EARLY MORNING READING, JOURNALING & INTENTIONS FOR 2021 || a cozy winter vlog

[Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] do [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] good morning you guys welcome to the new year oh how i missed you i want to get ready for the day before i sit down and properly fill you guys in on what i did during my break and my plans for the new year and the books that i've started reading but i have miss you and i'm excited so i just wanted to say hello before i get ready okay so the day is young and it is ours let's get ready [Music] so too [Music] [Music] all right take two hello friends i hope that you had a very relaxing holiday break if you got to take one mine was lovely i did a ton of reading i got to finish that puzzle that i started during vlogmas i went on a ton of hikes i got to spend a lot of quality time with landon and rue i started a sourdough starter we're still working on that one but making gingerbread cookies was so much fun and actually made me more excited to bake so i'm gonna try out sourdough we'll see how it goes oh and i played a lot of video games so i got zelda breath of the wild for christmas i love it you guys it is the best video game that i've ever played i'm probably so far behind the times but this is my first experience with zelda and it has been amazing i really enjoy role-playing games otherwise known as rpg right you're essentially writing your own story i love how in these types of video games you are the protagonist and your actions you get to decide how to interact with the game um they determine the plot essentially and it's leading up to something the climax and the conclusion but you are playing a very active part in it all so if you love adventure stories you may love video games i have a switch my my video game playing is very low-key but i enjoy it nonetheless so yes it was all very lovely but i am so excited to be back i miss you guys liz gilbert she's an author i love her work um she once said that if you were to step aside from your work or your side hustle your job whatever it is that you're pouring your life into for meaning or to make a living if you step away from it for an extended period of time she recommends a month and you find it nearly impossible to stay away then you're absolutely doing the right thing if you miss whatever it is so much and you can't wait to get back to it it's the right thing guys i felt this so much for me my thing is filming and editing videos and connecting with you guys through these videos i cannot tell you how difficult it was for me not to pick up my camera while i was white for a week and how much i missed interacting with you guys you guys are my friends you actively make my life better you make it more fulfilling and give it meaning so thank you i am so happy to have experienced this and to have been reassured that i'm absolutely doing the right thing and the clarity that came from taking this break actually led me to make a huge leap so you might have noticed that my desk no longer has that super big fancy computer on it anymore and that is because that computer wasn't mine it was actually owned by the company that i was contracted with in december i finished this huge project that i've been working on with this company and um i've decided not to continue my contract so as of 2021 i'm officially fully supported by my own creative endeavors and the most amazing community each and every single one of you thank you so much so i have consistently made a thousand dollars on youtube for the past four months and then thanks to my incredible patrons i've made two thousand dollars each month the past two months and it's been gradually growing so i feel like that is a sustainable amount and then again thanks to you guys my specimen frames were a huge hit so i think there's a possibility that i could have a successful shop and all of those things together plus just the gut feeling and the overwhelming truth in my heart that this is right this is what i need to do more of it's all given me the confidence that i need to let go of the security blanket and just make the leap i'm my own boss i'm a professional youtuber i'm an artist i'm living my dream how did i get here i don't know ah it's amazing [Music] thank you guys thank you so much [Music] that's amazing thank you guys so much so this year is already off to a much better start than last and these changes most definitely mean more videos more patreon posts more art all the good stuff and with that in mind like many of you i've spent the past few days reflecting on the past year and also setting intentions and goals for this next year um i don't know about you but i get actually super overwhelmed by new year planning and goal setting videos i never feel like i'm doing enough so this year i'm just taking it slowly something is better than nothing and just a little bit every single day or every single week you know just trying to be more aware of my life and figure out what it is that i want more of simple things stuff like laughing i would love to laugh more this year than i did last year i'm also a perfectionist and it's a big fear of mine that these perfectionism traits will make me too uptight or take life way too seriously i don't ever want to become that stressed out no fun person and i think prioritizing laughter will make that version of myself impossible and it will also just make life so much better so i'm going to try to laugh more this year um spanish is another one i have studied spanish for nine years i think oh it's probably like 10 or 11 years actually so it's been a long time but this past year spanish kind of fell to the bottom of the list with everything going on and so i just want to dive back into my studies and practice more and make sure that i don't lose that skill another one is reading i have the same