MAKING CENT$

by Mira Katz

FEBRUARY 2026:
LET'S TALK ABOUT ROUTINES

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Making Cent$ is a monthly newsletter by Mira Katz dedicated to the taboo topics that affect creatives in business. Best enjoyed with a cup of ☕️ and a 🥐.

MAKING CENTS IN FEBRUARY

Let’s talk about ROUTINES.

I believe there are two kinds of people: those who thrive on routine and those who rebel against it with every fiber of their being.

Which one are you?

For years, I considered myself firmly in the rebel camp. I didn’t use an alarm clock … because I’d rather wake up when my body is rested than wake up at the same time every day. I didn’t get a gym membership because I preferred taking classes at different studios at different times each week. I wouldn’t even meal prep because I’d rather make something new every time I sit down to eat. LIVE LAUGH LOVE, YOU KNOW?

A brief complaint

But alas. In December, I got a bit overwhelmed (raise a hand if you did too… OH HI I SEE YOU!).

I got overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things I was responsible for. I don’t even have kids, which made me feel extra guilty because I’m fully aware that there are other adults with all the responsibilities I have PLUS other human lives to account for.

And yet, there I was— weighed down by daily tasks:

• taking care of clients
• taking care of my house
• taking care of my dog
• taking care of my body
• taking care of my social life
• taking care of travel plans
• taking care of insurance and taxes
• checking in on my parents and grandparents
• and and and…

Burnout moment

Fast forward to December 24th: I handed over my final deliverable. Everything was taken care of. And I was running on empty. Absolutely no gas left in the tank.

To (unfortunately) make matters worse, the restful vacation I thought was around the corner was stolen by a cascade of medical emergencies—between me, my girlfriends, and my family members. All unique. All fixable. All stressful.

January arrived, and I was depleted both emotionally and physically. Something had to change.

My wiser self realized that this change probably had to start with me. I made a reel over the summer where I said: “Your days define your weeks, your weeks define your months, your months define your years, and that’s your life.”

So if I was going to change my life, I had to start with how I spend my days.

Routine's aren't my thing, so I aimed to create some rituals instead.

Fix what isn’t working

I had to seriously rethink how I was spending my time because my system was causing a level of personal chaos that I could not handle. Honestly, it’s wild to me that even as a hyper-organized person, no amount of systems or templates could fix an unruly and unpredictable schedule.

I was cornered.

So I asked myself: could I build structure that still satisfied my inner free spirit?

Why yes, I could. Here’s what I did.

How I redesigned my life

• I researched parties, festivals, gatherings, and epic retreats around the world and blocked off a few weeks of the year as “forced vacation.”
• I chose a creative hobby I’ve been dreaming of and dedicated one evening a week to it (you guys… I’M FINALLY LEARNING TO DJ!).
• I committed to one killer Pilates class twice a week so the time actually felt worth it. Synced with my cycle, of course.
• I blocked one evening a week for yin yoga to consistently reset my nervous system.
• I pre-booked a few months’ worth of therapy (every 2–3 weeks).

Once my life was in the calendar and color-coded, I moved on to work.

How I organized my projects

• Each project is broken into phases, using a moon emoji system:
  • 🌕 full moon = massive project
  • 🌗 half moon = medium project
  • 🌘 sliver moon = mini task
• I made sure I never have more than two full moons’ worth of work at any given time and that vacations are always accounted for.
• Inspired by my friend Jésabel, I created time blocks for all projects and move them around like Tetris—so I never commit to more than I reasonably have time for.

You first

Why did I put my personal life in the calendar before work?

Because if I’m not feeling good, the people I’m trying to support will suffer. That’s true for you too.

You need:

• creative fulfillment
• proper breaks
• inspiration
• joy and delight
• health and strength
• rest, calm, and peace

I do too. We all do.

A new kind of rebel

My new act of rebellion is boldly prioritizing myself.

This may feel confronting to those wired to sacrifice themselves for the vision or take one for the team. But I won’t. And I give you permission not to either.

Setting boundaries is leadership.
Taking time off is human.
Slowing down is part of our cyclical, seasonal physiology.

Nature does it.
We are nature.

Progress, not perfection

These new rituals—trips and DJ lessons and Pilates and yoga and therapy and time blocks, oh my—are a lot. It’s new. It’s different.

But I’m going to try.

If you’re curious, ask me how it’s going.
If you’re inspired, send me your list and I’ll celebrate you.
We can keep each other accountable.

My goal is to build a lifestyle that fuels freedom, creativity, and joy.​
That’s the whole point, right?

I hope this makes sense!
With love,
Mira

🪩 A LITTLE MUSCAL INTERLUDE 🎶

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