I was on the brink of signing up to yet another thing this morning, despite wanting — NEEDING — to create space to breathe.
Why do I do this?
It’s interesting, and I think the reason is twofold:
- I really, truly am interested in and excited by so many things and I want to do them all. I know that’s not possible and I know that’s a fast-track to burnout… I’ve been there before. But GODDAMIT I want to experience as much as I possibly can in this one wild and beautiful life I have.
- If I’m always on the go, there’s no time to get punched in the face by the hard stuff, the sad stuff, and the scary stuff.
But those metaphorical face-punches are also part of experiencing this ridiculous life we’re living, right?
And so, I have a cunning plan.
December 12, 2025 will be my last day of work this year and I won’t be back until Tuesday, January 6, 2026. That’s just over three weeks of breathing space and I’m really excited about it.
It’s space for me to rearrange my cabin. Finally turn Don’t Eat the Frog into an audiobook. Walk in the mountains that are just an hour away from me. Have a beach day and maybe even go surfing if it’s not too cold. Plan 2026, and plan TIME into it so I can write the things I want to write for me.
And, yes, time to huddle under a blanket in front of the fire with a book.
That sounds like a lot of stuff to cram in, I know, but it’s things that will expand me, not contract me.
I won’t have to get up at 6am unless I want to.
I can write or record or rearrange at 9pm if I fancy it.
I can finally start writing the book that’s been on my mind for ages.
Yes, there’s a ridiculous irony there: I’m a book coach who isn’t starting my own book but sometimes it do be that way. Builders’ houses are never built, webdevs’ websites are never finished, and book coaches are so busy helping their clients write brilliant books that their own books languish under a pile of shoulds and oughttas.
So, my question to you today is:
What do you want to create? And how are you going to make space to do it?
If what you want to create is a book of your own, I have something that will help you create space AND get started:
It’s a pre-recorded 90-minute workshop + workbook that guides you through everything you need to think about before you put pen to paper.
I’m currently updating it, too — and when the update’s complete, you’ll get access to that for free if you’ve already bought the workshop.
Its currently £99 + VAT but the new version will be £149 + VAT. Get in now, and get both versions for this year’s price!
Okay — time for the Friday Goodie Bag!
Your brain on improv
Playing is not just for children! Play is good for your soul AND good for your brain. And there’s scientific proof. People think improv is just for comedians and it’s scary and you have to go on stage and perform. Nah-uh. We’re all improvising all the time.
Gary Ware has created a really interesting carousel on LinkedIn to explain how improv is brilliant for us — check it out here. One highlight: “Researchers studying adolescents with trauma found improv changed brain connectivity in just 20 minutes.”
How Ed Sheeran won his lawsuit
Check out this cool demonstration of how all pop songs are basically the same… and remember this is how creativity works. Not plagiarism — we’re not talking about lifting something verbatim and stealing it. But about taking elements of one thing, adapting it, and creating something new.
Annie Edson Taylor
Annie Edson Taylor was the first person to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. She thought it would bring her fame and fortune, but sadly she died penniless because she had not mastered the art of self-promotion and becoming visible.
It’s not enough to do the thing. We have to shout about the thing until we’re sick of the sound of our own voices. Just because you hear yourself every day, doesn’t mean anyone else does.
My friend Clair’s Instagram account
Client-turned-friend Clair of UpWrite Ltd is a funny, lovely, silly bird. And her Instagram is pure joy. Give her a follow and have a laugh at her shenanigans and get inspired by her crafty arts.
Why I cancelled Spotify
I found out last week that Spotify is investing in AI dronemaker Helsing, among other extremely problematic billionaire fuckwittery. So I ditched them and signed up with Qobuz, which apparently is a very ethical music platform.
Better still — the sound quality is AMAZING compared to Spotify/Apple et al, even through mid MacBook speakers!
What I’m reading
I’ve almost finished reading Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams and I am fully horrified by what can happen when large, powerful corporations are run by people who just really don’t give a shit about anything but themselves. There was no deliberate malevolence behind the beginnings of FB. But it became a monster. And Sheryl Sandberg… good lord. I had my suspicions she was, let’s say, not a good person, but my god.
Another woman shouting about “empowering women” while behind the scenes absolutely shafting everyone.
Anyway, give it a read if you want to be horrified.
Yes, it’s one persons pov and SWW made a LOT of mistakes herself, mostly through naivety I think. But it’s a real eye-opener. And lesson in what can happen if we allow ourselves to get trapped by a job. And a reminder that I am forever grateful I do not live and work in the US, and that we cannot allow that way of being to come to the UK. Ever.
What I’m writing
I’m putting the finishing touches to my stand-up routine at tonight’s Hallowe’en Comedy Show at the Piston Distillery. Wish me luck!
Also I just wrote this silly little Hallowe’en post on LinkedIn. Check it out and add your own haunted house to the comments.
Word of the week
Ever wonder why English doesn’t have a word for “the day after tomorrow”? Wonder no more! I present to you…
overmorrow
You’re welcome.
Quote of the week
“Any lingering sense of incompleteness can become fuel for a life of prolific curiosity” —Anne-Laure Le Cunff
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