My dear reader,

Last week, I wrote about my early morning of self-love and how important it is to do activities that help us sustain our energy. Check it out here, if you missed it.

This week, I want to carry on this theme, but focusing on how you can work most efficiently by honoring your inner energy.

A week ago, I was having a day where I felt the pressure having to do work, but my mind could not get into flow of it. It felt forced. All I wanted was to rest. I kept procrastinating with house tasks.

I told someone in my inner circle about this, and he said:

"You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails."

Then he shared this post by Yuval Noah Harari about working efficiently, where he says:

“I try to sail with the winds of the mind, not against them. When I feel a creative wind is blowing, I put aside all other chores and focus on my most creative tasks. When I feel there is no wind blowing, I don't try to force myself to create. Instead, I answer emails, pay bills, wash the dishes, and take care of other dreary but necessary stuff. It took me a long time to adopt this style of working. Originally, I tried to control the winds instead of sailing with them.”

Isn’t that powerful?

It’s such a beautiful invitation to honor our own sails.
We live in a world that runs on rigid schedules — but what if we could allow more space to adjust based on our inner weather?

For us women, this especially links to our monthly cycles.
When we’re in our premenstrual or menstrual phases — our inner autumn and winter — we’re meant to slow down. To rest. To retreat inward.

Creative work might feel harder, and that's okay.

That’s exactly where I’ve been this week.
In a creative meeting, my mind just wouldn’t go there. I tried to force it… and it felt like walking through fog.

But when I’m in my follicular or ovulation phase?
Boom. I'm on fire. Creativity flows. Productivity feels effortless.

Once you start understanding your natural rhythms, you can plan around them:

• First half of your cycle (inner spring/summer): do the big outward stuff — events, networking, speaking, meetings, brainstorming.

• Second half (inner autumn/winter): go inward — admin, organizing, gentle work, rest, and tending to home and heart.

The same principle applies to anyone, regardless of gender.
Your mind and body have natural rhythms.
And when you stop pushing and start flowing, everything softens.

So I ask you:

✨ How are the winds for you this week?
✨Is there lots of wind and fuel to action or less wind and you need to go slower and rest?
✨How can you adjust your sails this week?
✨ What would it look like to plan your days around your energy, not the other way around?

Instead of force… what if you allowed more flow?
You might surprise yourself with how much more you get done — or, more importantly, how much better you feel while doing it.

No more forcing, just honouring yourself.

But, you need to connect with what is best for your beautiful mind.

As Harari also wisely said:

“The first and most important step towards working efficiently is getting to know your own mind.”

So:
🕰 What time of day is your golden window for action? When does my mind need rest?
💡 What do you need to be able to tap into your most focused, inspired state?

May this be your reminder to connect with your mind this week.

Adjust your sails where needed — and let the wind guide you.

With love,
Essi x

PS: Did this resonate? Reply to this email and share your thoughts. I love to hear from you and how my writing inspires you on your journey. x