7 Simple But Surprising Lessons After A Year Of Writing Online

Medium-term goals and saying the quiet part out loud keep you going when you're screaming into the void

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

I’m an ambitious achiever, skilled at setting and hitting tough goals. But writing online made me feel like an idiot.

The cognitive dissonance was jarring. I’m used to figuring out difficult things and solving them.

Surely, I could create a weekly newsletter packed with insights on burnout recovery, practical neuroscience tips, and creative expression that would resonate with readers, right?

Ummm... nope! It’s been much harder than I imagined, especially with the unique blend of interests, expertise, and worldview I’m trying to combine.

Don’t get me wrong – I have wonderful, curious, and generous readers who’ve supported me.

But building and learning in public has been a real challenge, especially as a socially anxious introvert.

As I reflect on my first year of online writing and celebrate my Year 1 Substackiversary (yay!), here’s how the journey unfolded and what I’ve learned.

Get clear on why you’re writing online

Overall I started writing online to develop and build my burnout recovery coaching and training business.

My initial goals were to:

• Improve my writing style, which was shaped by decades of corporate and academic language – a far cry from how I speak.

• Bust neuroscience and burnout myths, and share creative and practical solutions for becoming unburnt and personal growth.

• Connect with like-minded people who want to live in a more impactful, meaningful way.

• Experiment with sharing more personal and vulnerable stories to help others.

Overall, I’ve achieved some of these goals with varying levels of success.

I’m curious – which lessons below resonate with you?

Unexpected discoveries and an unexpected legacy

My medium-term goal is to replace my corporate day job with my coaching and training business.

All my online work and client sessions are on top of a demanding global executive role. 

Staying mentally, emotionally, and physically organised is essential. 

Building a consistent writing routine took time, and I’m still refining it.

Setting non-negotiables, like daily X/Notes and weekly Substack posts, helped me complete my first year of the Build A Better Brain newsletter - mission accomplished!

Unexpectedly, I found that personal stories and vulnerability matter most. People sense inauthenticity a mile off. 

Clarity is key, too. Balancing deep neuro and psych insights with a conversational tone has been a learning curve - some early posts were dense, and I cringe looking back.

But what’s important is that I tried.

I set a 365-day goal to see what I could build, and each step has been valuable data for my growth, strategy, and to help readers get curious and achieve their goals.

Ultimately, it’s about using our experience to make the path easier for others - a meaningful legacy I’m proud to build.

7 Lessons from a year of online writing

Lesson 1: Consistency compounds

Regular posting online builds momentum and gradually improves your writing and thinking. 

Even on days when it felt tough to show up, the thoughts, emotions and ideas started to align better when I started drafting and editing.

I really noticed a shift on Substack when they released Notes.

It was easier to find other resonant souls, and be found. Cross-collaboration has been so much fun. 

I’m still trying to figure out my content strategy but my garden critter observations always seem to do well. 

In an often harsh and complicated world, cats, birds and foxes offer sweet relief.

Lesson 2: Writing for impact over perfection

I’m a recovering perfectionist. One thing about setting meaningful goals and dogged determination is you focus on the process to achieve the target. 

I wanted to stick to my non-negotiables, which means done is better than perfect. 

Could I have edited and tightened up the flow and outline of everything I publish?

Of course.

But, having limited time and energy offers handy constraints to get out of your way. 

I accept I’ll feel discomfort every time - this is a good skill to develop in life.

I focus on creating valuable content around a key theme, idea or concept to make my content more impactful and sustainable.

Lesson 3: Authenticity wins every time

My online writing journey shifted massively when I wrote openly about very personal and difficult experiences. 

People connect to stories. But my corporate façade blocked much of my ability to share vulnerably and as openly as I’d like. 

Finally I set myself free through another experiment. 

I wrote about my experiences as an inpatient at the psychiatric hospital, and how resentful I was when my dad died but my mum was still alive. Ouch.

