“Essentialism is not about how to get more things done, it’s about how to the get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing less for the sake of less either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.” Greg McKeown, Essentialism
For nearly 11 years I’ve been writing online. The online space is growing and changing and doing it’s internet-y thing.
My work in this space is changing, too. I’m becoming more discerning about my yes and my no.
I’m finding ways to provide income to not only pay for running this small business, but to also provide for my family so that I can continue to serve you the ways I feel called to serve.
Sometimes it feels tricky to be both an author who writes about life with Christ and a creative entrepreneur excited to try new things.
For a long time I thought I had to choose between those two parts of myself.
Now I realize I don’t. I’m both and that makes my work better.
One of the reasons I haven’t quit yet is I’m super picky about who I take advice from.
If someone’s blogging/internet/marketing advice makes me want to hyperventilate?
Pass.
Breathe.
Remember who I am and what makes me come alive.
Repeat.
Just like money, time, and influence, the Internet is inherently neutral. What makes it bad or good is what you choose to do with it.
We all know this.
Instead of giving up on the online space because it’s loud and distracting and overwhelming, I am learning ways write on the Internet without losing my mind.
1. If you’re a blogger, post less.
Personally I aim for 2 posts per week, one regular post and one For Your Weekend post.
2. If you’re a reader, read less. i.e. Unsubscribe.
I unsubscribe from things all the time. In fact, I’ve unsubscribed from everything except my top, most favorite, can’t-miss blogs. That means I only regularly read less than 10. And it’s delightful. (And if you’re a writer, be a can’t-miss blog and/or newsletter writer.)
3. Round Ups.
I write a round-up post each weekend called For Your Weekend and other bloggers do this as well. I glance at those weekly roundups to see what other writers have found that I’ve missed in various spaces.
4. Sign up for Newsletters.
While I’ve unsubscribed from a lot of blogs, I choose to subscribe to the newsletters of my favorite online writers because, if they’re doing it right, they share some of their best stuff in these.
5. Chase the fun.
It’s the best online advice I’ve heard, said by Annie Downs several years back when asked how to stay sane online: Chase the fun. When it comes to social channels, choose because of fun rather than for fear of missing out. For example, I love Instagram because it’s fun for me. I mostly ignore Twitter because it isn’t.
6. Install Rescue Time.
It’s an app for your computer and I’ve installed it so I can easily see how much of my time online is productive vs. distracting. Super helpful.
7. Identify panic triggers.
When I’m online and feel my soul start to shake on the inside from a low-grade scattered panic, I ask myself why and I’m starting to pay attention. Your triggers won’t be the same as mine, but it’s important we know them.
For those of us who work online, turning the computer off isn’t always an option. So I’m paying attention to the panic triggers and doing what I can to avoid them.
With all the noise, we have to work harder than ever to remember why we do this and to actually do it well.
We don’t have time to allow the intention for our work to get buried underneath a list of non-essentials.
If you’re like me and part of your job requires you to have an online presence, maybe you wish there was one place to go to get solid advice, tutorials, and action steps for improving your blog, social media, and business.
Well of course there is!
It’s called The Genius Blogger’s Toolkit and it’s available for 7 days only. Here’s where you can learn all about how to get the toolkit for 98% off.
In the spirit of full disclosure, everything in this bundle won’t all be a fit for you. But I’m sharing it because there’s enough here to get your money’s worth and then some.
For example, one of the courses in the bundle is my sister’s course called Instavaluable where she shares 7 basic strategies to use Instagram with purpose.
You can get her course in the bundle for less than what they normally sell it for plus 61 other resources and a ton of bonuses for free.
Take a look at the bundle and see which resources will help you meet your goals with more ease and less overwhelm. If you write online, it’s a no-brainer deal. It’s only available for 7 days so check it out!
As always, I only share content and resources with you that I hope will help create a little more space for your soul to breathe. I have great respect for the folks who run this bundle and it’s a deal I couldn’t keep to myself.
I share it with you as a glad affiliate, which means the links I share in this post are affiliate links.
I’ve personally learned from several of these smart teachers. I hope you enjoy it!
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