Drama Queens - Work in Progress Q&A: Progress Made, Work to Go

Episode Date: December 25, 2024

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and Sophia feels grateful and ready to tackle the new year and a new Q&A! Yes, Sophia is answering fan questions, including revealing what's on her vision board for next year, her lifelong dream and how she is going to make it a reality in 2025, her Spotify Wrapped playlist, One Tree Hill holiday traditions, how she is practicing hope, and her top Christmas movies, including one film that some might not consider a holiday classic!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Hi, everyone. It's Sophia. Welcome to Work in Progress. Happy holidays, friends. It's the most wonderful time of the year, as they say. And we are feeling so grateful for all of you, for our listeners, for our listeners, for our community for all these whipsmart humans who care and show up for each other. Really the global community of folks who are here with me and with our whole team at work in progress. We just were impressed by you. We cherish you. And thanks for being here to say thank you and maybe close out the year or kick off the new year. However we want to look at it together, we thought it might

be nice to dive into some of your wonderful questions and close out 2024 together. So let's dig in. Our first question is from Grace. Hello. Hi. Hope you're having a great day. She asked, what has brought you the most joy this year? I think this year for so many people has been filled with ups and downs, right? And I know, because I look at the inbox and I see the things you all are thinking about contemplating, excited about, scared by, I know there's a lot of trepidation about what's to come in 2025. So what I want to say is I get it. I feel you. It's scary to think that our democracy might change, that our rights might change. But here's what I'm going to promise you, what I'm going to share is that win or lose, I love fighting for democracy. I loved every single

second on the campaign trail, being out across the country, meeting with so many of you, knocking on doors, organizing around what it means to build a country that gets closer and closer to achieving the promise of its ideals. Campaigning and volunteering is without a doubt, a highlight of my life and it was without a doubt a highlight of this entire year for me. And I also really loved the merch, clearly. So there you go on the lighthearted side of it. I'm still rocking my custom embroidered camo and I am still coach's biggest fan. Truly being reminded that so many of us care about each other and are willing to show up for each other. And yes, we'll vote. for each other really brings me a lot of joy. And even if we might, you know, disagree or want to

debate policy or how best to solve a problem, one of the things I cherish about this country is that we are able to do so. We can debate, we can share, we can talk, we can argue, and we're lucky enough to live in a place where it's possible to do that. So, um, um, we can argue. And we're lucky enough to live in a place where it's possible to do that. So no matter how you're feeling about it, just know that we're in this together and community is key. Here we go, 2025.

Haley asks, what advice do you have for, oh, this is related to the last question, certainly. What advice do you have for dealing with anxiety about what the new year holds, especially with the new administration. I've been talking a lot about this with my friends and my colleagues and fellow advocates, volunteers, friends,

even my therapist. And my therapist told me something that can be hard to stick to, but I really do believe makes all the difference and it certainly has been for me. He said, start keeping track of when it goes right. We do so much

worrying about what could go wrong and we are more connected than ever which means we also see what is going wrong in ways that a generation ago we didn't but if we can start keeping a list keeping track of what goes right you know with everything um life love politics uh local things happening in your community good news that you read um there are there are actual account counts on Instagram the only post good news. I suggest following them. They are important for my mental health. All of it. It feels really important to not just keep that worry list that we all can't help but keep, whether it's in our brains or on paper, but to actually keep a list of when things go well, when there are wins big and small. Some people call it a gratitude practice. I actually

started a new little tradition this year that I'll tell you about in a minute to work on this, but I'm telling you, it does shift something inside of you. It changes how you feel when you wake up in the morning, how you move throughout your day, how you show up for your people. I think it really is a way to practice hope and to be reminded of joy. So I would recommend that, Haley. um sophie asks what are your christmas traditions i mean first and foremost how many years in a row do you think is too many years in a row to watch the holiday uh answer for me never it is one of my favorite things to do the minute uh we get past thanksgiving here in the u.s and then a tradition that i read about that i actually have now altered a bit for myself um is to start

a, I don't know what you want to call it, actually. I can't remember what the video said. For me, it's a good things jar. Kind of relates to Haley's last question. And the idea is that once a week, you minimum once a week, by the way, you write on a little piece of paper something great that happened and you put in a jar. And when I read about this, the person who suggested it said, you know, and then we open them up on New Year's, and that's how we mark the new year. And I thought, well, I think I want to open them up like a week before New Year's. I want to open my jar at the start of the last week of the year in the midst of the holidays and really reflect on everything that went right in the last year,

on everything that brought me enough joy that I stopped what I was doing and wrote it down. And then I can spend that last week of the year saying, thank you, feeling grateful, relishing in every positive thing. And then that can be the energy that I take into New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. So the holiday is one of my oldest traditions and the jar is my newest. Jessica, why didn't you post your Spotify wrapped? I mean, no one is surprised. Tovlo is my top artist.