reading goal as i always do which is to read 50 books a year but this year i'd like to read more memoirs and biographies another is friendship and relationships uh coped and self-isolation has made me feel really lonely and actually i've had quite a few friends move away this year and then other friends are going through huge life changes they're just in different chapters of their lives so i just feel very distant from everyone and i want to try and be a better more present friend and show up more often for the friends that i do have and then just make more friends and the same goes for my family members and landon and rue of course i just want to be more present in my relationships health is a big one i would love to fall in love with cooking this year i actually don't really enjoy cooking and neither does landon we're both super busy like everyone else and there are so many other things we'd rather be doing than cooking but food is nourishment and i want to just fall in love with making the most hearty nourishing meals that i possibly can so the sourdough starter was part of that sourdough isn't exactly the most nutritious thing but bread especially home handmade bread is so heartwarming i love it so i'm gonna try that one the list goes on and i've actually shared my intentions and goals on my patreon specifically the peppermint here and i've posted my vision board which i try to look at every single morning after doing my morning reading and writing so if you're curious about those details feel free to check out my patreon i'd love to talk to you guys about what i've started off the year reading but i have to go pick up rue he's had a play date this morning and it's time for me to go pick him up so i'm gonna go ahead and grab him come back and then we'll talk books also this has gone on for so long so if you're still here thank you let's get to the fun bits cheers friends [Music] huh [Music] uh [Music] [Applause] [Music] all right so it's a few hours later and i've gotten a ton of work done including filming a video for patreon that feels really good it looks like it's really really late but it's actually only three o'clock it's just so rainy here and the sun sets at 4 p.m so it feels like it's 7 p.m and i want to run out before rush hour to get some supplies for a project that i want to do tonight as you guys know i redid my desk area because i had to return the computer and i have a fun idea based on a pinterest picture that i found i'll pop it up on the screen right here but basically it's hanging books from the ceiling sounds weird but it looks really cool and whimsical and i think it'd be so fun to do above the desk so i'm in need of some fishing line because i think that would work really well to hang the books with i don't want it to be visible i want them to seem like they're flying above the desk so i'm gonna run out and get some fishing line then i think i'll come back and begin that project anyways time to brave this rain and cold and go to the store all right fishing line has been [Music] purchased [Music] [Music] so so [Music] so [Music] [Music] oh [Music] you [Music] [Music] well that was looking really good for a second [Music] there's an important discovery up higher i think this one could go like i think it's too big show me like probably i don't i obviously shouldn't touch the ball but like pretty close to the wall does this crack concern you no that's good i'm so excited there's a hole in the ceiling [Music] okay time to hang it [Music] it easier so down can adjust that [Music] what's that man that is where my genius butt decided to mount the end of the fishing line with fire right [Music] indeed let's make him real nervous [Music] [Music] oh [Music] good morning friends it is the next day i am so happy with how the books turned out they're so magical so whimsical i love seeing them flutter about my desk as i work when the air comes on actually they spin so they're always moving and it makes me so happy so before i sign off and start editing this video i did say that i would go through what i'm starting off the new year reading this is quite the hefty stack you guys know me i love a good book stack so just a refresher it is my goal to read fifty dollars fifty dollars where is my mind right now fifty books a week no not quite fifty books a year which means about one book a week but rather than read one separate book each week i typically read four books at the same time throughout the entire month which sounds crazy and overwhelming but each book is actually very different and so they don't get mixed up it's easier than it sounds she says really confidently for me it works really really well and ideally when life isn't crazy and chaotic which it totally became last year especially the second half of the year i have a set reading routine which consists of reading a best life self-help book each morning as part of my morning routine followed by a fun fictional book midday or on weekends usually my midday and weekend books consist of literature or novels you know like classics or adult contemporary reads and then i'll also read a book before going to bed and these are usually children's literature or fun why a fantasy reads something just to get lost in before falling asleep and then all the while i'm usually listening to an audio book there are also those books that take me months to get through something that i'm reading on the sign usually something that i'm studying whether it's herbalism or spanish or women's health or how to draw i will dabble in these books periodically across the year and try and finish them by the end of the year so that's what my reading routine looks like and what i've decided to start the year off with in the morning i've been reading atomic habits by james clear i also have the audiobook of this and it's been very very helpful it's very to the point it