Noeledge

Develop a unique voice, Part II: 5 Archetypes that I want my brand and work to be known for and how I would express those archetypes.

Sustainable: Adhering to sustainable practices that go above and beyond what most companies do.

Idealistic: Continuously repeating the message that we can change the world for the better through our work

Helpful: Providing useful information that is easily implemented and clearly demonstrates how it can provide a benefit for the average person.

Compared to others who do what you do, rank yourself on: reputation, knowledge, expertise, tools, handiness. (5 = highest, 1 = lowest)

Reputation: 2.5 Knowledge: 2 Expertise: 2.5 Tools: 5 Handiness: 3

Which will you invest in developing?

Things that aren’t the thing. Things like timeliness, confidence, respect, a story, etc. Be specific.

What do you provide 

1. What do people buy when they buy something from you?

Results - increased sales, better looking business, their ideas communicated.

2. Leave out the easy, repetitive, generic stuff... What you are doing that’s difficult?

1. What do you want to do? (Not your job, but your work, now, tomorrow, and in the future)*

I want to be a writer. I want to provide value and creativity through the words and ideas that I commit to paper. But I also want to be location free as well - I want to be able to work wherever in the world I want.

2. Who do you want to change, and how do you want to change them?

I want to change people who are apathetic and ignorant about climate change and sustainability. I want to change them by showing them that being more sustainable is better for them in all ways.

3. How much risk? (from 1 [a little] to 10 [bet everything]), how much are you willing to put at stake to make the change you seek?

8

4. How much work are you willing to do to get there? Be specific about the trade-offs.

A lot. I am currently only coasting through life but with a clear goal and plan in mind, I want to commit at least 2 hours a day to this. The trade-offs? No TV and little sleep. Once the car is finished - then no car. Not until I get this part down.

5. Does this project matter enough for the risk and the effort you’re putting into it?

Yes. It can be a great step for my career and life.

6. Is it possible — has anyone with your resources ever pulled off anything like this?

One of my most favourite teachers: Seth Godin, has a course on Udemy about being a freelancer. 

So I’m going to do it.

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 10

It feels weird writing this as I’m over a week behind schedule. The winners have been annouced and the whole thing is over but I feel like I’ve won. 

I have managed to overcome the one thing I have always struggled to to do: Sit down and write. And Finish. 

Including this one I have created 10 different blog posts in under 2 weeks. And that is a record for me. 

My biggest takeaway was the simple at of writing. Sitting down to write and actually doing it instead of playing Skyrim. 

I learnt so much: That I am really good when given a deadline. That I can write if I just push past all the bullshit. 

And that I’m not a not so bad blogger. I didn’t cringe as much as I thought I would when I went back and reread everything. 

So I’m done now. Will I stop writing? Hell no. The bug has caught and I’m hooked. However, I am wary of taking too many projects on at once so I’ll finish my car first then dedicate my time to this. 

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 9

I’ve often surprised myself with what I can when pushed. And it’s often during travels that I discover what I can do. 

I am generally a morning person, except for when it’s time to work. Then I’m a night owl. I don’t know why, but I just am. 

I did have a whole spiel written up about how i would section my day etc. But after taking a moment to be really introspective I made the painful decision to delete a good 200 words. 

You see I work in bursts or batches. And I respond well to deadlines. So if I didn’t have anything due and just had to work on the day-to-day business, I would probably start work at 4-5pm and go through until midnight (unless I had dinner plans)

However, if I had a deadline due, I wouldn’t care if there was a solar eclipse going on, I would probably lock myself in my room and work through. 

Ok I lie, I’d probably duck out and see it for a little bit. 

It’s an interesting realisation to come to. And I did about 5 minutes of staring at this screen to come to the conclusion. And quite a weight is lifted of my shoulders to be able to admit how I work. 

It may lead to some social alienation, but if the end result is that I get to work from where I want, when I want... It’s a small price to pay.

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 8

This challenge is going ot be , well a challenge. I have the next 48hrs well planned out as the second project I’m running along side this one is working on my 1989 Nissan 300zx. 

However I do know what I have in mind. I will take a few hours off this weekend and work on finishing a first draft of my short story. 

Maybe I’ll go to a cafe in the city or maybe I’ll just go to the library. But I will lug my laptop around to somewhere that is not my home and allow myself the freedom to right. 

I’ll write up a follow up once I’ve done it but I suspect that this will be both a freeing and scary experience as I always find something else to do that is more important than writing. 

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 7

Imperfect action: 

This video really hit home with me because getting everything to be ‘just right’ is a massive part of my procrastination. I once spent weeks just on one blog post, only to abandon it at the end. 

So my imperfect action?

Is to continue writing once, every day. Not publishing every day, but writing, every day. Even if the writing is about writing I will write. 

My major project that I’ve wanted to get off the ground for years now is my sustainability blog. Initially it was going to be a simple outlet on making sustainability easier and more affordable. But I got caught up in trying to create a strategy around monetising the blog and how it should make money etc. 

I’ve since realised that all this was just a massive fear of criticism, which is the biggest fear that I have. 

So my commitment - write. Just write.