TOC #106: Just Me Being Me
(Jan 3, 2023) The 3 Tools I'm Using To Keep My Brain Organized In 2023
Ummm… it's definitely nawt 3:56am as I type this.
…and I definitely didn't just stay up all night finishing an email sequence for a client's course launch.
…and I definitely didn't just almost give myself a seizure by drinking a Celsius on an empty stomach.
…and I definitely don't maybe have symptoms of pneumonia right now.
…and I definitely didn't just finish the aforementioned client project, then choose to half-write 3 blog posts, this newsletter, and my Q1 content plan.
Because that would be a bizarre way to kick off the new year, right?
Ha…ha… yeah. I totally didn't do that. Lol.
(It's 3:58am. I'm obviously fucking lying to your face right now. Of course I did all that.)
Despite me being aggressively myself, sometimes to a fault, I wasn't really planning on telling you all of this.
But then something happened that changed my mind.
Earlier today, one of my Site Series students posted an end-of-year “thank you” article, celebrating everyone who helped her in 2022—and she tagged me in her IG post about the blog, signaling that I'd made the cut.
So, naturally, I immediately stopped what I was doing to go read what I was hoping would be some nice words about me and my course.
(Disclaimer: by “earlier today” I mean 1:14am. By “everything I was doing” I mean “everything I had already procrastinated, so what's another 5 minutes?”)
I'd hoped the post would give me a little boost of serotonin, but turns out, it was even better.
She warmed my fuzzy little workaholic heart when she said that I “painted a picture of the type of entrepreneur she aspires to be: honest and carefree.”
Honest and carefree.
*sniffle*
Like I said, I had different plans for this newsletter, but in the spirit of ~honesty~ I wanted to tell you this instead:
I was so happy to read how she described me, because it made me realize something.
Those two things aren't some identity I have to TRY to be. I don't wake up in the morning and remind myself to “be honest” or “be carefree” - that's just me being me.
& as I'm sure you damn well know, it's hard to feel like embodying a “me being me” attitude in the online business space can feel very difficult.
People tell you that you have to be professional.
Or act polished, and certain, and unwavering.
Or paint yourself as the expert 100% of the time.
But you know what that is? That's bullshit.
People procrastinate.
People complain.
People have bad days.
People make mistakes.
People stay up working until ungodly hours to make up for time management mistakes (and, in my case, also for unplanned missed preschool days).
So, in a time of goal-setting, and manifesting, and intentions, and ambitions, and aspirations for improvements, and planning to perfection, it's okay to simply be you.
People will still hire you if they hear that you procrastinated.
People will still hire you if you swear.
People will still hire you if you skip a week posting on IG.
At the end of the day, all that matters is that you keep showing up, as best as you can.
ANYWAY, now that my impromptu admission of imperfection and speech about why that's okay have ended, let's talk about what I really planned on sharing with you this morning:
The Prologue.
It's the first TOC of ‘23, and you know what that means, don’t you?!
It means we're starting off with my plans, predictions, and manifestations for the year, in a post I've named The 2023 Prologue. 🥳
(Here's The 2022 Epilogue, in case ya missed it!)
I'm hoping for a lot of dreams to come true in 2023, but for the first time in a long time, I have absolutely 0 clue where I'll be 12 months from now—which I'm choosing to view as an exciting way to walk into a new year.
To read literally every thought I have about the upcoming year, check out the post via the button below!
I may be starting off the year with a little bit of imperfect, chaotic energy—a contrast to how I thought I'd be rolling into 2023—but I'm still super eager to see what the future has to hold, and I'm so thankful you're along with me for the ride. ❤️
The 3 Tools I'm Using To Keep My Brain Organized In 2023
Ain't no WAYYYY I'm falling behind or falling into burnout this year. No ma'am, no sir. You can read more about how exactly I'm planning on doing that in this post, but for now, I want to share with you 3 ways I'm keeping my brain organized:
#1 - Morning Pages
No amount of to-do lists, reminders, or sticky notes could ever be enough to truly empty my brain, but Morning Pages comes pretty close.
This journal practice originates from Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way, but I've strayed from her requirements a little bit.
(You're supposed to do it every single day, and always write 3 pages no matter what, yadda yadda yadda.)
All I do is keep a notebook beside my bed, and get all of my thoughts onto paper, no matter how long or short the entry is.
Sometimes I'll find that I'm writing down the same things every single day; sometimes I'll start writing having no idea what's going to end up on the paper, then realize “damn, okay, I'm thinking about this more than I realized” or “I'm more worried about this than I thought” or “oh, I didn't even really recognize that I actually want this to happen.”
It's an amazing tool for self-discovery, and it's something I hope to do daily in 2023.
For my fellow ADHD girlies, it works.
