I used to have a plan

1. Embrace Uncertainty – Life rarely follows a linear plan, and learning to embrace the uncertainty can be freeing. Olanow emphasizes letting go of rigid expectations. 2. Allow Yourself to Grieve – Whether it's the loss of a job, a relationship, or a dream, it's important to allow yourself time to grieve and process the emotions involved. 3. Lean Into Change – Change is inevitable, and while it may be uncomfortable, leaning into it can lead to personal growth and unexpected opportunities. 4. Focus on the Present Moment – Instead of fixating on the past or worrying about the future, the book suggests focusing on the present, which helps reduce anxiety and fosters a sense of peace. 5. It's Okay Not to Have All the Answers – Olanow reminds readers that it’s okay to not know exactly what’s next. Life unfolds in unexpected ways, and uncertainty is part of the journey. 6. Resilience Grows Over Time – Each setback and hardship builds resilience. Life's challenges make us stronger and more capable of handling future uncertainties. 7. Accept Imperfection – Perfection is an illusion. Olanow stresses the importance of embracing imperfection and understanding that mistakes and failures are part of growth. 8. Find Beauty in the Mess – Life's messiness can be a source of creativity and beauty. Olanow encourages looking for lessons and beauty even in difficult times. 9. Connection is Key – During tough times, it’s important to seek connection with others. Sharing our vulnerabilities and struggles helps us feel supported and less alone. 10. Self-Compassion is Essential – Being kind and gentle with yourself is crucial. The book underscores the importance of self-compassion when things don’t go as planned.

Balm for the soul—Alessandra Olanow offers advice, inspiration, and encouragement for anyone who needs a shoulder to lean on during a difficult time. “I Know This Too Shall Pass. (But It Would Be Helpful to Know When).” After a series of events left her a divorced single mother questioning herself, her relationships, and basically, everything she thought was true about her “picture-perfect” life, Alessandra Olanow began drawing and posting illustrations on Instagram that reflected her feelings and struggles to right her life. She chronicled her journey of healing, expressing the shock, delusion, denial, self-pity, and self-doubt she experienced and the self-empathy and forgiveness that ultimately helped her regain a sense of self—but stronger, more fearless, and more hopeful than before. Her charming illustrations and keen, memorable observations—struck a chord. Within a year, her audience grew dramatically, from 9,500 to 157,000 followers, including celebrities Katie Couric, Jennifer Garner, Elise Loehnen (chief content officer at Goop), the poet Joao Doederlein, and Joanna Goddard (founder of A Cup of Jo). I Used to Have a Plan brings Olanow’s soothing sensibility to a wider audience, featuring new drawings and ideas that touch upon the universal experiences of unexpected change and loss. Divided into five parts—“I Didn’t See That Coming,” “It’s OK That You’re Not OK,” “Where’d I Go,” “The Only Way Out Is Through,” and “I Like It Here, Can I Stay a While?”—the book beautifully encapsulates the experience of encountering difficulty, processing it and healing from it, and becoming stronger and with a better sense of self. Full of advice, commiseration, empathy, and wit that is comforting, helpful, direct, and remarkable in its truth, I Used to Have a Plan helps everyone through the painful yet ultimately uplifting process of healing. I Used to Have a Plan includes 75-100 illustrations.

Short and sweet, with the cutest illustrations and a line or two accompanying them, most of which were oh so relatable, I Used to Have a Plan: But Life Had Other Ideas by Alessandra Olanow is truly a "balm for the soul". I mean how often do you read something that's both uplifting and hilarious, not to mention adorable. This is the type of book you can put on your side table and just flip through whenever. I loved every page, and it has earned its spot near another one of my favorites - Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You.. If you're a fan of cute little books with beautiful illustrations and inspiring lines, please add this to your list. ** A free finished copy was provided by Harper Books. All opinions are my own**

The illustrations are very well done but the message barely scraped the surface. When I was flipping through this in the bookstore I thought it would be something that would make me feel vulnerable in my struggles and how the author overcame these constant emotions. However, this book could have been written on one page because all the pages mean the same thing, "life sucks right now but just take it one day at a time, dont try to understand everything and realize that it gets better". This kind of made me angry because as someone who suffers from mental illness it felt like the author really wasn't addressing anything but rather wanted to showcase their illustrations and had to slap some "self help/ learn to love yourself" quotes in there.

