Shit, I flaked

It was one of those weeks...

I recently skipped a week with this newsletter. Not sure if you noticed. 

I asked Craig, one of my coaching clients, “Did you notice?” 

And yes… he did! (ouff - he called me out on it.)

Then I went to my friend Saci - did she notice? (She’s a genuinely devoted reader and a fantastic body worker.)  

Her answer made me giggle…

Consistency isn’t just showing up every week with new content. (Or bleeding on the page in every single article looking for a high open rate.)

It’s about creating a rhythm, a pattern your readers can rely on. When you create a consistent schedule, your readers know when to expect your newsletter in their inbox. 

They start to look forward to it, dare I say, expect it. And that anticipation is powerful–it keeps them engaged and invested in what you have to say. 

The thing is, life happens: sometimes, despite our best intentions, we miss a week. Maybe you get swamped with other projects. Or you have friends visiting, hitting all the hot spots because you’ve made reservations weeks in advance.

Forgive yourself now for the times when resistance rears its foggy head, and all you want to do is curl up with a book and nap the entire week. (You get the idea.)

Here’s what I’ve learned: missing a week isn’t life or death, but it IS important to keep the commitment. 

And the worst critic is the one in your head. 

I don’t know about yours, but mine defaults to, “No one’s really gonna care. No one will even notice.” 

So here’s my point in all this. 

Readers will start to care when you consistently show up in their inboxes and share stories that help and entertain them.

I came up with a few easy things I could have done instead:

1. Sent a short note with some of my pretty photos, like these, and kept it real. 

“I'm popping into your inbox today feeling overwhelmed with the beginning of March. Friends and family visited, so here are a few of my favorite photos. I’m working away on something for next week. Thanks for reading!”  

2. Pulled an older, popular post from the archives and sent it out again. (Using a different version of the same note as above.)

3. Shared another writer's article by cross-posting it from their publication. Once you have their permission, you can cross-post to share their article with your subscribers. 

Cross-posting is unique to Substack, so I’ll give you the 411 super quick. (And if you’re not on Substack, bear with me.)

Start by clicking on the ellipsis in the right corner of their post like so:

You'll be able to write a brief intro to your readers. 

After it’s sent, it’ll be posted to your publication with all the writer's information. 

In the end, it’ll be on your publication and look like this:

One of the unique things about Substack is that you can be more yourself and less polished in moments like this. (i.e., when you don’t have your writing shit together.)

The quality of writing is essential, but keeping things real with readers and other writers is what makes this whole thing so interesting.

Last week, Craig caught me in one of those moments of “Do what I say, not what I do.” 

So, it was a teaching moment for both of us as we mapped out the launch of his Substack Crush the Sunday Scaries.

It’s a weekly newsletter designed to give you tools to eliminate that insidious anxiety people feel on Sunday night when they’re constantly dreading the work week. If you feel the corporate life is draining you but don’t know what else to do—Craig has been there.

He’s made major life changes that took him from following a traditional career path to carving out an entrepreneurial life where he’s living and working on his terms. (And of course, Steph’s terms 🤣 his fantastic wife/partner)  

If Sunday night rolls around and you’re dreading Monday, Crush the Sunday Scaries will inspire and motivate you to reconsider your lifestyle. 

And I guarantee

Craig A. Perkins

rarely skips a week. (If EVER!) 

So now I’m wondering, did you even notice? 

Stay creative, 

Jen

P.S. If you’re curious about setting up your Substack and writing consistently to develop your voice on the page, look at my Set Up and Grow Your Substack sessions and book a free talk with me. 

P.P.S. The date for the next Scribbling Circle is Sunday, March 31st, from 3 pm to 4:30 pm PST / 5 pm to 6:30 pm CT. It’s a writing practice that’s part restorative, part therapy, and all belly laugh—guaranteed to loosen up your voice on the page and plaster a grin on your face. 

Hit reply (or comment inside Substack) if you want to try this one!