Hey Subscriber Full Name,

February always has this quiet pressure to it. Everyone around you seems to be moving.

Launching. Growing. Posting their wins. And if you're somewhere in the middle — not quite at the start, not quite at the finish — it's easy to mistake stillness for stagnation.

But this month, I've been sitting with something that keeps coming back to me:

Speed isn't the name of the game. Direction is.

If you're pointed the right way — even slowly, even hesitantly — you will get there. The person who sprints in the wrong direction just ends up further from where they need to be. So this issue is a gentle invitation to pause, recalibrate, and trust that your pace is not your problem.

ONE THING I’M UNLEARNING

THAT OTHER PEOPLE’S TIMELINES ARE MY MAP.

I caught myself doing it again this month. Watching someone hit a milestone I haven't hit yet and using their journey to diagnose what's wrong with mine. But here's the thing no one says out loud: you are not competing in the same race as anyone else. Not even close.

Someone else moving faster doesn't mean you're moving wrong. It might mean they started earlier, had different resources, chose a different route entirely, or it simply isn't their time to recalibrate — yet.

Your path has a specific texture to it. It's shaped by your history, your nervous system, your values, and the things you're healing while you build. That's not slower. That's layered.

This month, I'm unlearning the reflex to borrow someone else's compass. Mine is the only one calibrated for where I'm actually going.

A question worth sitting with:

"Whose timeline am I measuring myself against — and is that even fair?"

A HEALING PROTOCOL

RED LIGHT THERAPY.

I'll be honest — I was skeptical at first. It felt like another wellness trend dressed up in clinical language. But I've been doing it consistently for the past few months and the results have been undeniable enough that it's earned a permanent spot in my routine.

Red light therapy triggers collagen production, reduces inflammation, and accelerates tissue repair.

The relaxation piece surprised me the most. Doing 10 minutes of red light in the evening has become a meditation of sorts — you can't really scroll or rush through it. You just sit. And that forced stillness has done something for my nervous system that I didn't expect going in.

I'll be honest — I was skeptical at first. It felt like another wellness trend dressed up in clinical language. But I've been doing it consistently for the past few months and the results have been undeniable enough that it's earned a permanent spot in my routine.

Red light therapy triggers collagen production, reduces inflammation, and accelerates tissue repair.

The relaxation piece surprised me the most. Doing 10 minutes of red light in the evening has become a meditation of sorts — you can't really scroll or rush through it. You just sit. And that forced stillness has done something for my nervous system that I didn't expect going in.

A RECIPE I’VE BEEN LOVING

WHAT YOU NEED:

Dumplings

– Dumpling wrappers

– 1 lb ground chicken + ground pork (mixed)

– 400g shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped

– Bunch of green onion, sliced

– Can of water chestnuts, roughly chopped

– 1/2 tbsp white pepper

– 1/2 tbsp sea salt
– 1 tbsp tamari

Bok Choy
– Dashi or miso or chicken broth
– Steamed bok choy
– Sesame oil
– Sesame seeds
– Green onion, sliced

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Mix all dumpling ingredients together

2. Add a generous tablespoon of filling into dumpling wrappers and fold

3. Heat up broth of choice in a pot and add dumplings and bok choy. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until wrapper skin is translucent.

4. Transfer into a bowl and garnish with sesame oil, sesame seeds, and green onion.

A FEBRUARY FAVORITE

CREATINE

I know what you might be thinking — isn't that a gym bro supplement? I thought the same thing. But after months of consistent use and genuinely noticeable shifts in both my physical and mental performance, I can't not talk about it.

As someone who lifts heavy and has a job that demands sustained cognitive output, creatine has genuinely moved the needle on both fronts — my recovery is faster, my strength stays consistent through harder training weeks, and my focus during high-pressure days feels more durable.

Thank you for reading this issue of The Art of Unlearning. Have a topic you want me to cover next month? Drop me a note hello@artofanna.com — I respond to every email!