Welcome Back! Reflections & Identity-based Goal Setting for 2022

This issue looks at where this newsletter has been (in terms of beginning a writing habit) and where it's going (in terms of developing an identity-based goal)

Jan 13, 2022

Welcome back!

I hope you had a restful break. This winter I took a hiatus from creating in order to do some annual reflecting, planning, and content banking.

In this issue, I want to share some reflections from 2021 (and how they relate to the process of starting a new creator habit) plus talk about how I used identity-based goals to structure my 2022 plan for this newsletter.

Reflecting on Writing in 2021

I launched this newsletter in September of 2021, and since then I’ve been in survival mode. That’s the mode where you’re trying to write until the last possible minute and get something out on time (with mixed results). Here were some of my main struggles this year:

Over-researching until I had almost no time to write [Perfectionism/Procrastination]
Struggling to pro-actively bank ideas [Idea generation]
Overcommitting to multiple content mediums (aka twitter, podcasting, newsletter), making it hard to deliberately improve in any one medium [Lack of Focus]

In fact, I’ve written about many of these topics in the newsletter itself. On the other hand, instead of being critical of these struggles, this winter I chose to see these struggles as a normal part of the first phase of forming a habit, firstly:

Experimenting

Not every creative pursuit or new habit is worth continuing. Sometimes, you find yourself dreading rather than enjoying a task, usually because it doesn’t align with your identity and therefore you don’t see a compelling reason for doing it or you discover you fundamentally don’t enjoy it. That’s when it’s okay to quit.

For me, I was lucky enough to quickly see that writing was an excellent vehicle for clarity. Regardless of any external outcomes (subscribers, opportunities, monetization), writing helped me learn and think, which made it well worth the effort.

The second part of starting a habit is:

Showing up

In 2021, I showed up to this newsletter every week. You have to learn how to walk before you can run (or else you pull your hamstring and get sidelined for months—been there!). So thanks for going on this walk with me for the last few months. Now, I want to talk about using identity-based goals to start running.

Wait, What are Identity-Based Goals Again and Why Do You Keep Hammering On About Them?

Identity-based goals are goals that stem from who you are, your self-image, your worldview, your beliefs. James Clear has a great little diagram to illustrate this idea, but suffice it to say that when we make changes that stem from our identity and worldview, they tend to stick more than when we make changes that are based solely on outcomes.

For example, if I was to set a goal like “I want to lose 10 pounds,” every time the scale fluctuated I would find my motivation tested. If, on the other hand, I told myself: “I am a healthy person,” whenever I was given the choice, for example, between a salad and a burger, I might be more likely to ask myself, “what would a healthy person do?” and choose accordingly. Over time, even if I didn’t get my decisions right each time, I would start to accrue habits and choices over time that would compound.

Because it’s easy to get discouraged as a creator who’s gunning after a specific follower count or other kind of outcome, identity-based goals are particularly useful. Last month I led a session about applying this idea of setting goals based on an identity for the next year. Here’s how I did it.

Setting Identity-Based Writing Goals for 2022

It might come as no surprise that when it comes to writing, this year I set an identity-based goal of actually being a writer. And sure, you can say, isn’t that what you were aiming for before? But last year, as I mentioned, was about experimenting and showing up (in a bare bones, survival kind of way). When I look at what it would mean to be a writer this year, there are a few practices and processes that immediately come to mind:

Craft

Writers create structures to become idea-making machines, including reading others’ work and learning from the performance of their past work
Writers take time and space to edit

Business

Writers approach writing as a business, finding outlets and partnerships to promote their work

So, what would these three statements mean for my writing habits and practices this year? Well, first I went about setting aside time to actively work on these practices (aka an implementation plan):

Before my reflection practices every evening, from 9:30 pm-10:30pm on Monday through Thursday, I will sit down to write and/or edit my newsletter
Every Thursday, between 10-11am, I will set aside time for newsletter promotion activities
Every Thursday, between 11am-11:30, I will check that I contributed at least 2 ideas to the idea log and will highlight the intersection between top performing content and content I found most enjoyable to write

Even looking at these practices now, I know that I will struggle to complete some of them. So, I also outlined structures to help me stay accountable (commitment devices). Given that I want to be realistic about the amount of time I actually have to be a writer (aka how this identity intersects with other identities), I looked at how these goals could progressively build on a quarterly basis. Here’s a snapshot:

I will report back how these practices unfold over the year. For now, I hope my sharing of my own process is helpful to you. And if you have any approaches to your creator goals that you want to share, feel free to respond to this email!

Structural Changes to This Newsletter

Given the time I had to reflect and analyze some of the writing I’ve done so far, I also realized it was time to further refine and experiment with the topic and structure of this newsletter. So here are a few experiments I will be playing with in the next months:

Content

I’m going to be publishing more content on the intersection between behavioral principles and software products for creators

Why?

I’ve been a product designer, product manager, and then founder for far longer than I’ve been a writer. Part of my journey started in 2013 when I built my first (still active) “behavioral design” app for Philips. Applying behavior design principles to products is something that will allow me to pull from a deeper well of knowledge while also continuing to use this newsletter as a vehicle for learning about behavioral principles I’ve been applying to mindset struggles.
I have a deep-seated belief that creators deserve to have sustainable, living wages. And I think one of the avenues for doing this is by helping creators build their own digital software products.
I think creator products must necessarily be different than those of run-of-the-mill startups. Why? Because creators have such a deep connection to their audiences. They’ve spent so much time cultivating their audiences that their products should actually deliver transformational experiences for those same followers. Behavior design is a big component of building out experiences that people stick to and find value in.

Format

I will be experimenting with new formats, like lists and regularly featured sections in the coming weeks.

Why?

I love long form content, just like I love long form podcasts (hence why I had a company supporting podcasters). To me, long form content allows for nuanced thinking. But, of course, there’s a trade-off, more content = less attention. I want to make this newsletter more digestible and be mindful of people’s time!

I so deeply appreciate you joining this journey with me. As I iterate on form and content, I’d also be grateful for your feedback. Thoughts? Ideas you’d like to see this coming year? Reply to this email directly or comment below!

Join Our Creator Habits Writing Beta

Finally, last but not least, if you’re also looking to kickstart your writing habit, I’ve distilled much of the long-form science around creator struggles, goal setting, and goal tracking into a bite-sized chat experience. Join the beta and gain a support tool for your new habit.

Text A Coach

Have the happiest start to your year!