Green Trench Vest // Black Skinny Jeans // Striped top // Locket // Bucket Bag // Lace Up Shoes

It’s officially my favorite part of the season, and I couldn’t be more excited to go into it with a fresh perspective. There’s something that makes you feel a little rejuvenated with the changing of the seasons, and the crisp air has given me the kick in the pants I need to start feeling a little more motivated – which is always necessary 😉

A few weeks ago I finished reading Shonda Rhimes’s “A Year Of Yes”, and I’ve basically become sorta-kinda obsessed with her, more so than I was before getting a little glimpse into her world. Besides just being a generally badass boss lady, she’s pretty inspiring – and spent a year plus of her life saying “yes” to everything she was afraid of, which was surprisingly a lot more things than I would have imagined.  She hated attending events, public speaking, and was pretty much afraid to do most things except for be at home or spending the day at work. And while I can’t totally relate to everything, there were a lot of moments where I did some serious head nodding, because we can always use a little nudge to get out of our comfort zone and say “yes” to something that scares us every once in awhile when it’s good for you.  So I’m hoping to take some advice from Shonda Rhimes this season and give myself permission to say “yes” to a few more things. I’ve definitely been getting into a groove, for better or for worse, and sometime’s it takes a little kick in the butt to get me to step out of my comfort zone. Maybe not necessarily saying “yes” to things that scare me, but at least saying yes to things that push me in a good direction.

So, here are a few things I’m planning to try this fall:

Volunteer: Ever since I’ve moved to Chicago, I’ve been itching to volunteer once life slowed down a little bit. But it turns out, life doesn’t actually slow down – and if you want to do something, you have to get to it. So Tom and I are planning on volunteering at Refugee One to help refugees who’ve just moved to Chicago to learn about the city and help them build a life here. I’m excited and a little nervous, but I think it will be a pretty incredible experience when we kick things off in the coming weeks!

Doing more things by myself: One of my flaws is that I really get anxious about doing things by myself. I know I should probably be used to it by now {especially considering I live by myself and all}, but I have a hard time going out to eat by myself, reading a book at a coffee shop by myself, or even grabbing a drink at a bar around the corner alone. I mean, one step at a time, but I’m going to try to do something at least once a week by myself to get a little more comfortable getting outside of my comfort zone.  Say no to things that aren’t good for me: Whether it’s taking on too many projects, taking on too much outside of work {since sometimes you can’t say no to things at work, haha}, or spending too much time with people who bring me down – I’m going to try to focus a little more on things that make me happier and healthier person. While I have a seriously hard time saying no to things, it will be a good to practice every once in awhile 😉

Anyone else feeling a little rejuvenated now that it’s fall? I don’t know what it is about the changing seasons, but hopefully you’re feeling it too! And I’ll definitely keep you posted on how my fall resolutions go, luckily I have badass Shonda Rhimes to keep me inspired {and read the book if you haven’t already!} xx

Photos by Ali Stone