I think she might be forever. I love her both as a person, which is really wild. You know, it's wild when you're a fan of someone and then you get to become their friend. I love her as a person. I love her as an artist. I love her as a creative. I just think she is like a once-in-a-generation talent. So, yeah, she's my top.

We'll be back in just a minute, but here's a word from our sponsors. Claire asks, oh goodness. I like that you said, she gave me options. She said, what are your goals or resolutions for next year? I love that. I think resolutions kind of set us up to fail, but I do believe that thinking about goals is great. So, since I think it's the season to start getting realistic, like I've learned the hard way that saying, oh, this is going to be my new practice and I'm going to do this workout five days a week and I'm going to start meditating and I'm going to take these 40 vitamins and I'm going to sleep eight hours. Like, come on, I'm not a robot and I'm also

old habits die hard kids. So let's get realistic. What I do want to do is try to commit not to, you know, some crazy schedule or whatever, but I would like to commit to moving my body just for 20 minutes a day. I'm kind of an all or nothing person. I hear that that's very common for. folks with ADHD, you're very black or white, you're all in or you're all out. And it's really hard to be that, especially when health comes into play, because I will always put my health on the back burner, because I'll say, well, there's all these important things happening in the world. And that class or that hike, that's just for me. And I don't really have time. I don't have time to drive an hour across town and then do this thing for an hour and then, you know, shower there

and then drive home or race home and try to shower while I'm, you know, on a, you know, muted on a conference call pretending the shower's not running. Like, it's crazy. Nobody has enough time. So one of the things I really want to try to do this year instead of making the goals too rigid and specific is just to say for 20 minutes a day. Could be a walk around the neighborhood. I could do a call on a walk. It could be, you know, meeting a friend for something. It could be, whatever you know if i'm traveling like get on the treadmill at the hotel just for 20 minutes just to move because it can get really easy for me to realize i've been hunched in front of a computer you know working and zooming and recording and plotting and meeting and all the things for

five days i'll realize i haven't even gone outside you know that's that's not great so i like the idea of a more gentle commitment that will be good for my physical and mental health. So that's definitely one. I guess in general, less of the black and white all in, all out. Let's aim for a gray. And I mean that in a happy way, a gray 2025. My next one, oh my goodness, is to really embody Mel Robbins, who I love. her let them philosophy. And basically what Mel says is, look, if you've got people in your life that insist on acting a certain way, insist you act in a certain way, you know, demand that you be something that makes you miserable, act like they're owed every detail of your life,

who show you who they are. And frankly, it's just not in line with where you want to be who you want to be okay let them who cares um i think we have to stop letting other people's opinions consume us i think we have to stop doing the thing where we we let other people make us feel smaller so next year i really want to embrace the let them theory i want to let go of expectations that I had or that I've, I might even still have for people and just know that not everyone's for me. And by the way, I'm not for everyone. I don't need to worry so much if not everybody likes me. I like me. And the rest of the noise out there, I'm really going to try not to let consume me. I know it's human for us to be affected. How could we not? But at least for me,

like let's say if I go on Instagram there's one of me and there's you know that number of people following is 4.6 million people that's not an equation I'm ever going to win you know there's only one of me there's millions and millions of folks out there looking this way