✨ "Today I will live in the moment and that moment is in bed." 😂 A heartfelt collection filled with timely reminders about embracing life with all its changes and unpredictability. Funny, comforting and feels like a much-needed hug. ❤️ It's okay to be messy ❤️ It's okay to not have everything planned out ❤️ It's okay if you are still finding your way ❤️ Grow through what you go through ❤️ Life is about starting over and over and over again ❤️ I'm not where I want to be but at least I'm not where I used to be

Alessandra Olanow’s I Used to Have a Plan is an illustrated pickmeup. As she says in her introduction, “This book is a tribute to letting go of my need for predictability and embracing life with its twists and turns.” . The illustrations are comforting and the message is uplifting. It’s the sort of book you’ll want to open again and again when things aren’t going your way. Second image is from Olanow’s introduction. . My favorite page: “Maybe if I change my hair, it will all work out.” Because who *hasn’t* tried that as a strategy.

I Used To Have a Plan is short and sweet but each page will surely lift your spirits. We all know this past year has been scary, full of uncertainty, and downright depressing at times. As I was reading this little gem I was thinking of a good friend who is going through a divorce and how this book may put a smile on her face. Every page is filled with cute illustrations and a little verbiage about the stages of grief. From Part 1, “I didn’t see that coming” to the final chapter, “I like it here, can I stay a while?” you will see things slowly improving. When you’re grieving any sort of change you won’t feel better overnight, and that’s okay. The author explains that every day you will learn to cope and overtime you will start to feel stronger and see yourself farther from what troubled you. Some days will be harder than others and through this experience you will “find out who you are”. Take a mental health day and nap, eat junk food, take a bath, maybe start a mood diary, find a way to take care of yourself. Just be gentle and don’t compare your grief and healing process to anyone else’s. “Don’t make permanent decisions based on temporary feelings”. Don’t go get bangs or delete pictures off your phone, just wait…..take a breath and wait. Instead of running from your feelings tackle them head on and watch yourself change and grow for the better. Even if you’re not currently going through a “situation” this book will still help you when the time comes, or you can use it to help someone else who needs a friendly reminder.

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Harper Design) in exchange for an honest review. This was such a gem of a book! The book is full of illustrations and sayings to help you through tough times. It is divided up into 5 sections for every step in your journey. I found the whole thing to be so relatable. My life has definitely not gone according to plan. There were many pictures/sayings that resonated with me. I particularly liked one in the beginning that said, “This was not how it was supposed to go” with a headstone that said “My ego” on the opposite page. That one hit hard. description I loved the overall aesthetic of the artwork. It was very clean and simple yet still packed a punch. Because of its simplicity, it had a calming effect. I also liked the short introduction that the author wrote explaining the inspiration of the book. I can tell that the book comes from her heart and experiences. The book is fairly basic, so I wished there was a little bit more in terms of depth and content. It could have been expanded more. Overall, I loved how relatable this book is! I recommend it for anyone who may need a little pick me up after life knocks them down.

✨ "Today I will live in the moment and that moment is in bed." 😂 A heartfelt collection filled with timely reminders about embracing life with all its changes and unpredictability. Funny, comforting and feels like a much-needed hug. ❤️ It's okay to be messy ❤️ It's okay to not have everything planned out ❤️ It's okay if you are still finding your way ❤️ Grow through what you go through ❤️ Life is about starting over and over and over again ❤️ I'm not where I want to be but at least I'm not where I used to be

Alessandra Olanow’s I Used to Have a Plan is an illustrated pickmeup. As she says in her introduction, “This book is a tribute to letting go of my need for predictability and embracing life with its twists and turns.” . The illustrations are comforting and the message is uplifting. It’s the sort of book you’ll want to open again and again when things aren’t going your way. Second image is from Olanow’s introduction. . My favorite page: “Maybe if I change my hair, it will all work out.” Because who *hasn’t* tried that as a strategy.

I Used To Have a Plan is short and sweet but each page will surely lift your spirits. We all know this past year has been scary, full of uncertainty, and downright depressing at times. As I was reading this little gem I was thinking of a good friend who is going through a divorce and how this book may put a smile on her face. Every page is filled with cute illustrations and a little verbiage about the stages of grief. From Part 1, “I didn’t see that coming” to the final chapter, “I like it here, can I stay a while?” you will see things slowly improving. When you’re grieving any sort of change you won’t feel better overnight, and that’s okay. The author explains that every day you will learn to cope and overtime you will start to feel stronger and see yourself farther from what troubled you. Some days will be harder than others and through this experience you will “find out who you are”. Take a mental health day and nap, eat junk food, take a bath, maybe start a mood diary, find a way to take care of yourself. Just be gentle and don’t compare your grief and healing process to anyone else’s. “Don’t make permanent decisions based on temporary feelings”. Don’t go get bangs or delete pictures off your phone, just wait…..take a breath and wait. Instead of running from your feelings tackle them head on and watch yourself change and grow for the better. Even if you’re not currently going through a “situation” this book will still help you when the time comes, or you can use it to help someone else who needs a friendly reminder.