July Is the New January

July is one of my favorite months.

And it’s not because where I live the sun stays out later, there’s more sand beneath my toes, or I get to enjoy taking my niece out for ice cream.

I love this month because it feels like my second New Year—a chance to reflect on the first half of the year and get clear on what I’d like to create in the months ahead.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably wondering how we’re already halfway through another year. It seems the older I get, the faster the years go by.

One of my favorite quotes comes from the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off:

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

That’s why I love taking a moment this time of year to pause, reflect, and consider what I’d like the rest of the year to look and feel like.

One of the things I’m looking forward to is spending more time with you.

That’s why I’m excited to share a letter with you here every other Friday—filled with stories, inspiration, and simple ways to bring more happiness, calm, and ease into your days.

I also recently launched The Visibility Newsletter to help you get in the media, grow your visibility, and share your work in a way that feels true to who you are. It’s where I share my favorite publicity and visibility advice and insights, plus behind-the-scenes from promoting my book. If you’re a writer, author, entrepreneur, or creative and you’d like to reach more people with your work this year, you’re welcome to sign up here.

As we begin this second chapter of 2026, I encourage you to carve out some time for yourself this weekend to take pen to paper, pour a cup of coffee or a glass of something that makes you happy, and ask yourself:

• What were the highs and lows from the first half of this year?

• Where did most of my time go?

• What brought me the most joy?

• What would I like to change, or let go of for the remainder of the year?

• Where could I use a fresh start?

• Six months from now, when we say goodbye to 2026, what would I most like to have experienced, accomplished, or enjoyed?

Whatever you come up with, I hope you laugh, love, and go a little easier on yourself, too.

As for me, I’m looking forward to choosing more feel-good entertainment, spending less time on social media, enjoying more playtime (and ice cream!) with my niece and nephew, and spending more time with you here.

Thank you for being here. Whether you’ve been reading my work for years or you’re new to this community, I’m grateful you’re here.

Here’s to making the rest of 2026 even better!

With love and smiles,

Emily

💛 Hi, I’m Emily Florence

I’m the author of Even Better: Easier Ways to a Happier Life, a publicity & visibility coach, and the writer behind these Letters from Emily.

As an award-winning writer, entrepreneur, and eternal optimist, I believe life gets better when we step off the sidelines of our own lives and say yes to what’s calling us. I also believe in being kinder to ourselves.

Thank you for spending a few minutes of your day with me. I’m happy you’re here.

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P.S. If you’re a writer, author, entrepreneur, or creative who’s interested in growing your visibility and sharing your work with more people, I’d love to invite you to join The Visibility Newsletter, where I send an email every other week with practical publicity and visibility advice and insights to help you grow your visibility and reach more people with your work. Sign up here.