Consistently Creating
“Ribbit. Rrrrrrrriiiiibbbbiiit. Ribbit ribbit.”
So croaks this guilty fox who has leapfrogged over several weekends with her newsletter. Yep, that’s me.
It’s a bittersweet guilt, really. On one hand, I’ve held to my core value of only sending quality work your way. I aim to fill your inbox with content that sparks a smile, inspires creativity, and motivates positive action.
On the other hand, my quality requirement has caused me to delay when I haven’t had work that meets my standard at the ready. Hence the skipping over every other weekend. Could you hear me croaking on those letter-less weekends? Did you think I had croaked? Nope, still here! 🐸
I’m done being a leap frogger. Foxes weren’t made to ribbit or croak, or to live under the burden of guilt. So, it’s time that I live up to my foxy nature and exercise my own advice...on myself. Here goes.
The Foundation
What exists now and do we like it? This is the question of foundation. This is how we identify core values and what needs to change.
Here, we have the Newsletter for Foxes. I, Nikki Merrifox write, and my lovely foxes read. Sometimes my foxes write too - sharing fun stories and positive replies to newsletters that resonate with their lives. Yay! We chat about inspiring positive change, achieving dreams, basically anything foxy. All is well in our foxy world with respect to content and engagement. This is all fun, pure fun.
The glaring inconsistency therefore does not arise from quality but rather from timing. I want to deliver consistent quality... consistently. Every other weekend doesn’t cut it. Or does it? Monday delivery is not a weekend delivery. Time of day... who knows what time it is anyway? Something needs to change.
The Problem
Timing. Oh timing. [insert exasperated sigh here]
You may or may not know this about me yet, but I don’t adhere to routines very well. Deadlines, yes. Routines, no. I’ve always been a do-everything, all-at-once, whenever I can squeeze it in, kinda gal. I’m a triage queen. My college roommate (one of our foxes! 😘) used to call me “no-time Nikki” and would count down seconds to incite me to get out the door for whatever appointment I needed to attend.
And even though I am always hustling, my flexibility in schedule has served me well, especially in law school and as an attorney. I get a lot done, whenever I can get it done. I’ve never had to wait for the optimal moment to achieve results. At least that’s what I’d thought, until now.
I’m a night fox, my friends! Guess what - it’s midnight in Austin as I write this newsletter RIGHT NOW. My creative energy peaks at night and sleeps through the morn. It’s taken becoming an artist and blogger to realize that, for years, I have saved creative work for late hours and handled all administrative and life tasks during the day. My “just get it done'“ approach no longer “gets it done” because the majority of my work now requires creativity.
The problem is that when my daytime tasks overwhelm the day, they eat up my creative time. Sometimes my creative hours are totally annihilated because I’m too consumed, dealing with the tasks and stresses of life. The Newsletter’s delivery schedule has suffered, my time to make art and create new content has suffered, Merrifox has suffered. “No-time Nikki” needs a schedule, a true deadline, instead of just quality content when creativity strikes. Or does she? Haha.
The Solution
Let’s try a change. I want to have my cake and eat it too. You know me! Nom nom nom.🧁
Let’s get on track with a consistent Newsletter for Foxes. Consistent in quality, check. Consistent in delivery... let’s earn that check. Here’s how I’m going to adjust my behavior to achieve the desired result:
I’m going to plan and batch my content.
I’ve let each newsletter be a creative sprint that spontaneously occurs when inspiration strikes. Of course I’m still going to write like mad when ideas play like music in my head. Sometimes I can hear the things I will say to you, whispering in my ears like inspiration ghosts. Seize them, I must!
What I’m going to add to my creative process is a plan. I’m going to set aside some of my daytime hours to plan new series and content to share with you. Not only will this inspire me, I’m sure, but it will also give me time to let ideas simmer in the background while I work on other tasks. I love to simmer on ideas. More flavor that way.
I’m also going to batch content. Because I’ll have ideas for newsletters planned, I will be able to work on drafts during the day and then refine at night. I want to dedicate a day every week to this process so that I can have a stock of quality writing ready for you consistently, come rain or shine. Trust that I’ll be there for you when you need a boost in your day, or a quick laugh at my antics. If you snort espresso out your nose while laughing, send me pics for bonus points! I don’t relate. 😉
The Question
Thought that was it? Haha. Nope. I have a question for you. Actually, a poll.
I’d love to know your preference for when you’d like to receive this Newsletter. I have a few times that work for me, and I want to know what works for you! Simply click the button below and rank the options in order of preference. The poll expires in a few days, so place your vote now!
Thanks for voting, for reading, and for being foxy.
Three cheers for my lovely foxes,
“Life will only change when you become more committed to your dreams than you are to your comfort zone.”
If you enjoyed this post and want to receive new content and updates a week early, subscribe to my Newsletter for Foxes! You’ll be the first to read new blog posts, inspiration, and more. 🦊