So you rang in the new year full of hope and ambition that 2020 was going to be the breakthrough year for your message!

(and the year you lost those last stupid 10 pounds!)

(and the year you donated your TV and cancelled your Netflix subscription!)

And here we are in mid-February, no breakthroughs, no pounds missing, still binge watching..

If your energy and enthusiasm is a little…less than…I hear you.

Grand plans are so much fun until you actually have to do the work.

Breakthrough messaging requires working on messaging :-) The coaches, designers, and small business owners who find me feel like content is a constant block for them. They struggle with

• the minutes and hours that tick away not knowing what to write.

• the lost sleep and midnight oil burned because they didn’t get around to writing this month’s newsletter and it really should go out tomorrow.

• the annoyance of constantly starting from scratch and recreating their messages every time they open a Word or Google doc.

However, it is way too early to give up on the idea that 2020 can be the breakthrough year for your messaging.

Here are three paths to giving yourself a do-over.

Connect With Your “Why”
How often do you ask yourself “what’s the end game of this newsletter I send out?” Why are you telling people the stuff you’re telling them?

We can get into a rut of “gotta do the newsletter” and start writing for writing sake. That just wastes your time and the time of people you’re reaching out it. When I am coaching my clients to build their content confidence, we start each writing assignment with “What am I trying to say?” and “Why am I saying it?” conversation.

Plan Like A Pro
If you only have a handful of hours to focus on writing (because you're also, you know, running a business), a content calendar makes that time meaningful.

It tells you "here's what you're writing about and it publishes/posts/sends on this date", because…”

“Because” can be many things…because you have a class starting, or a new location opening, or it’s National Waffle Day and that’s the best seller on your menu.

(BTW, National Waffle Day is March 25. This is another reason we plan content.)

And here’s one more secret. It’s not about the fancy tools or apps. You could use a piece of paper or your Google Calendar (as I do). If you want to take a deeper dive into Content Planning, join my next round of quarterly Build Your Content Plan Workshops happening In March.

Don’t Go It Alone
Running a business can be lonely. I’m fortunate to have a number of friends and colleagues who love to get together to co-work.

Sometimes we do it live in a coffee shop, but since I’ve moved to Washington, it’s most often virtually over the phone or Zoom.

There’s no reason it should work, but it does! There is a total energy shift when we’re collectively trying to get. writing. done.

If you want to get a taste of how co-working can help you meet your writing goals, join me for my Leap Day Write-A-Thon: virtual co-working and creative commiseration. Join me for any or all of the 40-minute writing sprints happening all day long. Details are here.

I can’t help you with the weight or the TV watching. But I’m all in on helping you make 2020 the breakthrough year for your messaging.

The do-over starts RIGHT NOW!