Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail...

A new schedule for a new season, but the same long-term goal

For the past two weeks, this newsletter has been quiet. Some of that was life, and some of it was me.

Two weeks ago, I had an article ready to go. I had written it and reread it, then talked myself out of posting it. I was too critical of my own work and convinced myself it wasn’t good enough. The following week was so full that I never sat down to write at all. Before I knew it, two Fridays had come and gone without a word from me.

Life will always be happening. Busy weeks are not going to disappear, and neither is the inner voice that questions whether something is worth sharing. What I can change is how prepared I am when both show up.

When I started this newsletter, I always had four or more articles ready. My ideas bank and drafts folder were full, so a hectic week or a moment of doubt never stopped me from publishing. Somewhere along the way, I stopped writing ahead. The buffer ran out, and the pressure to produce something every week took its place.

That pressure is about to grow. Next month I start business school, which means I will be balancing work, life and studies. If there is a balance to be found, I intend to find it.

So I am making a change. From now on, Martin Today will be published fortnightly, every other Friday at 8 am. This gives me the runway to plan, write and edit properly, rather than rushing a piece, second-guessing it and then not posting at all. And the article I shelved will see the light of day in the coming weeks.

I started this newsletter to share great ideas and to write about the work I do in research and strategy. My goal is to keep doing it for as long as I am alive. If I don’t think about how to sustain it as the seasons of my life change, I will fail before I have gone very far.

This applies to far more than writing. Whatever you are building, whether it’s a career, a business, a fitness habit or a relationship, it helps to plan for the seasons ahead and adjust your pace before you burn out, not after.

I will admit this isn’t how I imagined running the newsletter. I have long admired James Clear for his consistency and hoped to model my own writing on his. Then I heard him explain on a podcast that he once published twice a week, every Monday and Thursday, for nearly three years. Eventually he scaled back to once a week to give himself the space to produce deeper, more thoughtful work. Even the most consistent writers adjust their pace to protect their work and keep going.

Perhaps the race of life isn’t a sprint. Perhaps it’s a steady jog. They say, “Speed is fun, but endurance wins”.

So here is my question for you: what is one thing you are pursuing that needs a new plan so you can sustain it for the long haul?.

See you in a fortnight.

Martin