Hey Reader!

Here's a short list of the sports I tried when I was a kid but quit after a season:

Tennis, ice skating, competitive swimming, gymnastics.

What can I say, I love to try new things! My mother’s constant refrain was that if I wasn’t immediately good at something I threw in the sweaty towel.

She wasn’t wrong.

And more practice would have made me much better at all those things. But as a probably-undiagnosed-ADHD kid I didn’t have the capacity to go deep into something that didn’t fascinate me.

Still, her hypothesis remains true:

The way to get better at something is to practice.

Remember Malcolm Gladwell and his 10,000 hours? I think we’ve got to take Mr. Gladwell’s declarations with a grain of salt after that broken windows debacle, but…

Whatever the science, it’s safe to say that you get better at things when you perform them over and over.

Often we think we need some kind of natural talent to be good at stuff like drawing. And writing. And, I’m guessing, tennis.

But sometimes brute force can be a legit way to achieve proficiency. 🤷🏻

But we can be gentler than that.

And have more fun!

A little guidance, a little instruction, a dash of commiseration - that’s how you get solid on an action, a practice, or a habit.

That’s why I’m starting Consistency Club.

It’s an hour every week to gather and get better at writing and sending newsletters. (Or completing other writing projects.)

Maybe you need some accountability in order to get it done. Maybe you feel unsure about your writing skills. Maybe you have trouble coming up with topics to write about week after week.

Whatever your need, Consistency Club is a terrific first step.

It’s very simple:

Every Wednesday we meet for an hour via Zoom.

I’ll have an optional writing prompt ready. Bring your work, your questions, your successes, your challenges. I’m available to answer questions, give feedback, offer support - all the things.

Turn off your camera if you want to stay in the zone of privacy. This is just about showing up and getting your thing done, whether that's a newsletter, web copy, or a letter to your cousin.

Details

When: Wednesdays 10-11am Pacific (starting Jan 7)

Where: Zoom!

Why: Accountability, guidance, community, practice

How much: $15/month

Want to skip right to the signup? Register here!​

We start Wednesday, January 7.

Buy in December and get the first month free.

Get the new year started right: Work, but not too much. Guidance, but no pedantry. Community, but no crowds. Just ease and gentle accountability.

Yours in getting it done already,

Julia

PS - buy now and you won't be charged until February

​Ben Folds Five understands the power of doing it even if you don't want to, and so does this email. Forward it to someone who could use a kick in the pants.

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