Are You Leaning In—or Out—in 2024?

On Christmas Eve, at our annual friend group shindig, the hostess (one of my best friends) and I exchanged holiday gifts. We generally channel cooking, self-care, or the quirky in our gift-giving—enter the Veggetti and Covid toilet paper roll Christmas ornament she’s gifted me in years past—but this year’s gift really caught my eye. 

As I peeled off the wrapping paper, a small, orange book appeared, one with a surprisingly unsavory title, which shall remain nameless for the sake of this editorial—suffice it to say this mini-tome by Talia Argondezzi had a laser focus on how to effectively “lean out” (versus “in”). The tagline: How to Aim Lower, Get Less Done, and Find Your Happiness. 

For a self-diagnosed perfectionist, this concept brought on a flood of contemplation. Did I need to lean out? Did my friend think I needed to lean out more? Who could even contemplate such a concept?

In the days ahead, the book remained on my bedside table, making me uncomfortable every single time I looked at it. Post-holiday, I finally cracked it open and dove into an uncharted territory. The concept was simple, albeit delivered in a somewhat crass manner: Learning when and how to successfully lean out could help save your sanity—and enhance your happiness.

In today’s world, leaning in can be tremendously effective—and it is a valued quality. In our vision care arena, we all certainly want to lean into our work, our businesses, and practice success and patient care. But, maybe there is some self-care value in knowing just when to lean out in life—and how. Mindfulness surrounding this concept could help one curate the potential for an elevated level of calm (or at least the ability to snag more good, old-fashioned fun). I myself may be leaning into that concept for 2024.

We hope you enjoy the issue!

Erinn Morgan,
Editor-in-Chief + Editorial Director
Director of Social Media, PentaVision