Taking my own advice means stopping, looking at what’s true now and making a new plan from here. Where in your life have the circumstances changed, but you’re still trying to follow the original plan?

Yesterday, I made some promises about changing my morning routine. Then today started with meetings at 6 a.m. I drank water before coffee, had my coffee, drank more water and worked for hours. But I did not get up even earlier to work out. That was not a realistic plan for this particular morning. I still worked out around 10, and Bodhi came with me. Now we’re out walking together. Changing a routine doesn’t require changing everything at once. The plan also hasn’t failed because sleep, work, weather, travel or the rest of life requires some flexibility. Taking my own advice today means making the routine manageable, changing what needs to change and trying something different tomorrow. Is there something you’re trying to change all at once that might be easier one piece at a time?

Just kidding. It’s day 17. It only feels like 632. Taking My Own Advice: Day 17 of 21 | Build a Routine That Fits Your Actual Life I work with people on changing the patterns and routines that aren’t working for them. This series is about doing that same work in my own life. Maintaining a routine is harder when I’m travelling and regularly moving from one place to another. I’m sensitive to my surroundings, and it takes time for me to settle into each new space. When I’m only somewhere temporarily, it’s easy to tell myself I’ll do things properly once I’m settled somewhere else. Working across time zones complicates it too. I wake up early and often start working immediately because people in North America are still awake. By the time they’re going to bed, it’s late morning here. That’s when I naturally prefer to work out, even at home. But when work stretches longer than planned, the workout gets pushed back. Then the shower gets pushed back. Then the rest of my day gets rearranged around everything I still haven’t done. Maybe my routine isn’t failing. Maybe the conditions keep changing before the routine has time to become familiar. So I’m experimenting with changing the order of my mornings. Nothing elaborate. No twelve-step routine designed by someone whose entire job appears to be having a morning routine. Taking my own advice means building something flexible enough to come with me instead of waiting for my life to become more predictable. What part of your routine keeps getting pushed aside, and what conditions are making it harder?