Effectively structured workflow is a surefire way to set ourselves up for success. Simply stated, having a schedule helps. I’ve always put that thinking into effect for my clients, just never for myself. Until now.
Breaking New Ground
Anyone who reads my work may recognize that I don’t typically follow a pattern of when I publish new pieces. I simply write about what I’m thinking at the time and put it out there when it’s ready. I’m more cognizant of my content, less fixated on administration.
It’s not that I’m ill-prepared with the material I’m covering. It all still falls directly within either my personal interests or professional mandate and I make sure I stand behind what I’m saying. It’s just that I haven’t yet put forth a consciously scheduled approach.
Well, that’s about to change.
All About Those Little Things
My wife Alexandra never ceases to amaze me, in all that she does and every aspect of her being. She always has and always will. To say I’m proud of her would be an understatement. She has launched her own brands throughout the years, giving me a front-row seat to witness her unparalleled creativity, drive, and perseverance.
Alexandra is my inspiration.
One of her more recent paths was paved with the intention of appreciating the beauty of all life has to offer us. Those joyous moments, motivations, and memories. Aptly named The Little Things.
Learning From the Best
As far as my love for writing goes, that began well before Alexandra and I even knew the other existed. However, it never really came to the forefront of what I was doing on a daily basis beyond knowing I enjoyed the task when it was required of me.
In other words, I found myself moving further from being one to just write for fun. It’s more recently been out of necessity, such as throughout my schooling, for work-related projects, or on behalf of digital marketing clients.
Once I began to see the joy that Alexandra experiences when writing for her own purposes, I knew I had to look at it in a different light for myself. Not only is it obvious that she genuinely loves to enrich the world with her well-thought-out content, but it just looks so liberating for her to decide what she chooses to talk about and why.
It became pretty clear, rather quickly, that I needed to revisit my passion for this pastime. That’s when I started to produce more content for my own blog, which has since snowballed into a multitude of freelance writing opportunities.
Now, I couldn’t imagine a life that didn’t include as much writing as I’m currently doing on a daily basis.
Copying My Queen
There’s another area of Alexandra’s expertise that deserves credit for influencing the journey I’m about to embark upon. And that’s her ability to organize herself in a way that makes the experience more enjoyable for both her and her readers.
As I said, I haven’t traditionally been one to put much focus on scheduling my content. However, taking yet another page from my wife’s playbook, it’s clear that there is a benefit in doing so.
For myself, it will force me to organize my thoughts and my work. I’ll have to be efficient, which is never a bad thing. For my content, it will create a steady stream of production. I can be more strategic with what is pushed out and when, which will only work to benefit my own digital marketing efforts.
The Little Things currently publishes a weekly blog post on Tuesdays, centred around whatever Alexandra feels like covering in that particular post. Sometimes it’s themed or seasonal, sometimes it’s not. She also recently started her Weekly Little Things Series, which includes a collaborative guest every month and is available to read on Thursdays.
So, What Happens Next?
To be clear, this doesn’t mean I plan to curb my patterns of creativity that seem to spark through all hours of the night and on any given day. I can’t change who I am, after all. So, you should still anticipate seeing those mysteriously timestamped Instagram stories that make you wonder if it was an early start to my morning or a late shutdown in the evening.
I’m also not proclaiming that I plan to stop talking about the same types of things that will always occupy my mind. Such as the flaws that limit your social media success, ways to manage the complexities of the English language, predictions of who will reign every hockey season, or a fun trip down memory lane of an adventure that Alexandra and I embarked upon.
What it does mean, however, is that I’m going to be putting forth a more concentrated effort. I’ll set goals and a schedule, with the hope that it translates into more success all around.
What You Can Expect
For instance, here’s how my schedule looks so far:
- First Monday of every month: My writing recap post will be published.
- Wednesdays: Reserved for pushing out a new weekly article.
I’ll still produce additional content as I see fit. I don’t want to take away the sporadic side of things, as I feel like it would hinder more than help. However, I just want to ensure there is a consistent flow to my own progress for me to focus on.
Ultimately, I want to level the playing field. I’d like to set a better balance between progress for others and results for myself. Hopefully, in doing so, it also helps make it a more user-friendly experience to digest what I put out there for others to digest and enjoy.
Ironically, no one saw this article coming. Nor was there a strategy behind when it went live. Nevertheless, I’m excited to start a more structured approach and hope you’ll come along for the ride.
First up, look for my next writing recap. Then, an important marketing tip will be available for you soon after. It’s all about websites and you won’t want to miss it.