These experiences have fundamentally shifted my life and worldview.

I’ve realised my purpose and ability to help others grows when I say the quiet part out loud. 

If you’re not brave enough to do it yet, let me hold space for you until you do. 

Believe me when I say sharing the darkest, ugliest and most vulnerable parts of you makes you more relatable. 

It creates a safe space for others to share their gnarly stories too.

Lesson 4: Clear writing is kind writing

I’ll admit this is one I still need to improve. I try to keep my writing simple and accessible, but I’m sure I can simplify and be more succinct. 

This is key for my readers who are often overwhelmed, cognitively splattered and just holding on from day-to-day. 

Burnout, and the road to it, batters your mind, brain and body. I’m mindful of this but also don’t want to make things so basic they’re not useful.

Plus it’s frigging hard. I’m reminded of the Mark Twain quote:

I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.

Mark Twain

I also try to optimise for reading on the phone.

I struggle to ingest big paragraphs of text. It infuriates me when I’m reading a great article, but I just can’t visually take it in. 

Please use paragraph breaks - they are your friend.

Lesson 5: Iterative improvement is key

As a neuroscientist, we know you rarely get long term changes by doing something once. 

The effort required to change the brain - from gene expression, neuronal scaffolding, connecting synapses and networks and reorganising these structures - is immense. 

Rewiring the brain is easy to say, but not always easy to do.

It’s why personal growth and transformation is hard. Our brains are inherently energy efficient where possible. 

‘Why do this new tiring thing when the old thing is easy?’ says your Brain.

Accept it’s a physical as well as mental or emotional change process, and it might help you stay on track for longer. 

I’ve been experimenting with different topics but tend to stick to the same format. I choose challenges based on the time and energy available for it. 

Direct feedback from readers helps this experimentation and has shaped my content and approach over time. 

More personal stories blended with nerdy, creative stuff to come.

Lesson 6: Community drives growth

I love the community we’ve built here, from comments to conversations and beyond. Insights and wisdom from readers are inspiring, and get me thinking and feeling deeply. 

I wish I had more time to explore and connect, as it enriched my writing journey way beyond my expectations. 

Getting direct feedback to what you share is invaluable. And publicly sharing gets others into the conversation. 

When it feels like you’re screaming into the void, someone appears in one way or another. It gives you a boost and is a valuable reminder we’re not meant to forge ahead alone. 

True transformation needs others.

Whether you work with a coach, therapist, accountability group or learning community - we all achieve more together. 

Sharing and supporting others needs safety in vulnerable situations - but be the leader you’re looking for and you’ll find like minds.

Lesson 7: Your writer’s voice is your Siren’s call

I’m part of an online writing group which has helped on this journey.

Once I summoned the courage (thanks

Kat Nieh

for the nudge) to share one of my pieces for a content teardown, I literally got a ‘yuk’ from the reviewer (it was Tim Denning). 

Hmm - not quite the feedback I wanted. 

I was also told my piece sounded like a corporate blog. 

Oof, definitely not the vibe I was going for. 

That was earlier in the year but it inspired me to push myself and share more of my personal insights to make it interesting and relevant. 

Tim encourages honest writing and commented on my ‘wrong’ parent post - it felt like real progress.

I wasn’t rejected. Instead, people leaned in.

This supported my initial goal to develop my unique voice and style. However, I still don’t write the way I speak, but I’m getting there.

I use English slang where suitable, and try to include asides and inner thoughts because, why not?

When you’re engaged with the content you’re consuming, you’re more likely to retain it and learn from it. 

We’re all fighting for tiny attention spans, so it’s got to be worth the effort to cut through the noise.

How this year changed my perspective on burnout and leadership

Over the past year, my coaching business strategy has evolved.

Online writing helps me connect the dots across my knowledge and experience in burnout recovery, stress resilience, and leadership development. 

Writing and creative expression have been instrumental in aligning my thoughts and emotions, so I make deeper meaning from them.

