My favorite writer online is DHH and his topics range from business to politics to psychology. He has a “newsletter” but it’s never regular. Sometimes he sends two emails a week, other times no emails for two weeks. Feel free to have a nonstandard schedule for this newsletter. I will still open it and read it.
Thank you for sharing this. It's super real and relatable, I feel like I'm tipping into warning zone of stacking too much on myself so changing how I schedule things and saying no more intentionally is great reminders. Glad to hear from you on this newsletter again!
Your Substack is the way I keep up with your thoughts the most - and it's always enjoyable to read. Definitely keep this at the top of your priority totem pole.
Thanks for sharing and putting into words what a lot of folks creating on the internet go through from time to time. Even if few admit it.
Also very glad at least the Small Bets Mentorships are over with. 😅 You did an amazing job but I am sure they were draining. I hope you get some much needed R&R.
I always feel drained from these things myself. But then a few weeks later, after some rest, lots of ideas come rushing through from all the conversations.
Your thoughtful support has always meant a lot to me - glad you're thinking about what's important for yourself and ensuring we'll have many more essays to enjoy from you!
I’ve been through a similar bout of overcommitment-leading-to-burnout recently, so I can empathize. ❤️
When transitioning to doing creative work full-time, it seems common to stuff our days just like we would’ve at our previous 9-to-5s...but creative productivity is totally different from white-collar-job productivity, in my experience at least.
Take care Michelle. You’re an outstanding writer and supporter of others. Skipping a few essays and meetings won’t change this one bit. Enjoy the rest and more spacious schedule.
Welcome to the "Don't know how to say no" club, Michelle! We're so many in there. The other day I stumbled upon this quote by Joan Didion: ""We flatter ourselves by thinking this compulsion to please others an attractive trait: a gift for imaginative empathy, evidence of our willingness to give...we play roles doomed to failure before they are begun, each defeat generating fresh despair at the necessity of divining and meeting the next demand made upon us... To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves...there lies the great singular power of self-respect." -- Food for thought. Get some deserved (mental) rest, Substack's not going anywhere! :)
You could sell those cute little Canva calendars on Gumroad if you wanna monetise your burnout😉😂. Jk, this was very real, glad you're taking steps to get more in control of your time.
Very relatable. I actually have a half-written piece similar to this topic that I was working on a few weeks ago but got too burnt out to finish, lol. Glad to see you’re taking some time for yourself.
So relatable, I would literally add more to my plate without thinking of the consequences. Glad that you're here again, and you're always free to take a break whenever you need it!
My favorite writer online is DHH and his topics range from business to politics to psychology. He has a “newsletter” but it’s never regular. Sometimes he sends two emails a week, other times no emails for two weeks. Feel free to have a nonstandard schedule for this newsletter. I will still open it and read it.
Heck yeah do what you gotta do!!
Also, love the thumbnail 😂
Thank you for sharing this. It's super real and relatable, I feel like I'm tipping into warning zone of stacking too much on myself so changing how I schedule things and saying no more intentionally is great reminders. Glad to hear from you on this newsletter again!
Your Substack is the way I keep up with your thoughts the most - and it's always enjoyable to read. Definitely keep this at the top of your priority totem pole.
Thanks for sharing and putting into words what a lot of folks creating on the internet go through from time to time. Even if few admit it.
Also very glad at least the Small Bets Mentorships are over with. 😅 You did an amazing job but I am sure they were draining. I hope you get some much needed R&R.
I always feel drained from these things myself. But then a few weeks later, after some rest, lots of ideas come rushing through from all the conversations.
Your thoughtful support has always meant a lot to me - glad you're thinking about what's important for yourself and ensuring we'll have many more essays to enjoy from you!
I’ve been through a similar bout of overcommitment-leading-to-burnout recently, so I can empathize. ❤️
When transitioning to doing creative work full-time, it seems common to stuff our days just like we would’ve at our previous 9-to-5s...but creative productivity is totally different from white-collar-job productivity, in my experience at least.
If you haven’t read Cal Newport’s work on “slow productivity,” I’d highly recommend that! It really changed how I approach my own creative work: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/office-space/its-time-to-embrace-slow-productivity
Take care Michelle. You’re an outstanding writer and supporter of others. Skipping a few essays and meetings won’t change this one bit. Enjoy the rest and more spacious schedule.
Very relatable, I know this feeling all too well. Appreciate you writing about it
Welcome to the "Don't know how to say no" club, Michelle! We're so many in there. The other day I stumbled upon this quote by Joan Didion: ""We flatter ourselves by thinking this compulsion to please others an attractive trait: a gift for imaginative empathy, evidence of our willingness to give...we play roles doomed to failure before they are begun, each defeat generating fresh despair at the necessity of divining and meeting the next demand made upon us... To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves...there lies the great singular power of self-respect." -- Food for thought. Get some deserved (mental) rest, Substack's not going anywhere! :)
Michelle, you ARE a great writer. Not an aspirational sentiment. Also the metaphor of icing works really well. Hope you find your balance!
You could sell those cute little Canva calendars on Gumroad if you wanna monetise your burnout😉😂. Jk, this was very real, glad you're taking steps to get more in control of your time.
Hope you are feeling better! Take care of yourself first, IMO good work follows good mental state.
Very relatable. I actually have a half-written piece similar to this topic that I was working on a few weeks ago but got too burnt out to finish, lol. Glad to see you’re taking some time for yourself.
So relatable, I would literally add more to my plate without thinking of the consequences. Glad that you're here again, and you're always free to take a break whenever you need it!
Happy you're working towards taking care of yourself---you deserve it.
And if it does happen again, you'll recognize it sooner and course correct sooner.
To knowing better & doing better 💙
Excited for all your future writing, whenever it feels right for you to do.