Monroe The Guru

I already had to pause my 12-week year...

Yes...I already had to take a drastic detour with my 12-Week Year because I didn't plan it out with a full-time job in mind... cause I didn't have one when I started. 😅

Now I'm trying to decide: Do I cut down to 2 goals instead of 3? Or do I adjust my weekly actions for each goal to make them more manageable?

If you've been in a similar situation or you have thoughts on what you'd do, drop them in the comments. I'm genuinely trying to figure this out and would love to hear what's worked for you.

Did you start your own 12-Week Year? How's it going?

2 days ago | [YT] | 0

Monroe The Guru

Recently decided to join a Pilates studio near me because they were having a deal, and honestly? It's been challenging but so rewarding.

I'm learning a lot about my body – my strengths, my weaknesses, the places where I hold tension that I didn't even know existed. But more importantly, I'm learning how to build out a practice that actually works for ME. Not what looks good on Instagram, not what everyone else is doing – what my body needs.

It's a reminder that growth doesn't always look pretty, but it's always worth it.

How's your week starting?

4 days ago | [YT] | 0

Monroe The Guru

Currently planning out this week with my coffee in hand. ☕💚

New job means a lot of new information, new systems to learn, and a whole new rhythm to figure out. And I can’t lie, this first week was a little intimidating, but it’s teaching me to give myself grace with all the new; baby steps are necessary.

I'm mapping out my week to balance my new role at FreeWill with my consulting work and content creation. It's a lot of moving pieces, but I'm determined to make it all work without burning myself out.

Also—P.S. for those who voted in my last poll: if you guessed I'm reading "The Reformatory" first, you were right! Making sure to carve out time to finish this one because it's got me hooked.

How are y'all approaching this week? Drop a comment and let me know what you're prioritizing.

4 days ago | [YT] | 1

Monroe The Guru

As I mentioned before, I worked at Barnes & Noble over the holidays and absolutely took advantage of that employee discount. My book collection grew significantly, and of course, I have to do a haul video to show y'all what I picked up.

Video dropping soon, but in the meantime—help me out with something:


Can you guess which book I'm reading first?

Cast your vote and let me know in the comments if you've read any of these! I'm always looking for recommendations too.

6 days ago | [YT] | 2

Monroe The Guru

Let me tell you guys more about my new job.

If you didn't catch it, Monday, February 2nd marked the first day at my new job, and I wanted to officially share it with y'all.

My official title is Partner Success Strategist on the Grant Assistant team at FreeWill. For those who don't know, FreeWill is a tech company that helps nonprofits with fundraising tools, specifically for planned giving and online donations. My role is to support the partners who use our grant-writing AI tool, which means I help nonprofits navigate the platform, troubleshoot challenges, and strategize on how to get the most out of it.

Honestly, my role is very much project manager, but with a dash more of strategy thrown in. I'm working cross-functionally with different teams, managing timelines, building relationships with partners, and making sure everything runs smoothly on their end.

Also, I never thought I'd be working at a tech company, but here I am. It's wild how life works out sometimes.

Excited to share this new journey with you all and bring y'all along as I navigate this new chapter.

1 week ago | [YT] | 2

Monroe The Guru

This Black History Month, I'm doing something a little different with my content.

I'll be spotlighting Black leaders—both historical and contemporary—who have made a significant impact in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. People who built institutions, funded movements, created pathways, and changed what's possible for our communities.

Why this matters right now:

We're in a moment where the nonprofit sector—especially organizations led by and serving Black and POC communities—is under aggressive attack. DEI programs are being dismantled. Funding is being cut. The work that saves lives and builds communities is being systematically undermined.

So this month isn't just about celebrating history. It's about remembering that nonprofit work, philanthropy, and community building have always been acts of resistance and survival for Black people in America. The people I'll be highlighting didn't just give money—they created systems, challenged power, and made the impossible possible.

This is a reminder of why this work matters. Why it's worth protecting. Why we keep going even when it feels like everything is working against us.

If you work in the nonprofit sector, if you're building something for your community, or if you're just tired of seeing this work dismissed and defunded—this series is for you.

Stay tuned. 💚

1 week ago | [YT] | 3

Monroe The Guru

What do you want to see next on the channel?

I've got a bunch of video ideas lined up, and I want to know what y'all actually want to see. Vote below and let me know in the comments if there's something else you've been wanting me to cover!

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 1

Monroe The Guru

What's your biggest challenge with goal planning right now?

Yesterday, I posted a video showing exactly how I'm tackling all 4 of these challenges using the 12-Week Year method + my Papier planner. Whatever you voted for, I break it down in the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_dT4...

Let me know your thoughts below, click the link above, and check it out if you missed it!

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

Monroe The Guru

Greetings, good day, and a very late happy New Year.

I blinked, and it's been over a month since I've been here with you guys. Time really does fly when you're living life, but I'm back now. Hello to those who've been holding it down since day one, and welcome to everyone new who's joined while I was away – I'm so glad to have you as part of the Guru community.

Now, I know y'all are probably wondering: where have I been? Well, your girl picked up her dream job over the holidays, working as a bookseller at Barnes and Noble. And honestly? It was everything I didn't know I needed. I learned more about books, publishing, and the art of selling than I ever thought possible. I met some genuinely great people who made showing up to work actually enjoyable – shoutouts to the Fifth Avenue location and especially the main floor team, who kept me sane and laughing through the holiday rush.

And of course, I made sure to take full advantage of that employee discount. My book collection grew significantly, and yes, I will be back soon to share my haul with y'all.

But now that my bookseller era has – for now – come to an end, I'm back, and I'm ready to tackle this new year with fresh energy and a clearer head. I've been on a bit of a rollercoaster, trying to figure out wtf I want to do next with my career, my content, and, honestly, just my life in general. But instead of stressing myself out trying to have all the answers right now, I'm taking things one step at a time and trusting the process.

So, cheers to the new year, cheers to doing the absolute best for ourselves without burning out, and stay tuned for more content coming your way. I've missed this space, and I'm excited to be back. 💚

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 2

Monroe The Guru

December is wild because it's both an ending and a beginning at once.

I keep seeing posts about "wrapping up the year strong" and "finishing what you started" - all this pressure to close out 2024 with some triumphant finale. Achievement unlocked. Goals completed. New year, new you energy already in full force.

And I'm over here like... what if I didn't finish what I started? What if I'm ending this year in a completely different place than I planned? What if my 2024 highlight reel is mostly just survival footage?

I started 2025 by seeking job security. I'm ending it as a content creator and consultant, and as someone still figuring out what's next. That wasn't the plan. The plan was stability, growth within my organization, and a promotion. The plan was NOT to get fired and spend a year rebuilding from scratch.

But, maybe that's okay. Maybe not every year ends with a neat bow on top and a satisfying conclusion. Sometimes you end the year in the middle of a transition - still building, still healing, still figuring it out. And that's valid too.

Sometimes the ending is messy. Sometimes you're closing out the year with more questions than answers. Sometimes your biggest accomplishment was getting through it without completely falling apart.

If you're ending this year differently than you expected, whether that's a career change, a loss, a pivot, a breakdown and rebuild, or just...not where you thought you'd be, you're not alone. I see you. I'm right there with you.

We don't have to perform closure or pretend we've got it all figured out just because the calendar is flipping. We can end this year exactly where we are: in process, in transition, in the messy middle of becoming whoever we're becoming next.

How are you feeling about closing out this year? What are you carrying into 2025 - hopes, fears, unfinished business, hard-won lessons?

Let's talk about it.

1 month ago | [YT] | 3