the results of my 12-week year experiment are in!
execution > procrastination
Editor’s Note: Before we get into this week’s newsletter, I want to acknowledge the tragedy that occurred yesterday morning at the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. My heart and prayers are with everyone who has been impacted.
#WednesdayWisdom
“don’t embrace other people’s limiting beliefs about the way life works. that’s the code they live by, not you. you can have it all. you can be it all.” ~ deun ivory
Morning Musings
You might recall earlier this year that I read The 12 Week Year. I don’t typically read books by white men, but in this case, they were on to something. Essentially the idea is condensing your goals for the year into 12-week fragments, or quarters. My goals for Q1 (January-March) included:
launching book merchandise
launching my intro to pitching workshop
launching Werking Mom, my monthly column for paid newsletter subscribers
Under normal circumstances, it would take me at least a year (or longer) to execute my ideas. So often I get stuck in my head and wait for the “perfect” moment to launch knowing damn well such a moment doesn’t exist.
This experiment forced me to take the ideas out of my head (or, in this case, my Notes app) and into the world. Now that’s not to say I haven’t had to pivot along the way. I originally launched my merch collection with a tote and a mug. And then my Facebook fam said they wanted shirts. So…I made shirts.
The workshop was originally going to be a four-week course, but then I reevaluated my bandwidth and decided an hourlong workshop would accomplish the same goal (I am, however, planning a four-week course for writing a nonfiction book proposal…stay tuned!). The column was going to include a video element and interviews with other Black moms, but I decided to start with the column for now. More to come.
I share all of that to say the key here was getting started. I was able to tweak and pivot along the way, but I had to take action. That action creates momentum and, before you know it, you’re well on your way to accomplishing your goals. But first you have to get started. Or, as Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington, the authors of The 12 Week Year wrote:
“You can be smart and have access to lots of information and great ideas; you can be well connected, work hard, and have lots of natural talent, but in the end, you have to execute. Execution is the single greatest market differentiator.”
You have to execute. It doesn’t have to be perfect (and chances are, it won’t be), but you have to take that first step. And then the next. And then the next.
My goals for my next 12-week year (also known as Q2) include:
finishing my next book proposal
launching my new personal brand/website
launching season two of The LT in the City Podcast focusing on Black motherhood (if you/your company would like to be a sponsor, holla at me!)
I’m sharing these here both for accountability and also to maybe serve as inspiration. What are you looking forward to accomplishing over the course of the next three months and how can I help get you there? Let me know in the comments!
TODAY: Join Me at 12pm CT for Pitch Clinic!
Are you ready to kickstart your freelance writing career and land your dream bylines? Join me for this hourlong masterclass featuring the ins and outs of pitching—from honing your writing skills to navigating the editorial landscape. Can’t make it live? A recording will be made available within 24 hours AND you still get personalized feedback on your next pitch from yours truly!
ICYMI
In my latest Yahoo column, I talk about the (surprisingly) controversial conversation about playing with your kids. I also chatted with sisters Olivia and Genevieve over at A Fresh Story Podcast about letting go of perfection. And I had the pleasure of talking to Danielle Layton at Her Agenda about how to conquer your year (spoiler: it’s not too late!). Lastly, this month’s Werking Mom column is now live for paid subscribers.
Maybe I *am* one of your little friends?
If you’re a Black person, especially a Black daughter, there’s a good chance you’ve heard some iteration of “I’m not one of your little friends” from your mother when you were growing up. It’s one of the quintessential Black mom phrases. Right up there with, “do you have McDonald’s money?;” “There’s food at home;” and, lest we forget, “Keep crying and I’mma give you something to cry about.” Ah, the good ol’ days (please note my sarcasm here).
Help Me with My Next Story!
I’m working on a story about fostering kids’ independence and I’m looking for parents to share about a time you let your kid do something on their own, even if it felt a little nerve-wracking at first (Big Kid slide, anyone? 👀).
Links I Love
Making Black Queer Spaces (Chicago Reader)
The Black Women Carving the Future of Country Music (Sweet July)
Anne Hathaway on Tuning Out the Haters and Embracing Her True Self (Vanity Fair) Long live the Princess of Genovia!
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Thank You
A special thank-you to April, Jeff, Carol, Cait, Amanda, Harleen, Megan, Najja, Jessica, Priti, Cat, Jenna, Mallory, Rachel, Angel, Sarah, Camesha, Vix, Anna, Stephanie, Dominique, Tiffany, Emily, Mabinty, Lindsey, Casey, Lynnae, Dani, Amanda, Raina, Abigail, Sharon, Kristen, Heather, Renae, Jennie, Brittaney, Kyndall, Sarah, Cecilia and Kimberly for becoming paid subscribers and helping to fuel this newsletter. I truly appreciate your support! 💜
Definitely inspired! I kid you not, I bought this book in December 2023 and read the first page and said "I'm not ready yet" *face palm*...executing on even reading the book is what I procrastinated on! This has inspired me to start it again. It's such a short read too
I haven’t read this book but I’ve organically been doing this — organizing my goals into quarters/seasons and it is definitely a game changer!!