I don't know how some of my favorite superstars who are in the like hundreds of millions of people look in their way do it truly I think I would have a nervous breakdown but I'm just going to remind myself that who cares let them if it's kind wonderful thank you I can't let that boost me too much and if it's cruel you don't know me have a nice life don't let it affect me so that's that's certainly something that I want to work on which probably

brings me to my next goal resolution thing I sort of hate to say it but I do think think that a little less time on social media feels important. I think for me as an individual, I think for me as a person who was also so active politically this year, I think a lot of us are still kind of coming down from the election and really feeling the effects of the algorithm. you know the algorithm really did its thing you know it did when you see a 700% increase in people saying what is a tariff and can I change my vote the internet we spend so much time on is hiding information from us based on what information we look at and I don't think that that's healthy I have to remind myself a lot that I get shown things strategically and sometimes that's good

but sometimes it's bad. And so for me, I just think it feels like time for a little less, not like a total break. I'm not leaving. But I think I want to spend a little more time in the paper pages of things and a little less time on the digital scroll, you know. And then my biggest resolution probably is to write more in every single form. I find it so healing.

I find that when I write, I'm really able to process feelings in ways that I can't verbally as well. You know, when I'm talking through things in real time, sure, that can be great, you know, with your friends. But I've definitely also experienced over the last couple of years with these podcasts, which I love. But I catch myself having these aha moments going, oh, my God, I've just realized in this moment, this thing or this idea or that memory and and that's okay but i don't know as a as a person who's also been in the public eye for two decades sometimes i think it's nice to to keep some things for me and then maybe speak on them when i've processed them a little bit more or a little bit better and i process my best in writing so that's definitely going to be

a big part of my practice for the next year. Joyce says, what are you looking forward to the most in 2025? Oh, my goodness. Other than just enjoying this life that I finally really love, oh, my brain just sort of dropped an image for me. I don't think we've really ever talked about this.

My friends know this, but I don't think it's come up on the podcast. I have had a lifelong dream since I was a kid and I would road trip with my parents. I have always dreamt of having like one of those beautiful old airstreams. I think they're the coolest. I just, they're so nostalgic for me. They're like romantic for me.

The classic car lover in me is obsessed with them. And yeah, my dream is to finally acquire and restore an old airstream. Like in my brain I'm going to do a full. top to bottom reno and do like the kitchen and the bathroom and the whole thing. We'll see how it goes. I'm not bad with a circular sauce. So honestly, I might crush it. First, I have to find the airstream clearly. But if I actually get to start that project in 2025, I'm really going to feel like I'm winning. We'll be back in just a minute, but here's a word from our sponsors.

Cleo asks, what are your top three Christmas movies? Well, obviously, the holiday. I'm a huge love actually fan. I know that there are things about that movie that feel, you know, problematic now. I just still love it. It's very nostalgic to me. And yeah, it's one of those that I always want to watch. I'm such a fan of Bill Nye.

I think Emma Thompson is so brilliant. I just really enjoy it and it always makes me feel like it's the Christmas season and then I feel like there should be a no-brainer for me because John McLean was the reason I like wanted to play a cop in anything but die hard. Bruce Willis is a hero. From Robin, when you were filming Wintreale

did the cast have any holiday traditions? Oh, this is a good one. You know, it's funny because when you're filming it's usually a few days that you get off. for Thanksgiving, and then you're off normally for two weeks from right before Christmas, kind of depends on where Hanukkah falls, obviously, every year, and then to right after New years. So we didn't have holiday traditions in terms of this time of year. Our big holiday traditions were our Halloween parties. Hillary was the master party planner, like,

extraordinary. She's sort of like the spooky Martha Stewart of our friend group. And so Halloween was our big holiday because we were always in town for that. Alexa asks, how have you changed and grown as a person in 2024? Ooh. Wow. I mean, one whole year of being fully in my body, feeling fully in my body feeling like myself for the first time since, I don't know, I was maybe like eight years old, was pretty wild, pretty special. Everything has grown and everything has changed and still I in some way feel more myself. I feel more at ease with everything. That feels pretty special. I mean, obviously more at ease with everything this year, aside from November 5th, that day sucked, but I feel like I addressed that earlier.

Maddie asks, where do you think Brooke and Peyton would be in 2025? Oh my God, I think about this all the time. You know how Joey and Chandler lived right across the hall from Monica and Rachel? Like that. If we were in New York, we would live across the hall from each other. And if we're in Wilmington, our, you know, fictional tree hill, I feel like, are we neighbors? Like, do we live literally next door to each other? Do we live right across the street from each other?