#2 - Google Calendar
And while we're on the subject… want to see how I organize my Google Calendar? I'm showing you on my YouTube channel very soon 😏
ICYMI: I am officially a YouTube queen now! Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to read more AND to get the details of how you can enter my 28th birthday giveaway by subscribing to my channel!
(There are 28 prizes to choose from, because I am the most aggressive gift giver on God's green Earth.)
I'm SO back-and-forth when it comes to choosing between Notion and Milanote, but in 2022, I made the switch to Milanote for all things BTL, and I've yet to look back.
I love Notion for personal stuff—and it low key bothers me that the background on Milanote boards are gray, and not white—but Milanote feels a little more productive to me.
I'm sure this feeling has to do with the fact that Notion is SO customizable that I'd spend wayyyy too much time playing around with it, and ur gurl just does nawt have that kind of time.
(If you're thinking “Sara, based on what you told me in the intro of this email, it's probably 4:15am, and you definitely DO have the time…” - shut it. Today is a fluke, I am insane, I am going to crash and burn in like an hour. I don't know.)
If you want a vide about how I use Milanote to organize my client projects—and the inside of my brain—let me know; I'd love to make one!
So… I made a YouTube channel.
Are my dreams of becoming a ~content creator~ coming true? Yes.
Have I been waiting for this moment since randomly subscribing to my favorite Tumblr blogger's YouTube channel in 2010 without knowing what it even was? Yes.
Will I low key be using this work-related YouTube channel as an excuse to post lifestyle content? Probably, yes.
Am I hoping and praying you'll subscribe and watch my videos? Obviously, yes.
…which is why I've decided to do a GIVEAWAY in celebration of my 28th birthday last week—for 28 lovely people that subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Here's what you could win:
My favorite biz book.
$28 to Starbucks.
$28 off of my new email marketing course when it launches in 2 weeks.
Free 60-minute strategy call with me.
$50 off of Kleist Creative's Narrative Showit template.
My favorite candy.
28 personalized blog post ideas for your business.
28 personalized email newsletter ideas for your business.
One blog post written for your business by one of my mentees.
28 affirmations sent to you daily every day in February.
Your dating app profile written by me.
My famous homemade chocolate crinkle cookies mailed to you.
Custom newsletter name suggestions for your new email newsletter.
A playlist of 28 podcast episodes you'll love.
$100 to spend at Tonic Site Shop.
10 of your copy questions—specific to your brand!—answered by me in a YouTube video.
The exact questions I ask on my website copy questionnaire.
My welcome guide that I use for clients.
A free website copy audit done by me, recorded & posted on YouTube.
My newsletter content planning template for free.
My target audience development workbook for free.
$28 off Sales Series™ when it launches.
My SEO checklist for free.
$28 off of my Wicked Easy Website Copy Template.
My page-specific, section-by-section website copy checklist.
$28 to spend at Duo Collective's online shop.
28 stock photos curated for your business.
Your “mini about” written by me! 🥳
All you have to do is subscribe to my channel, email me a screenshot proving that you've subscribed (& a hint about which gift you're hoping you'll win), and you'll be entered!
Elizabeth, BTL's biz manager, will be contacting all of the winners directly via email a week from today. Good luck!
Thank you so much for reading the first-ever 2023 TOC! I have so, so many things planned for us this year and I'm wicked excited for you to learn more about copywriting, check out what I'm launching, and—most importantly—read all of the ridiculously long, shockingly related to marketing, absolutely feral stories. ❤️
Love u mean it,
—Sara
P.S. Anyone else doing a sober wallet Jan?!
P.P.S. Anyone else already know they'll miserably fail that challenge?!
P.P.P.S. Anyone live in LA and want to recommend fun things for my and my best friend to check out while we're there ‘til the 8th?! (We’re visiting Xanthe + Frank—get ready for some crossover content!)
Hi, I’m Sara Noel—website copywriter and marketing mentor for creatives, copywriters, and all-around cool people. Thanks for reading this edition of the Tuesday Table of Contents! If you like my content and you want even more BTL in your life, here are a few ways you can connect with me:
Check out my services. I write website copy, sales pages, email sequences, blog posts, and brand messaging guides for entrepreneurs of all kinds! Maybe you’re my next favorite client. ;)
Read my blog. It’s home to everything from copywriting tips, to marketing education, to freelance advice, to portfolio-worthy projects… if you like this newsletter, you’ll love the blog. Here’s a quick roundup of my most popular posts.
Sign up for my web copy course. Actually, it’s not *only* about website copywriting—I also teach modules on copywriting basics, developing your target audience, search engine optimization, blogging, and email marketing.
Enlist me as your mentor. I have an entire in-depth blog post about my one-on-one consulting process for new and aspiring copywriters, if you’re interested in having a big-sis-style mentor to help you grow your freelance copywriting business & get results.
To get in touch with me directly, send me a DM or email sara@betweenthelinescopy.com. Have a great day!