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HOLY MONTH OFF... that was the greatest act of kindness I've ever done for myself.

It's been eight years since I took that much time off to just enjoy life.

Most mornings, my kiddo + I had a belly full of ice cream before 9am.

We played every card game known to humanity, partook in copious amounts of shenanigans with loved ones, took daily walks through our property, did a few puzzles, baked a few things, and listened to an alarming amount of Christmas music - I had to cut him off on Jan. 6th... he was heart-broken.

Ohhhh, and one of our 2 remaining foster kittens found a forever home, quickly followed by two new tiny fur balls joining the chaos.

My house felt like a Hallmark movie set, minus the romance, set design, and production crew... and with a lot more laundry + dirty dishes lying around.

I had a few pretty epic bursts of organizing bliss that I'm still riding high from.

I cleaned out + organized my freezer. It’s an exquisite masterpiece now — a frost-free shrine to order and efficiency.

There’s something oddly therapeutic about seeing frozen waffles aligned like tiny soldiers. Ice cubes, stacked neatly. Chicken nuggets, standing at attention. Bulk meals, lovingly labeled (still destined to be forgotten). It’s such a vision, I've opened the door at least 12 times just to admire its pristine condition.

In the midst of collecting + organizing all the school/office supplies scattered throughout my house, I was forced into an enlightening moment of clarity... or maybe it's neurosis?? Let's not get into the semantics.

Hi, my name's Dre and I hoard notebooks to bury the shame of not having goals or a plan.

I buy a new notebook every time I’m overwhelmed and need to organize my thoughts; and then, I promptly ghost it while I sink back into a life of shame-laced survival - I stop counting at 27.

Apparently, I’m a big sucker for a positive affirmation, too!

At least half of them have some hokey mantra on the cover like, “Dream Big,” “You’ve Got This,” or “Shine Bright!”

I bet I hold the world record for the most notebooks with exactly ONE PAGE written on them.

Seriously, it’s like I start with all this optimism and then immediately realize I’m actually just collecting notebooks like a weird stationary dragon after writing...

It’s not that I don’t want to pour my thoughts onto paper—I clearly crave it. But I never seem to give myself the time to sit down and let it all out.

These poor notebooks deserve better.

They’ve been so unconditionally patient + positive with me, always providing a safe place, and equally spaced lines. They’ve waited through all my underwhelming attempts at "getting my shit together," only giving side eye when I'm not looking... like a good friend does.

2025 is the year I do better for them... ok, ME.

This is the year I finally fill these notebooks up. Well, at least a few of them.

The year I give them the thoughts, ideas, lists, diagrams, frameworks, and random doodles they were born for.

No more empty pages and dashed hopes. This is the year I let my soul sing (preferably in bullet points).

Which brings me to today + tomorrow. My agenda? Simple: take a pen to one of those notebooks and see what pours out.

These are the questions I’m itching to answer. And sure, I’ll probably doodle along the way — artistic expression is the only time making a mess is considered ‘profound.’

But before I can begin, there’s one very important decision I have to make: WHICH NOTEBOOK DO I CHOOSE? 🤷‍♀️

The “Dream Big” one? The one with gold foil stars? Or maybe the notebook that just says, “Nope” in a font so basic it looks like it’s judging me? The options are endless, and I’m paralyzed by the sheer absurdity of it all.

So, here’s your first double-dog-dare of 2025...

I double-dog-dare you to guess which notebook I’ll pick.

Reply with your guess, and if you’re right, I’ll share a sneak peek of the first genius thing I write in it (or, first doodle, if being honest).

Here’s to a year of filled pages, less perfection + overthinking, more fun + fearlessness, and a whole lotta shenanigans. And maybe…just maybe…a perfectly organized freezer that stays that way.

Wishing you bullet points, breakthroughs, and fewer abandoned hours spent on YOU this year.

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Dre 'The queen of empty notebooks + frozen chicken nuggets' Beltrami

Cheers!

👆 Yep, that says "2024 Goals" and not a damn thing else.

Just plain tragic. But I promise this is the year that changes! ✍️

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