Mica Le John is many things: the founder of 2SWIM, a gifted public speaker, and one of the most organized individuals we have ever met. See how Mica structures here morning!
How do you take your coffee?
I like my Dripkit with a splash of coconut milk.
Mica! You are one of the most organized people I know. I think a big proponent of being (and staying) organized comes from creating routines. What’s your morning routine look like?
My schedule is identical for every day, Mon-Sun:
730am: Wake up
735am: Wash face and skin care routine (mostly Ordinary products)
740am: Open blinds, boil water (I drink a mug full of hot water with lemon first thing everyday), do a quick read through of my home base (see below)
745am: Check and reply to messages on 2SWIM, check personal email and read newsletters
8am: Read whatever book I’m on right now (usually non-fiction in the AM and fiction in the PM)
830am: Eat breakfast — my husband makes us an at-home version of an acai bowl everyday
845am: Meditate (I love Insight Timer)
905am: Boil water for coffee/tea (I switch to green tea at noon) and make bed
915: Sit down and get started for the day
915-noon: Depending on the day and what needs to happen, the morning gets split up among many things including strategy/planning, business email/calls, check-ins with my mentors and mentees, etc. I get up at least once an hour to give myself a little break and I often take calls while standing or walking around my apartment.
What is 2SWIM?2SWIM is a social messaging app with an emphasis on close connections and private communities. 2SWIM will be for everybody but is currently invite-only for POC-, LGBTQ+-, or womxn-centric communities, creators and brands (and their allies). Some of our partners include Confidants, Secret Black Girl Meeting and Topicals. Check out our website for more info or to reach out about bringing your community onto the platform!
Not only are you the cofounder of 2SWIM but you are also an artist and a writer and a thought leader and my idol. How do you do it all!? How do you manage your time?Hilarious! I manage multiple projects simultaneously through a ridiculous obsession with organization, goal setting and accountability.
I use time-blocking as one way to manage my schedule; I take calls only on certain days (with some flexibility of course!), I book time to think about strategy, I book time to take a break and call my grandmother.
My goal setting systems are very robust and are based on a set of routines I’ve started building since 2015. Each November and December, I take time to reflect on the past year and start outlining the personal goals I have for the coming one. The level to which I plan ahead has proven to be an absolute game changer for my personal and professional life. I spend time creating larger annual goals and then break these down quarterly.
I use a “home base” to keep myself organized — it’s a digital holding place for all of my goals, to-do lists, to read lists, idea lists and more. Goal setting and developing project management skills can be impactful but only if you create effective systems to track them and hold yourself accountable to actually getting things done.
I’ll actually be leading a workshop all about this on Thursday June 4, details here!
