Hi 👋 friends,
If I had a dollar for every time I “started again,” I’d have… enough to buy a matcha and a muffin. I’ve noticed the things we care the most about are the ones that take the biggest hit. I started a newsletter but only wrote a few posts and before I knew it a year was over and it was time to decide if I wanted to continue with my subscription or move to a new platform and start a new routine. I didn’t stop because I didn’t care — but because I cared too much. I also wanted to prioritize my job search but if I’m honest, I definitely had enough time to start something which had I continued would've had enough momentum by now.
Perfectionism and procrastination have been my two most persistent roadblocks. And I’m realizing more and more how connected they are.
🔧 1. What’s Working for Me
Getting specific. Not just “work on newsletter,” but “write about procrastination and perfectionism from 12–1 PM on Sunday.” It’s wild how much easier it is to follow through when the task and time are clear. Vague = delay. Specific = progress.
You might not get to it then too - but you’ll definitely be more aware about the barriers that stop you if you’re specific.
🎧 2. What I’m Listening to / Reading
Nothing at the moment. Taking a short content consumption break but the next item on my list to read is The Almanack. I currently have it on hold at the library but next in line to pick it up!
🌆 3. Life in the City
I tried Venezuelan food last week and it was DELICIOUS. 100% going back.
💭 4. Thought
The pressure to have it all figured out — your niche, your voice, your perfect content plan — is paralyzing. It becomes a barrier to even getting started.
For instance, I like learning and teaching different tools that help with work and personal productivity — but that’s not the only thing I enjoy. So if I gain momentum, how do I balance talking about different topics without worrying that a chunk of the audience might drop off?
Does that matter? Yes — because I want to offer value. But what would I enjoy? That’s the question I keep coming back to. The overall goal — building connection and figuring out my path — hasn’t changed. My “why” is solid in my head. So the rest becomes a matter of trial, error, and conversation. Especially if what I want is a real community.
What’s helped me lately is removing the need for it to be perfect. I decided to just start with what I know — and see what works. Some of my videos surprisingly did. So now, it’s about finding the balance between continuing that and trying out the other ideas in my head: topics I’ve been pondering, bits of my new life in Toronto, things like that.
If you’re navigating a similar loop, I’d love to hear how you’re working through it. And if you’re curious about how I’m building my YouTube channel (slowly and imperfectly), you can check it out here.
Shermeen