by Sammy Ginsberg
Hi there!
Thanks for clicking to read. Means a lot. At the moment that I write this, just being human is overwhelming. I have to accept that I am not stable.
Google dictionary defines being stable as “not easily moved or thrown off balance; firm; steady; mentally healthy”.
This year, I experienced some really hard things and I was thrown off the horse of life. Twice. Why was I easily thrown off the horse?
I was burnt out. Five years of chronic stress serving as a teacher burnt me out. I was a bunch of dead leaves contained in human form. Just like Los Angeles, I was ready to catch fire. Twice.
I believe there are six branches of stability:
- Housing
- Lifestyle & Health
- Purpose & Contribution
- Relationships
- Systemic Societal Supports
- Money
For the next year, I am going to focus on my stability, or becoming Shatterproof, from June 2025 to June 2026.
Plan the work and work the plan.
My Dad
The Plan
Stable Housing: maintain a home that makes it convenient for me to go to my job, get my wellness needs met, and nurture relationships with people who can support me in caring for my stability
| CATEGORY | SMART GOALS |
| Keeping House Tidy | Everyday before bed I will put a 10 minute timer on to clean the house. |
| Paying Bills | I will put a monthly reminder on for paying my rent, utilities, and my credit card bill. |
| Roommate Relationship | I will keep open communication with roommate. |
| Living Spaces are functional and decorated | I will focus on decluttering, organizing, and decorating the kitchen, my bedroom, the living room, the dining room, front porch, and the bathroom. |
| Safety | I will get something for the window facing the outside to keep it locked. |
Stable Lifestyle: actively pursuit a lifestyle that gets my wellness need met
| CATEGORY | SMART GOAL |
| Food | – I will eat three meals a day with one snack all vegan that I find nourishing, delicious and energizing. – I will drink water every day. – I will eat at yummy restaurants. – I will grocery shop at farmers markets and make fun recipes. |
| Exercise | – I will go to yoga 5 times a week – I will go hiking once a week. – I will take a dance class once a week – I will go on nice walks! |
| Socializing | – I will have a writing group that I can share my writing with – I will host a dinner party and dining club share my cooking and food adventures with – I will create the Los Feliz Writers Festival with Dawn – I will volunteer with organizations that give me meaning and make me feel valuable part of my community – I will have weekly family meals. – I want friends to see plays, movies, museums, literary events, interesting lectures, and explore Los Angeles – I will have partners to develop my curriculum with |
| Joy | – I will see a play every month – I will go to a movie and have a club – I will go to a concert – I will go to comedy shows and cultural events – I will visit and enjoy museums – I will attend literary events and book clubs – I will go to interesting lectures and explore Los Angeles and its history! – I will work on my writing projects and passion projects – to play and be silly and explore and go on adventures and research whatever I’m interested in – to hike and be in nature. – to focus on my health and read the books to improve my physical and mental health and posture – to create rituals, tradition, meditation and journaling. |
| Sleep | – I will get 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep every night. |
| Rest | – I will have two nights a week when do life stuff; go to yoga; watch a relaxing TV show or read; and get 9 hours of sleep. – In the morning, I will have at least an hour to go for a walk, write in my journal and drink my coffee peacefully. |
Having a stable purpose and contribution means using and developing my abilities that allow me to contribute to my community in a way that I believe is meaningful and allows me to feel valuable.
| CATEGORY | SMART GOAL |
| Arts, Culture & Writing | – Write articles for newspaper/magazines – finish screenplay with Juliana Whitney – to start a magazine, zine press and chapbook publisher & distribute it around town – to write my utopia novel and my us state embassy idea and put on fun events at the house and in LA, -write about exploring the cultural community in LA. – To upload all my poems, blovels, and journals to the Literary Pixie blog. – Finish burnt out bitch. |
| Education & Literacy | – Work for an organization that supports developing my ELA curriculums and allows me to run/be involved in a writers’ festival, poetry festival, and literature festival for Los Angeles community – teach about 21st century literacy (housing, money, health, relationships & improving the current system to update to 21st century needs in improving quality of life for all living beings (plants, animals, and people) -to get my health teaching certification and teach about sex and health and publish my blow gift magazine! – understanding how to improve the infrastructure and training for ELA teachers in LA and preventing burnout |
| Health | Understanding what a healthy lifestyle is, and living it, so that I can one day be a wellness coach/teacher |
| Improving Los Angeles | Understanding how a neighborhood and city functions. |
These next three below are a bit more complicated and not fully developed. They are part of a larger project – part of my We Need Each Other: Building and Maintaining Relationships in the 21st Century.
