Day 21:
It’s Day 21.
The magical moment where it’s all supposed to click into place. At least that’s what we’ve been told, right?
“It takes 21 days to build a habit.”
I call bullshit.
If 21 days was really all it took, I’d have abs, a published book, and a clean junk drawer by now. Instead, today felt less like autopilot and more like dragging a stubborn mule uphill.
I didn’t wake up glowing and reborn, ready to run marathons. I rolled out of bed… and still wanted coffee first.
Today was just as hard — maybe even harder — to keep myself anchored in this rhythm I’ve been slowly building. My so-called “Ideal Day” still takes effort. Spoiler: there’s no montage music, just me muttering at my own timers.
The temptation to scroll doesn’t whisper… she cackles like an evil sidekick with unlimited data. But I didn’t cave. And maybe that’s what the real habit is… not making it effortless, but making it non-negotiable.
That said… I did start something new today.
My latest creative impulse would absolutely be thrifting 24/7 if I had the budget to back it. Since I don’t (yet), I’ve redirected that energy into something just as fun:
My cats.
Specifically — their world, their style, their mystery. I built a new space today called @shadowandluxe — a moody little aesthetic account to house all the weird, wonderful moments I create for my cats and their corner of our home.
It’s not a business. It’s not a product line. It’s basically cat cosplay for the internet. And I love it.
If I can’t thrift velvet chairs, at least my cats can sit on them in theory. Shadow and Lux now officially have a brand. Meanwhile, I’m still waiting on mine.
But here’s the deal I made with myself:
The project doesn’t get to run the day.
I still had to show up for me first.
Which meant sticking to my Ideal Day anchors:
→ Protein.
→ Movement.
→ Journal.
→ Deep work.
→ Real food.
→ And then the creative treat.
Was it perfect? No.
I started the day with two protein bars. Not glamorous, but better than two donuts… or worse, nothing but iced coffee and regret.
Protein, movement, journaling, deep work, real food… it’s like my own bootleg version of Maslow’s hierarchy.
But still — two protein bars is better than two donuts. And I’m calling that a win.
Because the real goal isn’t perfection. It’s rhythm.
And rhythm means I can start something new without breaking everything I’ve been building.
Day 21 didn’t unlock magic.
But maybe the magic is showing up anyway.
See you tomorrow.
(Unless I delete the internet and move into the woods.)
—Jenli
“A low-budget coming-of-age story… starring me.”