A Trap I Fell into his Year

Today at a Glance

If you've been following my articles this month, you might recall a few breadcrumbs I left behind in my second and fourth pieces.

I teased a reflection, something deeper, something personal.

Well, today’s the day. Today, I let you in on the full story.

But first, a word from our sponsor.

…Oh wait, we don’t have one yet.

Consider this me practicing for when sponsorship deals roll in!

But hey, if you’d like to bring this little rehearsal to life and become an actual sponsor of this newsletter, feel free to reach out to me on Substack or email me at temmydave001@gmail.com.

Let’s make it happen!

And now, back to the story...

I am giggling as I write this.

It’s been years since I’ve written like this. Three years, to be exact.

And when I say “writing like this,” I mean writing with no obvious goal in mind but trusting that the lesson or the point will reveal itself.

I’m giggling because I’m excited. Excited to see if I still got it. If I’ve evolved beyond that point or maybe devolved below it.

You see, I made a goal to post an article every week of this year starting from January 13.

51 weeks, 51 articles about personal improvement and simple living.

Today, I have achieved it. I've got 51 articles.

But I am never setting such a goal again.

Never.

Now, it has been good, don’t misunderstand me.

I find it very beautiful to rise to a challenge and show myself that if I set my mind to something, I can achieve it.

I have also learned a lot from writing consistently

But I am not doing it again. At least under the conditions, I did it this year.

Because I’ve dreaded and hated writing this year. (God that feels so freeing to say)

Every part of it has been exhausting.

Coming up with topics? A hassle.

Researching them? Even worse.

Outlining, drafting, refining? Pure hell.

And it was all because I let it turn into a chore, something I had to do, not something I enjoyed.

To top it off, I have felt largely discouraged by the people I thought I was writing for.

Now, this might be my vain side talking, but let’s be real:

You don’t want to write for the same group of people for several weeks running only for most of them to say, “Oh, I saw your articles piling up. I’ll read them soon.”

Do you know how painful that is?

Or when a lot of people say, “Your last article was nice,” but can’t even recall the topic or what it was about when I need feedback as if to patronize me.

But beyond this, I realized I didn’t love what I was writing about.

I felt too formal, too uptight.

That’s why I’m writing this piece differently.

I mean, why did I turn Letting My Hair Down into something so formal when the title screams “therapy session”? Who’s formal in therapy?

This is one of the reasons I am writing this article, especially to advise anyone planning to be creative next year: Love something about what you’re doing.

This year, I listened to motivational speakers who said, “Write for a reason, write with purpose, even if it’s not fun.”

And honestly? That advice sucked.

It felt terrible.

In their defense, maybe it felt terrible because it didn’t yield any tangible results.

If I’d gained a bigger subscriber base or built an audience that vainly engaged with my work, maybe my stance would be different.

But I’m thankful that didn’t happen. I’d hate to be the person who shows up for something they dislike just because they have no other choice.

So let my case serve as a cautionary tale and reminder to create for fun. Really.

Learn to do something for reasons you love

Mind you, those reasons need to show up consistently.

For me, they didn’t and that was tough.

The only thing I truly enjoyed this year was engaging with the people who replied to my comments or discussed my topics with me.

To these people: I sincerely love and appreciate you.

You made me remember from time to time that I wasn't a mad scientist writing about something people didn't care about.

Thank you so much.

Conclusively, I like to make this clear:

Writing, or any creative process, isn’t for the weak.

So if you plan to be consistent next year, make sure there’s a part of it you genuinely enjoy.

It’ll save you from burnout and keep you motivated when the results aren’t what you hoped for.

As for me, starting next year, I’ll be doing my thing for Letting My Hair Down. Going back to my roots.

Writing as I see fit when I see fit.

You might get something on a Sunday, Saturday, or Monday.

Twice a week, or twice a month. Or maybe never.

If I feel I have something to say, you’ll hear it. If not, silence.

Anyway, you’ve got this. And if you don’t, that’s okay too.

We’re all figuring it out.

From the deepest part of the organ that pumps blood in my chest, I sincerely wish you a great year ahead.

Till next time,

Salud.

In Case You Missed It.

In my last article, I share lessons for the year 2024. Here are the bits:

• Ask questions, even the hard ones.
• Don’t wait for closure, create it.
• Advice is great, but action is greater.
• Overthinking is overrated; the future will sort itself out.
• Build a community. Find allies. Be an ally.