Stable Relationships: nurture and invest in a variety of mutually-beneficial, interdependent relationships where I feel safe, respected, and loved that support me in getting my needs met; help me cope with the stresses of life; and that make me feel like I belong here
- Life partner(s)
- Romantic partner
- Family
- Close friends
- Roommates
- Pets
- Casual friends
- Acquaintances and people you engage with while out and about living life
- Colleagues, mentors, coaches
Stable Systemic Societal Support: access high quality information, treatments, and coaching from trusted institutions and effective infrastructure to support me and my support network in caring for my stability (a fundamental social responsibility in a functioning society)
Even if I become unemployed or move houses, I can get access to quality healthcare information, treatments, and coaches to support me in my mental and physical health, which is a fundamental social responsibility in a functioning society.
Stable Money
Having stable money means a job that provides me enough money, time, security, and energy to do all the things I need to do to live and get my needs met
Updates
June
Week 1
Update #1: Essentially the overview of project
In this post, I defined the six branches of stability and went into some detail about transforming the sections into SMART Goals and trying to create a project manager overview.
Update #2: Relationship Reading List
In this post, I basically dumped all the research (aka google searching) I had done trying to find books to read to support the development of my relationships. I had said I wanted to start on housing, but immediately I started to think about the different relationships in my life because I think that the relationships are the bigger reason for my burnout, specifically my work-related burnout.
Update #3: Housing – Living Room
In this post, I shared my research on organizing the front entry of our apartment and why it was so important to me (literally beings almost died!!) and brainstormed how to solve this.
Update #4: Housing – Kitchen & Relationship with Self
In this post, I shared how I was starting my group outpatient program at Kaiser, how I was thinking about the kitchen which is directly connected to lifestyle and eating, which is connected to my relationship with myself, as well as how I starting spiraling about money and finding a job (purpose & contribution) even though I had told myself to focus on housing – which all connected back to my relationship with self. What do I need? What are my skills? What am I interested in? And my ability to prioritize that over what society wants or other people think I should do or what others think of me and my choices.
Week 2
In this post, I talk about why I am committed to improving teaching as well as horror stories from veteran teachers that make me question whether this sacrifice of my needs in the short-term will work out in the long term until I finally understand what my priorities are this week.
In this post, I share that after FOUR YEARSSSS of fighting for two curriculums (which is the policy for all first year teachers and the traditional teacher pathway) instead of FOUR, I have been offered two!!!
In this post, I share about my lifestyle goals and how they are way too long, and how today I am going to focus on refining them.
Update #8: Processing Current Events
In this post, I share questions created by Go Green Save Green (an Instagram profile by an amazing activist that I have met in real life!) about finding your role in the revolution and getting engaged.
Week 3
In this post, I share about the roller coaster of emotions processing the death of my Grandpa Papa Joe (as well as two poems – “Afraid of Everything” and “He Was Already Dead”) and the fact that my principal rescinded the two preps and I’m back to four. To quit teaching or not to quit teaching? That is the question.
Week 4
In this post, I share about how I am now in London taking care of my Grandma, some reviews I wrote, and how I am trying to figure things out.
In this post, I share about how the skeleton of being human is becoming mush and accepting that my soul is in anguish right now and how I have been miserable for a while and how I am trying to learn from my past to make a change for more healthy, loving future where my needs can be met.
Update #12: Holistic Reflection for July & Intention Setting
In this post, I share my holistic reflection for July. I had some good insights from it. Mostly that I need to set some boundaries around the fact that I am in London until July 21st and that I need to prioritize my health and wellbeing while I am here, as well as the things I want to focus on while I am here so I can return to LA transformed and ready for the next chapter of my life. I will move on from the Burnt Out Bitch, and focus on the projects that Stability Sammy needs to prioritize. No longer trying to survive as a teacher in the school system, but outside the system with more time, control, and resources I can access and learn so that in five to ten years, I am in place. Can you believe that I have the ability to plan five years in advance now? Amazing.
