Small Wins

Let's hear it for tiny teeny leaps of faith.

Welcome to Joy Ride, a monthly dose of joy, good things, creativity prompts, and gratitude by writer Jennifer Chen. If you like it, please share this newsletter with someone who might like it too.

Your Pep Talk

My energy is pretty limited nowadays. I get winded going grocery shopping. I feel frustrated in my new body—and also grateful to live differently. After dropping off my kids at school, I saw this little note on the ground. I recognized it as a spelling word from second grade. It felt like a fitting message.

The most we can do is try. Sometimes we fail. We don’t finish what we start. But baby steps are good. In fact, they are great. Remember how everyone cheers on a baby’s first steps? Well, celebrate yours.

You don’t have to do it all. This is what I tell myself. Try to walk a little farther than I did yesterday. Celebrate every tiny step toward progress, your goals, and the life you want.

What are your small wins?

I’ll share some of mine:

• I can go for longer walks.

• I started a new crochet project.

• I’ve kept most of my plants alive.

• I read a daily affirmation to myself.

My Latest News

You can preorder my latest YA book (out June 2026) and get cute kitten stickers mailed to you. I’m moderating a YA romance panel at the LA Times Festival of Books on Sunday, April 19 at 3:20pm on the YA Stage with authors Kasie West, Raegan Revord, and Alexandra Chang. No tickets required. Book signing afterwards! I hope to see you there!

Check Out This...

TV SHOW: The Pitt (HBO Max). Brendan and I are almost done with season one. That show guts me. It’s so well written. I love the cast. And for anyone who’s squeamish like me with medical scenes, I look down at my crochet project to avoid anything I don’t want to see.

APP: Finch. My friend Meghan introduced me to this self-care app that’s been a small-wins game changer for me. You take care of a cute pet by doing things that are good for you, like brushing your teeth, going for a walk, or taking a stretch break. If you join, email me for my friend code so we can support each other.

BOOK: The Game Changers series by Rachel Reid. It’s the six-book series that Heated Rivalry is based on and it’s a damn delight. If you loved the show, the books are so good!

I'm Grateful For...

Going to the beach at night. We recently went to Santa Barbara for a few nights over spring break. We stayed right across from the beach, which is all of our happy place. We even spotted a few sea lions swimming! I went for a nighttime walk and recorded this beach video. I hope it gives you a sense of calm.