I don't know, but close, walking distance. Quick knock on the door, absolutely. Jenny asks, what is a health habit you want to add to your routine in 2025? Oh, well, I talked about wanting to move, just like get up, go for a walk, shake it out, 20 minutes a day. That's a big one. And I guess if I was going to add anything else to it, I want to spend a little more time on mindfulness, you know, really shutting off, focusing.

on breathing, sleep. And it's not lost on me that I read sleep stories to kids on the Calm app. Yanni McDonny is my girl. But I never give myself a sleep story or like, you know, a 10-minute guided meditation or something. And I want to do that for me. I want to take care of myself the way I take care of other people. So, yeah, you just made me think about something else. Jenny, thank you. Oh, I like this question from Lucy. My friends and I have a New Year's Eve

tradition of making vision boards. What's on your vision board for 2025? Oh my goodness. Well, health, obviously. Movement, clearly some mindfulness. I know I made a joke earlier about how every time I try to become a vitamin person, I try to take, you know, 40 supplements. I think maybe just like three. Three things that are good for me a day. You know, what do they say? Like zinc so you don't get sick. CoQ10 is supposed to be really good for women. I don't know. Something else. You guys tell me what you think is great. Just no more filling up my pantry with like bottles of supplements that never get used. On the vision board for 2025. Okay, these are big goals. I want to work on a show that fills me with joy, that pushes me creatively and where I am

surrounded by amazing women that are in charge on set. I really want to travel. I mean, you guys, I don't know if you follow those Belmont trains. It looks like a Wes Anderson movie or something out of, I don't know, like a vintage, chic fever dream. They're like these trains. I don't know. I want to take a train somewhere and feel like a fancy lady from the 1940s

with like a little carrying case, you know, and go across a continent and see things I've never seen. So often when we travel, it's, you know, jump on the plane and then go straight to the event or go get off the plane and go give a speech and then go to this meeting and then get back on the plane so you can make it home for set the next day. And we don't even pay attention. And I really want to travel intentionally and actually put my eyeballs on more of the world and more of the countryside flying by a window.

And then what else goes on my vision board? I, oh, so many people have actually asked me this since I died my hair red. Everyone's like, wait, we love this. Would you ever want to do a hair campaign? And like, yeah, I'm a child of the 80s who grew up in the cultural 90s. I would love that. Like, you know, the swishy, shiny hair moment. I just feel like that would be so fun.

It feels like a real career bucket list or like a, you're worth it, a little L'Oreal moment, or maybe she's born with it. maybe it's Mabelene. I remember those jingles from commercials when I was a teenager and just being like, whoa. So I don't know. Maybe that stuff only exists on social media now, but it feels a little vintage and chic to me. Oh, this is a really good question from Sam. You have $50 to spend and 15 minutes to shop for a gift. Where are you going? Oof. $50 to spend 15 minutes. I would probably want to go somewhere with a really wide variety of stuff, like home goods, because then I could run up and down the aisles and see, like, oh, is there a tray I want to give someone for holiday hosting?

Is it this candle? Is it a pillow? Is it a throw blanket? Is it, I don't know, whatever other amazing random thing I could find. Likewise, this is going to sound crazy to you, but Costco, major because at Costco you can get everything from like tech to giant utility size boxes of snacks to jewelry. So I actually feel like I could really win my version of like a gift giving supermarket sweep at Costco. I think I would crush. Oh, and we have a Samantha. What is your favorite Christmas dessert? Oh, guys, I feel like I've talked about this just recently. Oh, I did. I was talking to Rob and Joy about this on the other podcast. I'm not really a sweet person. I am a savory gal. I would rather have a bowl of french fries for dessert than a dessert for dessert. But if you have some sort of

incredible savory baked good that you do for Christmas, send the recipe to us here at work in progress and maybe we'll talk about it in 2025. That's the holiday gift that I wish to get from you all is your baked good recipes. You never know. I might book. a baker next year in addition to becoming a person who actually goes on a walk for 20 minutes a day. Whatever your traditions are, whatever your goals are. Also, if you feel comfortable, please send us those. We can keep them anonymous too. I hope you enjoy them. I hope you achieve them. I hope you have an amazing end to your year. Happy holidays, everyone. From me and our whole team here at work in progress, we love and appreciate you. And we hope you ring in 2025 feeling wonderful.

Have a good one.