Through this process, I’ve drafted an eBook (thanks

Jeanette Martin

!) to help you break free from burnout and developed my Burnout Recovery Playbook.

The Burnout Recovery Playbook is a comprehensive approach for ambitious achievers who want to regain control over burnout and create a sustainable way to reach personal and professional goals.

It blends insights from neuroscience, psychology, creativity and personal growth, and offers practical tools and strategies to recover from burnout and prevent it from derailing success.

This Playbook goes beyond basic solutions by addressing both internal and external factors that fuel burnout and block personal growth. 

It helps you to feel and function better, with more time, energy, and focus to achieve what truly matters, both at work and home. 

It’s not always easy to do this without self-sacrifice or guilt, but you can let go of your unhelpful ways to create healthier ones.

Writing online this past year has allowed me to compile research, personal stories, and reader insights into a tangible, practical resource for you to navigate your burnout recovery to achieve the right things, your way.

What’s next: goals for Year 2 of online writing?

For Year 2 of my online writing journey, I’ll be releasing my eBook to paid Build A Better Brain members, Break Free from Burnout: Discover Your Burnout Patterns And Kickstart Recovery With Creative Action. 

This gives an overview to my Burnout Recovery Playbook and dives deeper into burnout patterns with practical and creative strategies to kickstart recovery.

I’m excited to build and provide additional assessments, resources, and Masterclasses.

These will help you identify your unique burnout symptoms, patterns and provide tailored strategies for lasting change.

You’ll find alternatives to manage stress more resiliently. Through complex times, who doesn’t want that?

I’ll create even more actionable content that guides you through identifying your burnout risk, the ideal life you want, your core values, and personalised recovery strategies for long-term success. 

Today, I’m launching my new Burnout Risk Quiz which helps you identify where you sit on the Burnout Risk Spectrum, and get personalised insights for your burnout risk profile.

I can’t wait to hear your feedback about the Quiz so it continues to be a valuable resource!

I’m committed to supporting your journey towards greater balance, energy, impact, and success - all without the burnout and chronic stress holding you back.

Key takeaways and heartfelt thanks

I am so thankful for you being here, reading, and commenting on anything I create and share with the world. 

I had unexpected discoveries and learn so much each and every day.

If you’re holding yourself back, with online writing or other goals, I hope this inspires you to get out there and do it anyway.

The 7 lessons below might inspire you:

1. Lesson 1 - Consistency compounds:

   1. Regular posting builds momentum. Even on tough days, your ideas and writing improve. You connect with people who resonate with your work. Find others to collaborate with if they aren’t finding you.

2. Lesson 2 - Writing for impact over perfection:

   1. Done is better than perfect. Embrace discomfort. Focus on creating valuable content, even with limited time and energy.

3. Lesson 3 - Authenticity wins every time:

   1. Sharing personal stories changes everything. Vulnerability connects you to others. That’s when you start truly helping.

4. Lesson 4 - Clear writing is kind writing:

   1. Keep it simple and accessible. Overwhelmed readers need writing that’s easy to absorb. It’s the kindest thing to do.

5. Lesson 5 - Iterative improvement is key:

   1. Writing, like personal growth, takes time. Small, consistent changes with feedback lead to improvement and deeper impact.

6. Lesson 6 - Community drives growth:

   1. Feedback and conversations with readers enrich the journey. Transformation isn’t solo. Support and connection makes all the difference.

7. Lesson 7 - Your writer’s voice is your Siren’s call:

   1. Finding your voice takes time. Once you do, your writing resonates so keep going. Authenticity cuts through the noise.

Commit to a time period during which you’ll build and execute your non-negotiable habits. 

Over time, you’ll have a body of work and golden insights to keep you and others inspired for years to come.

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If this post resonated, don’t miss out!

Take the brand new Burnout Risk Quiz now to understand where you sit on the Burnout Risk Spectrum and discover personalised steps for recovery.