focuses on our habits and small actions we can do every day to improve our lives and so it's not intimidating it's very approachable and already has made a difference i a habit that i'm focusing on is waking up at six a.m each day i love waking up early i feel so much better when i wake up early and at the end of last year slash the whole second half of the year my sleep schedule was wrecked and i just don't feel my best when i'm staying up crazy late and then sleeping in halfway through the day and that's just not healthy for anyone and i really want to fix that so i'm waking up at six a.m each day and the same kind of self-help realm is in the company of women by grace bonnie this is a collection of interviews done with successful female entrepreneurs of different ethnic backgrounds and sexualities i love how diverse her interviewee selection was and it's been immensely inspiring basically she asks about the same questions to all of these women there are beautiful pictures of different studios and workspaces um but what did you want to be as a child what's the best piece of business advice you were given when you were starting out name a fear or professional challenge that keeps you up at night um knowing what you know now what would you have done differently when you were first starting out stuff like that even if you're not an entrepreneur it is incredibly comforting and empowering to hear the stories of these women so this is one of those books that i'm gradually making my way through it's easy to read because it's just one interview at a time so maybe on a lunch break i'll read an interview or while i'm waiting for a video to upload i'll just read an interview a fun fictional children's literature read that i started is wildwood written by colin malloy the lead singer of the decemberists check out their music with illustrations by carson ellis who is his wife or at least was last time i checked um i really really love this book and i'm actually reading it with my book club on patreon we are the society of sunbeams and happenstance and we're reading this book together it's our january pick and it's been really fun this whole story takes place in portland a lot of the locations actually do exist and it's uh i would describe it as magical realism so it's very real life but there are spots of magic here and there and it is wonderful lastly i have shadow of night by deborah harkness this is the second book in the um all souls trilogy i read the first book last october and i loved it you guys so i haven't actually started this one um i've been scared to start it because i don't want to ruin the first one but a lot of you guys have read this trilogy and have really enjoyed it and recommend it so i'm gonna brave the second book that's what i'm starting out the year with as i said before i really do want to try and diversify my reading pool i read a lot of fiction and i want to read more memoirs and bios and just fun interviews also short stories i have this collection of short stories the collected stories of lydia davis and i've probably read about 20 and i have enjoyed them but i'd love to read this whole book in poetry i want to expand my poetry palette oh my goodness i found a pressed flower this one didn't turn out so well that's always happening to me i press my flowers and leaves and books and i'll pick up a book and start reading only to have several leaves fall out or turn the page and see a beautiful flower that has been pressed in there for maybe years i don't know so i'm looking forward to all the reading that this year has in store let me know what you guys are excited to read i really do make a note of most all of your book recommendations i have this giant list and i think that i'm going to try and find a way to publicly share it definitely on my patreon i don't know how else to go about it but i appreciate your suggestions i feel excited to just start over i think that's about it i really should get to editing so that i can have this video up tomorrow which is friday as i mentioned before i am now fully focused on youtube and patreon and my shop so i will be posting more frequently you can always count on me for one video a week but i think i'll be able to throw in a few more surprise videos here and there we'll see i'm gonna figure out whatever schedule works best for me with this new work lifestyle so that's that um it is a new year and i know that there are very mixed emotions surrounding this new year already we've seen a lot of challenges i think that i don't know what to think or how to feel about it but i just want to encourage you guys to do the best you can for you don't worry about everything that's going on process it however you need to try your best to find peace of mind i know that's so much easier said than done the best thing we can do is to just make the most of our lives you know just make the most of the day today and do not be hard on yourself if you are upset about everything that's going on or if your life doesn't look at all how you want it to these words just aren't enough i want to hug each and every single one of you guys we're all going through it together and i just want to say thank you because you guys have been the light at the end of my tunnel i've said it before i'll say it again but you give me so much purpose and fulfillment and if i did not have youtube this year if i did not have this community this past year also this year i don't know what i would have done i don't know life would have definitely been a lot more challenging so know that i appreciate you and that things will get better they have to there is no other way everything will be okay cheers friends here's to a new year [Music] do [Music] you

Channel: Morgan Long

Views: 19,691

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Length: 34min 39sec (2079 seconds)

Published: Fri Jan 08 2021