July
Week 5
In this post, I share about the journey to hitting my resilience ceiling and becoming overwhelmed with negative information that I am forced to make a big change and disobey my parents and others in order to get my health and happiness needs met. I share about some actions I took to move towards a brighter future and the time I have spent this week processing the past to learn from it and build back better.
Week 6
Update #14: Where do we go from here?
In this post, I felt overwhelmed by a big life choice, a big risk – to resign as a teacher and transition to subbing or take a leave of absence for a year. I was at a crossroads, so I wrote until I knew what I wanted to do. Then I did it.
In this post, I talked about what motivated me to take the risk and resign, as well as the privileges that allowed me to do so. I also rambled on a bit about what I wanted to do this upcoming year trying to apply what I learned from the Burnt Out Bitch and do less while having more fun! I also shared some exciting developments that I haven’t been mentioning that much, but now I am choosing to prioritize instead of teaching.
Update #16: Simplifying my Purpose and Contribution Goals
In this post, I cut down my list of purpose and contribution goals to three. I can add as I complete the goals or change as needed.
Week 7
Update #17: Los Feliz Writers Festival
In this post, I share about the Los Feliz Writers Festival and how to support/get involved!
Week 8
Update #18: We’re All Miserable
In this post, I share about why I would rather take a $50,000 pay cut than be a teacher for LAUSD.
Week 9
Too busy to update!!
August
Week 10
In this post, I contextualize the work I am doing and why I am motivated to do it, as well as where I am on the journey. It’s a bit of a ramble, but I believe it will help communicate to my community where I’m at right now and why I am saying no.
In this post, I share the email I sent to those who kindly said that I could email them weekly until I was out of crisis mode that shares about a hate crime that happened to someone in my family, and why this is a war!
Update #21: Thrive for Teachers
In this post, I share what I posted on Instagram to let people know about Thrive for Teachers, a 12 week group coaching program for teachers, as well as that I have resigned, and why.
Week 11
In this post, I ramble about the different projects I’m working on. It’s clear I am really focused on purpose and contribution right now, although I do need to focus more on my health and exercise and stuff.
Update #23: Day 1 of Subbing for LAUSD
In this post, I write about my first day subbing for LAUSD aka that I never received a call and thus did not sub, thus not making the $260 I was expected to make and realizing – maybe my Mom was right. Subbing is not guaranteed work, and I will need to do some marketing… but also so many other projects to do. What do I prioritize! I can’t do it all. Trying to do it all is self-sabotage.
Week 12
Update #24: Learning & Improving
In this post, I share about how the Los Feliz Writers Festival is happening THIS WEEK!!!! And how I am working hard to learn and improve from the past, aka not do everything all at once; prioritize what’s important; say no kindly & don’t take no personally; and manage my fucking anxiety!!
Week 13
Update #25: Scatterbrained, Scattered Energy
In this post, I share about how I’m feeling very scattered and then decided to write a list of my projects, and had 25! No wonder. Now to make a plan.
Week 14
Update #26: Overwhelmed While Setting Fall Intentions
In this post, I share about how I need to set some boundaries because I am feeling really overwhelmed, as well as what is my responsibility and what is other people’s.
Update #27: Stability Sammy Progress
In this post, I share about each section of my stability and reflect on how it is going. I didn’t actually go into progress, more just set goals for this month/the fall.
Week 15
Update #28: Creating Some Structure in My Life
In this post, I share about how I am trying to create structure to my life and set some boundaries as I love all the work I am doing and learning, but again am not getting enough rest and prioritizing my health aka a path to burn out.
Week 16
Update #29: My social anxiety is super high
In this post, I talk about the real quantifiable causes for my social anxiety and how doing professional PR and marketing/social media is really anxiety inducing, but also what if we call it community engagement instead?
Update #30: Enough Money to Be Happy
In this post, I process my experiences of today thinking about money and setting up a business and then ended up applying for jobs and brainstorming how to get money that is stable that I think would allow me the money I need to pay for my resources, while connecting to my purpose and my community. I need to clarify on the stability vision and focus piece by piece!
Update #31: My Social Media Boundaries
In this post, I share about how because I am not working as a teacher – I am having to go back to my first career, which was social media management and marketing, and how working freelance and doing social media also sucks!! And how I am setting my own boundaries around it and thinking about how to use social media ethically.
Week 17
No Updates
Week 18
In this post, I share about my fears going back to the classroom, and how after 3 days back – I know I can do it. I can teach, and how I missed having students and teaching. At the same time, I am passionate about all these projects I’m working on and my health. Can I do both or do I need to find a different way to have a stable income and healthcare?
