In 2020, I hope you don't create a content calendar for your business. Creating a content calendar is a swell way to do a few lousy things.

Maybe you love nice and neat content grids. But you know what else is a nice and neat grid?

THE BARS ON A JAIL CELL, PEOPLE. (At least the jails on TV.)

It’s a trap. You WILL fail to stick to the content grid at some point. And you’ll feel bad about that failure.

But what would happen if you didn’t create a content calendar, AKA a measuring stick to beat yourself with?

....

Earlier in 2019, I wrote about why I think weight loss is a goal that doesn’t work. I also wrote about how I approach financial planning, meditation, and exercise without a rigid plan.

What do all of these things have in common with each other, and also with a content calendar?

A rigid plan for them manipulates our approach to improvement. Now we are talking about willpower. We are aiming for perfection. Following the plan “perfectly.” Then inevitably falling short of the mark, and then hating ourselves for “messing up.”

Who the hell wants to do that?

...

Even if you do manage to follow the content calendar plan week after week, you might be spending time writing stuff that doesn’t make a difference to your business. That feels like anyone in your field could have written it. That doesn’t inspire you or anyone else.

So, great. You stuck to the calendar. But did you love it? Did you LIVE?

What if improvement in all these areas—health, finances, and writing for your business—could be about exploration and discovery, rather than perfection?

It’s effing hard to go from following the plan to just experiencing what it’s like to write for your business.

But the "falling off the wagon" approach with the content calendar shreds my self-esteem, and I’m sick of it. I know there’s a better way. You can even have fun. If you experiment.

You know how they say, "Dress for the job you want"?

I say, "Write for the business you want."

You need to write for the clients and allies you want to attract, not for the ones you already have. And you don't have to wait until 2020 to do it.

Worried that the topics you're coming up with are all wrong, or that you won't actually follow through? Or that you won't know what to do if people actually start to pay attention?

I coach entrepreneurs who are writing for the businesses they want to create. Hit reply and tell me if that's you... or you want it to be.

Maggie

PS: Until the end of 2019, I’m offering this personalized, one-on-one coaching for $1500. On January 1, the price goes up to $3000. If you want in on the 2019 price, email me