I opened a physical notebook to ask myself some life planning questions, and I noticed that my last entry had been about feeling overwhelmed by a false sense of self-imposed urgency. I certainly don’t feel overwhelmed by this week of writing; I feel inspired! The pieces I’ve produced in the past week are some of my best writing in YEARS.

But pride goes before the fall. I have a habit of doing this. I become maniacally productive for a day, a week, a month. And then I miss a day and abandon the entire project. This has happened with academics, business ideas, and self-improvement routines. I rush in with all the fervor of a new convert and flame out just as quickly.

There’s another aspect of my approach that warrants concern. I’ve studied marketing and social media management for my master’s degree, and I’m trying to become a social media manager for others. Completely abandoning the principles of scheduling and consistency in favor of inspiration makes me look like an untrustworthy hypocrite.

I’ve created this false dichotomy between “sales writing” and “soul writing”. In my mind, “sales writing” is calculated, profit-driven, and soulless. “Soul writing” is authentic, messy, and completely unstructured. I’m a big fan of soul writing, and it’s been hugely transformative in my life. But there is a time and place for structure, even within soul writing. All the best authors, at least all the ones I can think of, are disciplined and structured in their craft of transformation. Maybe I can take a cue from them.

As I find my footing in this new era of writing, perhaps I can transform the bright firework into a small and enduring candle. For example, perhaps my writing doesn’t have to take over my entire day. I still have responsibilities to my household and my friends.

All this to say, the daily essays will likely be reduced to a few times a week as I create an actual content schedule for myself. I know that I thrive in structure and routine, and I also want to maintain an original Substack presence as long as possible. I confess I joined Substack to find out if I can actually make money from my writing. For being on the platform for only a week, I’m impressed with the virtual connections I’ve made and the many amazing and insightful pieces I’ve read. I’m not entirely sure yet what the structure will be, but I’ve already come up with an intriguing series idea, and I’m excited to share it once it’s ready. That’s all I know for now. Thanks for reading.