Meet Francesca, one of our amazing friends here at Ponderlily. She's the co-founder of an awesome spiritual wellness community called The Good Space. We worked on a project together last year and since then, we've become fast friends!
Can you give us a short bio of who you are, what you do, and your favourite season?
I recently moved to NYC after living in Switzerland for three years. In my previous life, I worked in the music industry in Los Angeles for six years. As an avid reader and holder of a degree in Psychology, I enjoy anything related to self-improvement, finding your purpose, and energy alignment. I’m also a writer and digital marketer for a few amazing brands and contribute articles to publications like Thought Catalog. When I’m not inspiring creatives to be a light in the world you’ll find me traveling, hanging with my husband, and obsessing over dogs on Instagram.
My favourite season is winter. Aside from loving the outfits you can wear in cold versus warm, I also love Halloween, Christmas, and the feeling of connection and excitement during those holidays.
Where in the world are you with your planner?
New York City, USA
Which Ponderlily planner do you own?
2018 Weekly Ponderlily Planner and soon to be 2019!
We know that like most of us, you’re busy. How do you balance all of your responsibilities? Any tips for our readers?
To balance responsibilities I’d say to know what your priorities are and surrender as much as possible. Disclaimer: I still struggle with balance but these two things have helped me in a huge way.
Setting priorities: Things in my life began to slip when I didn’t have a clear idea of what mattered most. My work life and dreams were important but so were my relationships or having downtime. I used to react to the world like a pinball in a machine. Letting every thought, demand, or email grab my attention. To the point where it’s 8 pm, no dinner is made, and I just spent three hours watching YouTube instead of getting things done.
And it’s because I had no sense of priorities which overwhelmed me!
When I realized I couldn’t juggle everything, I made a list of what I decided was most important to least: God, husband, family, work, hobbies, friends, etc. So the next time a conflict came up I remembered this list and gave my attention to the more important priority. It wasn’t fun! Sometimes I wanted to finish one last email or skip out on meditation in favor of something else. But knowing my order of priorities helped me surrender more.
For intention: Every night, write three must-do tasks for the next day and don’t guilt yourself for not doing more. I don’t like having lengthy to-do lists anymore. They tend to overwhelm and distract me from what’s most important. By picking only 3 tasks that must get done I simplify my life and remove the pressure to constantly do things. We’re human BEINGS after all. We’re not meant to live as emotionless task-doers. BUT if you ever feel inspired to do more than 3 things, do it! This is a great practice for helping us prevent burn out.
How does your planner help you plan your days with more intention?
I love how my Ponderlily planner has a spot at the top of each day meant for a daily intention. I’ve taken that space to heart and really ask myself each morning what’s important. That’s usually where I put my three tasks for the day. I also love the positive habits sections at the bottom of each week because it’s a gentle reminder of what’s important and supportive to the woman I want to become. It also helps me visually see how full my week is. I like to reflect on how I can simplify and say no to more meetings or requests.
What's your secret superpower? FYI - Mine is that I can sing to ANY Abba song ever released. I'm also not afraid to do it in public.
My secret superpower is finding anything my husband loses in the house almost immediately after he asks. He’ll ask me “Honey, where’s my wallet/ tie/ iPhone?” and I almost immediately find it because I know how to think like him. It’s quite funny. I call him my tornado because he leaves things in the most random places.
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
Can I name two? Converting to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and having my mom alive and well after beating breast cancer twice.
Almost done, Francesca! Is there anything else you'd like to share? Feel free to send us your Instagram handle and/or website so our readers can find you.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloominthecity/
The Good Space: https://www.instagram.com/findyourgoodspace/
Website: gobloominthecity.com
