Before we dive into this piece, are you interested in creating your own substack? I’ve had many reach out and I cannot recommend this platform enough, I am a big fan. If you want to create your own, use the link below and it will connect us as you create yours. I’d love to share the work of those who support me and so, click the link, get started, and let me know so I can highlight your content throughout the coming year.
Now, top the topic at hand…
We all want to do it all, but the more we do, the less we can give to each of the things we’re doing. That is today's story and an admission of guilt in not living up to the standard I wanted to set here with The Daily Draft.
The Newsletter of Daily Living
I created The Daily Draft as an outlet for my thoughts and for it to be a resource to offer content not suited for the realm of masculinity, marriage, and fatherhood which I address on The Family Alpha Blog. As Substack has grown, so too have its services which I am taking advantage of (The Daily Draft SUBSTACK PODCAST for example).
I created this resource with the intent of writing daily, and that may seem audacious to many, but I enjoy writing and I don’t get stuck in my head so sitting and pumping out 800-1,200 word articles is no difficult task. I have to slow down on the deeper dives into the psyche; still, I can rattle off blog posts, podcasts, and content with ease day in and day out.
So, why the almost 3-week gap in posts?
That’s a fair question…
Let’s Talk About It:
If you recall, in a previous article published here I shared that I had decided it was a good idea to take on a Master’s Degree in Psychology;
That was on top of building up the Fraternity of Excellence, writing here daily, launching a Tik Tok, writing for the Family Alpha blog, and bringing content back to The Family Alpha Podcast…
It was a decision stemming from my, “Nothing can stop me” mind while ignoring the fact that besides creating content online I’m also a husband and father with two very active children who are both in sports that require my attendance and chauffeuring.
Bottom Line: Taking those College classes broke my time management back.
The number of hours required to write, research, and submit assignments broke me, knocking me off my flow not just here, but across the board. I took too much on and like Icarus, when I flew too close to the Sun, it burned me up and I came plummeting back to Earth.
That plummet was a 15-day reset of getting my head screwed on straight and getting a schedule back in order.
The Solution?
I’ve decided to drop the courses, the degree is something I can get, but is now the time that I need to?
Negative.
Instead of pursuing a Master’s Degree, I’ve decided to recommit myself to the standard I’d set forth when I created this resource.
We Have to Keep It Together
The balancing act to keep everything in order and running smoothly is something many can relate to; we all have an assortment of titles we wear and people we are responsible for, and all of that is on top of our personal goals and desires.
To keep it all in order, requires you to know when enough is enough, this is something that I am still learning (obviously) but it is also something that highlights how we are far more capable than we give ourselves credit and from time to time, we each should challenge ourselves to see how far we can push the limit.
Now, missing deadlines and commitments is unacceptable and I hate that I did so, it’s something I will rectify as you will see below in the new extended expiration date set for the daily postings.
I’d also like to highlight that with family, friends, parties, work, hobbies, etc. it’s important to prioritize these things and to also look at them and see, what is required and what is nice to have…
There are infinite paths before us, we’re in an age where you can be anything and with that, you have people who do nothing and people like me who want to do everything; the key here is to figure out, which specific action items will bring you closer to your life goals and which are things you’re doing “just because”?
In Conclusion…
I love writing, I love connecting with people, and most importantly I love what comes with the freedom of expressing my thoughts on the page for others to take and use to improve their position in life.
This is not my first time taking on too much, it’s a theme that creeps up 1-2x a year, and the only way for me to know “how much can I take on?” is to cross the line, fall on my face, publicly accept my failure, and to get back in the saddle and get back after it.
That’s what I’m doing here and it’s why the gap of posts exists.
The Daily Draft is back, as I said the tempo will be a 7x a week posting schedule with M, W, and Fr for free subscribers and the rest for paid. The plan was to run this until January 1st then drop it to a 3x a-week posting schedule with a random weekend drop now and then included but due to the lapse in posts this month, I will be extending the 7x a-week schedule until February 1st.
I’m back in the saddle, the degree is off the list (for now), and my focus is to continue creating here and on the other resources for as long as it makes sense to do so.
- Zac Small
SAVE 30% OFF ALL PRODUCTS BELOW (even One-on-One Consultations) using the code NEWYEAR