Lessons the New Year has Already Taught Me

Use your brow pencil. This is my new beauty essential, prioritized above even mascara. You look like you've jumped a social class just by thickening up your brows, and you're more expressive too. Get a cheap drugstore one with a little brush on the end and thank me later. If you need help, Jane Marie's oh-so-charming How to Be a Girl video is a girl's best friend.

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Trust your Oprah whispers, and trust your best girl's too. I'm nearly caught up with the Kardashians, and I just finished watching Kim's Fairytale Wedding (horf). I was expecting a trainwreck, and I mean, I have the benefit of hindsight, like them krazies did not, but it was pretty damn obvious that something was off. Every 5 minutes, Kim was defensively saying how "everyone thinks they hate Kris until they spend time with him." NO, girl, NO. If everyone hates your boyfriend, it's because he's not a likable person. It's fine to be someone who takes time to warm up to new people, but if you're being a dick to the family of the girl you love, something's wrong. The only one who sensed this deep-seated shadiness was Khloe and after she got her head bitten off for the warning, she smartly backed off.

I'm not suggesting you spinelessly accept your friends' judgements, but it's wise to listen to your heart. Kim was constantly on the offensive, spouting off about their love, making excuses for her man, and jumping down the throat of anyone who showed the least bit of trepidation. If you find yourself making excuses for yourself or others, listen to your inner voice about why you're so quick to snap – you're probably trying to shut down feelings within yourself too.


On the first day back to work, your dog will poop on the rug, even if he has never so before. Have cleaning products handy. Don't take it personally – his love for you just goes beyond the boundaries of polite society.

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If you're looking to make a change, adopt constant vigilance. I am happy to say I'll be heading to a new job soon, and it couldn't be better timed – my office is about to move, meaning I'm avoiding a 2-hour commute. It's taken a long time to get here, but the biggest thing I've learned is to be ready for the right opportunity: if you're looking for a new job, keep your resume updated, your schedule flexible, your ear to the ground. Get yourself some business cards and hand them out to everyone. Have a generic cover letter that takes you a few minutes to customize. Update your portfolio regularly. Be willing to take meetings with anyone, even for jobs you're not really qualified for.

The most important thing is to ask questions that will help you in the next interview – find out what skills are best suited to the work, where the company's headed, what kind of work they're interested in pursuing. That sort of forward thinking only gives your conversation forward momentum and, in my experience, resonates well with your interviewer. At worst, even if that company doesn't bite, you'll have a better idea of desirable skills to work on presenting going forward. For a little inspiration, check out these two posts from Penelope Trunk on asking smart questions.


Taking a break from your habits isn't rewarding. Dance class kicked my ass this week, and rightly so – I hadn't practiced at all over the holidays. Making stretching part of my daily schedule will bring me back up to speed faster, and will allow me to do a better job in class in the future. I'm also trying to adopt this theory with my sleep schedule and prevent myself from sleeping in too late on the weekends – Mondays are just that much harder.


Try on jeans at a clothing swap. This is something I seldom do, since trying on pants can be an arduous and ego-bruising process, and jeans are the trickiest of them all. But I was able to score a pair of barely used Cheap Mondays that fit me like a fucking dream, and it's all because I took the time to take off my tights. Take off your tights, ladies!

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What has the new year taught you so far?