Trimester one is done. What’s changed?
Newsletter #13
🎉I made it through the first trimester* of this newsletter!
And like any first trimester, I do feel like I’m growing something.
So it seemed fitting this week, to look back on the first twelve newsletters and reflect on the impact this work has had on me.
There were early feelings of nausea, as I got used to sharing ideas not only in emails to readers, but also out in the open space of Substack. It felt a bit exposing at first, but as with most things, the more I practised, the easier it got to share stories and my thinking.
Monday morning sickness is now a thing of the past.
Here’s what else has changed:
My Self-Trust: turns out I can write and send a newsletter out every Monday – who knew?! I just know that I’ll write it and send it. It’s not anything I question or have to talk myself into, it just is 🧘🏽♀️ Kind of like when you promise yourself, you'll only have one drink, and you do, and you’re home smug and in bed by 9.30pm!
A Body of Work: the process of thinking and writing and editing and editing (did I mention editing?) means I’m developing and forging my ideas into something tangible and that feels really good.
A Toolbox of Tools: I’ve been working on lots of new tools as well as a tool manifesto-charter-pledge thing, (Still working on the name if you hadn’t guessed). that explains how and why I make the tools I make. It will also act as a ‘sniff test’ to make sure my tools are in alignment with my values before they’re shipped.
Like any quality assurance check, it will check that my tools are safe, but also I want to test that they're actually useful and not just shiny objects that will, like the proverbial elf, end up sitting on a shelf.
I want tools that actually make a difference in how you work and so I’m thrilled to be also currently working with a couple of readers of this newsletter, trying some tools out IRL.
I’ve had good chats: with real people about the ideas I’ve shared here and how they’ve resonated. If you EVER feel like sharing any feedback with me, I’m always so delighted.
It’s so good to hear when something that came out of my head makes sense in your head too.
It’s felt good to stop for a minute and notice the changes creating this newsletter has had on me. When we start something new there are always lots of unknowns, from how much time and energy will be needed to make the work happen to the learnings and growth along the way, that can seep into us without us even realising. So that brings us to…
This week's question:
Why this question?
If you’ve read one of my earliest newsletters on business ecosystems1, you’ll know I’m a big fan of decentring yourself from your business and moving yourself into its ecosystem, next to clients and the planet and all the good company you keep. You’re not in a privileged and severed position from the rest of your ecosystem, you are entangled and interconnected and part of the web, not a saviour or a hero in the story.
How to use this question
It’s behind you!
Sometimes you need to turn around and face what's behind you! So pause and take a look back at a recent project or decision and consider how it’s impacted you, from changes in beliefs or behaviours, to the impact on your time or energy, because
“All that you touch/You Change
All that you Change/Changes you2”Octavia Butler
Look for the unexpected side-effects
I didn’t have huge expectations from this newsletter for myself, I knew I wanted to do it, and, more than that, I wanted to do the thing I said I’d do.
So many tools are built to measure outward impact, but our tools can track inner shifts too. Things like the newly found confidence to say “No” or just feeling good about the work you’re doing.
That’s real impact too, and just because it can’t be turned into a metric, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t count.
Design for your own impact
Once you’ve sniffed out the good stuff, it’s time to work out how to infuse more of it into your life and your ecosystem. You’re allowed to design the work you do to feel good for you as well as others.
So onwards!
If you’ve been with me from the start, thank you.
Or if this is your first newsletter, welcome!
I’ll be back next Monday.
Till then, take care,
P.S. I’m quietly trying out a few new tools in the background. If you're curious or want to help shape them, drop me a note.
P.P.S If you got this far, you’re basically my birthing partner now. Thank you!
Inspiration & Credits:
I hope giving some distance between sources and their links frees you from ending up in an unintended rabbit hole! If you’re interested though - click away!
* h/t Phil Dearson, who used this term to describe the first few months of his business. I’ve added this with an * as you can’t footnote a header in Substack!
“A Few Rules For Predicting The Future” by Octavia E. Butler