Ruh roh, it’s crunch time.
Apparently from September onward, it’s “lock-in” time, when everyone realizes, “oh shit there’s only 3-ish months left before the end of the year,” and “what have I done to show for it so far.”
I’m not here to trigger anxiety or make anyone feel bad about not doing something.
And I’m certainly not into hustle culture.
I do, however, set a high bar for myself when it comes to self-imposed deadlines.
Through reading and listening to books, videos and podcasts, and surrounding myself with a dynamic network, I rewired my brain a long time ago…
To be okay with challenging myself with reinvention, and learning new skills, tasks, and habits.
I know it takes getting out of my comfort zone and taking certain risks for unique rewards.
This was and is true for when I left the corporate world to start a company, make social media content with more of my face and voice, pitch ideas for food writing, or put my extrovert hat on to network IRL (though I’m a total introvert; the rarest of the rare, an INTJ).
An example of a self-imposed deadline is this Substack letter you’re reading, that I commit to writing weekly, and have done so for almost two years now.
It’s been a meditative practice and discipline to prove that yes, I can commit to creating something for public consumption, much like I did for clients years ago.
I am so grateful to have you as my audience with consistent readership, and some of you even pay (pay!) to support me.
Content entrepreneur | Agency Founder & CEO | Bestselling author Featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Bankrate, Cheddar TV, and HuffPost | Join more than 6,480 people on the internet who follow me for discerning lifestyle, travel, and money content:
Starting last year and throughout this year, I deliberately took time to learn more about design, video editing, and related software.
I’m not even the best video editor, but I remember watching this super skilled editor do this when I worked at CNBC’s Mad Money.
It looked so fun, and today’s tools make it easier than ever to create simple videos.
I also set out to build my food writing portfolio.
I admit I have a bit of an advantage here: I’m a longtime writer and critic; a published author; I went to UNC journalism school and was a journalist, so I know how pitching editors works.
But I still have to do the work of submitting ideas for articles and networking with fellow writers and new editors.
Of course, I also understand what malaise, brain fog, and burnout feel like.
I know what going through emotions related to life changes—like moving cities, breakups and changing jobs, careers, and work—feels like.
But there are ways to recover, rehabilitate, and rejuvenate.
For me, it was therapy, slowing down, time with family and loved ones, conversations with new people, reconnections with old, good friends, and lots of long walks outside with Mr. Bean.
Start. Don’t stop
Too often, I see people start, then stop.
They secretly want more recognition and all the benefits of the hard work, but they haven’t first taken baby steps to get there.
They might post a little something here or there, write or send a little something here or there…and then—nothing.
Just as I get curious, they disappear.
Crickets. What’s the point?
No one is entitled to anything, and it takes discipline and consistency to earn others’ ATTENTION, the scarcest commodity today:
Okay, so your first short film got panned
Big deal! The next one can only get betterYou have 125 Instagram followers, and want more
Create one short reel where you’re teaching a valuable lesson or insight, and repeat this daily for the next 20 days
Research the most popular videos by hashtag on the topic and duplicate the style and/or audio for yourself
Take time to learn a few creator tools and techniques, there are no shortcuts or buying followers which will get you blacklisted or shadowbanned
You gained weight
Count and reduce your calories, replace potato chips with cucumbers/carrots, sugary sodas with plain or unsweetened seltzers, and fried foods with grilled or air-fried ones
Maybe take two 20 to 30 minute slow walks outdoors daily
Invest in a trainer or coach who can help you without getting injured, and hold you accountable
Actually talk to your doctor about getting on Ozempic or related drugs
Find people or clubs that prioritize active living and healthy lifestyles, and join those groups
You want to make and sell something:
Sketch your idea, design it out with Canva, use ChatGPT for go-to-market research on suppliers and launch strategies online
I can’t think of anything worse than someone with a chip on their shoulder because they didn’t really really try, swallow their pride, and use ingenuity to persevere, instead of longing for or being bitter about others’ success.
Sure, it takes time to do anything, but you have to sacrifice a certain amount to focus and finish.
If some of the world’s most successful athletes, musicians, artists, authors, entrepreneurs, and writers figured it out regardless of their station in life, then you can, too.
The best way to overcome self-doubt and “imposter syndrome” is with action and experience.
Who cares if no one sees it at first.
Use the “ramping up” time to learn by doing.
People will take notice, maybe slower or faster than you expect.
What’s important is that you start and create a discipline of your own.
So what about you?
What do you want to get started on? Reply or comment below.
Let’s see you do it. I’d love to see you try!
More from the Shindy-verse
📺 I’m watching:
The Great British Bake Off: Continuing this!
The Girlfriend, Prime Video. Okay so I binged this and I just have to say it was deliciously disturbing and absorbing. I also appreciate the international scenery (London, Malaga). No one plays “obsessive, overbearing mother” quite like Robin Wright, who faces off with her son’s equally disturbed girlfriend, played by the ravishing Olivia Cooke
Sorry, I’m not watching The Summer I turned Pretty
📚 I’m reading:
My Body, by Emily Ratajkowski. Finished and loved it. This was an easy, candid read and I was surprised by her candor about the dysfunction in her early life but also how she’s reckoned with all the commercial success because of her body and sexuality
We Live Here Now, by Sarah Pinbrough. Continuing this juicy ghost story!
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Until next time,
Shindy
On Instagram + TikTok
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Shindy yes!!
The Girlfriend was unbelievable! She’s an incredible actress.