Week 19
No Updates
Week 20
Update #33: Finally Triggered and Spiraling
In this post, I share about how after 3 weeks of teaching, I finally got triggered and am spiraling a little, and how I want this my chaotic transition phase to end.
Update #34: From Chaotic Transition Phase to Stability
In this post, I ramble about my chaotic transition phase and what I need for stability. I closed a door, and can see now what to prioritize and how to say no.
Week 21
Week 22
In this post, I share about how I’m feeling overwhelmed again and definitely time for some holistic reflection, prioritizing, and organizing.
Week 24
Update #36: November Priorities
In this post, talk about my priorities this November and work through some challenges.
Week 25
Week 26
December
Week 27
Week 28
In this post, I processed my financial reality and realized that I can’t afford to fly to New York City for New Years, and it doesn’t make me a bad friend to say no. I literally went from making 80k with healthcare a year to 35k a year with no healthcare and don’t have a job lined up after January 6th. It’s not because I don’t want to, or don’t value my friends. I literally can’t afford to go.
Week 29
In this post, I ramble about all the things I am thinking about, which is a lot!! And then sorted out what is urgent and not urgent, and what I can just get done quickly and needs more time.
Update #39: Social Media Pause, Life Pause?
In this post, I share how I am pausing all of my social media activity until January 5th!
Week 30
In this post, I list the structure I am creating in January.
Week 31
Update #41: New Years Resolutions 2026 Brainstorm
In this post, I share my New Years Resolutions for 2026. Actually it’s a brainstorm! It’s too long! I think can only be maximum 12 things! One for each month. Okay 10! 2 months of wiggle room.
Update #42: 10 New Years Resolutions for 2026 & a New Years Resolution Bingo
In this post, I share the 10 resolutions I’ve chosen and the bingo I created. My sister made one this year inspired by Insta and now I’m inspired by Amanda!
Update #43: Relationship Inventory – Friends!
In this post, I think about friendship and my birthday and define what a good friend is. Although I think this definition is just want a good person, a good teacher is.
Update #44: My Birthday Plans aka THE INVITATION
In this post, I share the invitation to my 32nd BIRTHDAY! WOO! Aka invites to six of my wellness routines! LOL. Yes. This is me.
Update #45: Pondering Different Types of Relationships and the Role of Social Media
In this post, I share my ponderings about different types of relationships and the role of social media that turned into a history of the development of communication tools and different types relationships (aka two!).
In this post, I share my first reflection for the new book I’m reading Supercommunications: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg.
January
Week 32
Update #47: Spiralinggggggg Again
In this post, I about my current spiraling and ramble about the things causing me a lot of anxiety that I need to process (which I wrote at Shut Up and Write Los Feliz!). And end up intellectualizing the fuck out of safety.
Week 33
In this post, I share about how proud I am and in awe of the improvement of my life from 31 to 32! It has been a time. So much!!!
Week 34
Update #49: Boundaries and People Pleasing and Say No!
In this post, I share about how my people-pleasing behaviors are being intensely triggered.
Week 35
Update #50: My Plate and My Priorities
In this post, I share my long list of responsibilities!
February
Week 36
Update #51: February Holistic Reflection and Intention Setting
In this post, I reflect on how much I have grown this year and how much more stable I am! I decide to still center purpose and contribution for February, as well as health and lifestyle. And to prioritize relationships after the CATE Convention has passed!
Week 37
In this post, I vent about a conflict with my Mom and her workaholic behaviors!!
Update #53: Tired of Being Disrespected
In this post, I share about the disrespect and classroom management/ community building challenges that I’m having.
March
Week 38
Week 39
Week 40
Update #54: Do I Move Back to London?
I ramble about my job choices and make some logical choices.
Week 41
Week 42
Update #55: Should I move to Oklahoma?
Week 43
In this blog post, I share about what I am learning about boundaries and the work I am doing to set healthy boundaries in my life to prevent burnout.
Update #57: I have decided to leave full-time public school teaching
In this post, I share my reasons behind leaving teaching, what I have learned from this experience, and what I want to do next.
Week 46
In this post, I share about the daze I’m in after finishing my teaching contract and the magic of dating someone new.
Week 47
In this post, I share that I am in a cycle!