Next Jen, March 9th

We all move through the phases of life with some sort of primary identifier. I’m a first grader. I’m a Bat Mitzvah. I’m Captain of the tennis team– I made varsity. I’m a senior in high school! I’m a pledge. I’m engaged– I’m going to be a bride. I’m a 516. I’m a single Mom. I’m a 212 again. I’m a Business Development Director. I’m a home owner. I’m a marathon runner. I just launched my own firm! Obviously we can be many things at once, but the headline of how we describe ourselves changes. And although I’m proudly beyond the Forty Under Forty category, suddenly I identify as Next Jen with of course one single n. Let me explain…

Earlier this year work had stalled a bit with clients and referral sources getting back into the swing of things more slowly than I expected and I found myself a little… well, bored. And I realized that I wanted to sink my teeth into a new juicy project in addition to of course keeping my day job. The thought of moving had bubbled up so many times before but each time I could not decide where I wanted to live, so I consistently tabled the discussion.

But then a few weeks into my No Spend/Dry January I had the brainiac idea to sell my apartment. Actually to cash out completely and rent instead. See? The absence of frivolous clothes shopping, negative Amazon browsing and the complete avoidance of Target stores created ample time for additional critical thinking! What an amazing development. (I highly recommend a hard stop to a bad habit to see what materializes for you.) Anyway, I had been down this mental path before to list and sell, but this time seemed different. It felt urgent. And I knew I was ready to take the plunge. I was digging into something new and I was ready to harness my energy to maximize my results. I was transitioning into my next identity. I was becoming Next Jen.

I find it completely amazing that in the blink of an eye, one simple decision can send you careening down a totally different path. All of a sudden my priorities shifted, my attention was redirected and I become laser focused on the goals and tasks at hand. How invigorating! I was cleaning out my apartment armed with a take no tchotchke prisoner attitude resulting in huge piles to sell, donate and toss. I was feverishly researching, categorizing, and reviewing rental units in the area and immediately booking tours. I was also tracking apartment sales and checking square footage on comps in my neighborhood. I went from lackluster energy to pure fire.

And if all of that moving momentum wasn’t enough, my early stage travel app to launch Jen’s Little Black Book: Premier Paris Picks began to take shape. Ready to finally monetize my years of meticulous research regarding my favorite city, I was passionately writing for hours each day assigning categories, adding landmarks, critiquing restaurants, and reviewing stores. And I started to build a website from scratch adding a library of impeccably planned custom tours. What a creative rush! So I took myself from slightly idle to totally engaged. And wow, what a difference in my daily outlook.

Instead of waking up to blog, scroll the latest news and get into my emails, I’d rub my eyes awake and immediately begin apartment search tasks and writing assignments for the travel app. I felt like I’d shed my old skin and was creating a whole new me. Next Jen is a great manifestor, an amazing juggler, and one who can prioritize tasks to get shit done. Yep, that does sound like old Jen, but this version leans into uncertainty with courage and excitement for the unknown. Next Jen can handle the future because she knows it doesn’t work out by itself; SHE makes it work out. And I don’t have to know all the details or be set on the outcome to enjoy the journey. I’m having fun with each step.

The progress thus far is that I found a new place to live! I document the whole journey in an upcoming post called Location Location Location so you can take the ride with me choosing the perfect place… and lemme tell ya, it’s amazing! But I’m waiting impatiently on an outstanding offer to sell my current apartment. And the Paris travel app is set to launch before the summer. I’ve even hired an incredible marketing and PR team who are perfectly positioned to help me succeed right out of the gate. So I’m still in the thick of things with both projects. I haven’t really packed up yet but I dream of fabulous decorations. And I’m obsessed with the custom tours of Paris I’m designing so that visitors can build their trips their way. And of course both regular work travel and new depository opportunities have recently picked up so there is activity related to my firm which is great. So I’m busier than ever on all fronts and I’m completely elated.

My friend Marc C from New Jersey recently said to me that he thinks I’ve wasted so much time at prior jobs. Meaning that old employers never really allowed me or encouraged me to maximize my creative potential or entrepreneurial spirit. And I have to agree. I always did my own thing on my own time, but now that all of my time is my own, I can flex and accommodate projects that I find interesting and jump right in.