Welcome to Issue 63 of Writing and Other Stuff, a newsletter by me, Kim Scaravelli, with a focus on writing with personality and pizazz, and nurturing your creativity. Thanks for reading! If a friend forwarded this email to you, say thank you - and subscribe here.
On Saturday, I cleaned out my attic.
It was as horrible as it sounds...
Hours of filling garbage bags with stuff that had purpose and meaning at some point in my life - but is now just clutter.
π₯³ Yet once it was done, I felt fantastic.
Now, I can get at my camping supplies without squeezing around a broken dehumidifier and a twin-size bed mattress.
My Christmas decorations are no longer trapped behind three bins full of water guns and broken badminton racquets.
And I can readily find the memory boxes I made for each of my children when they left elementary school.
It's HARD to throw things out.
Dehumidifiers are heavy and lugging a twin-size mattress down two flights of stairs is no laughing matter.
But it's important to clear the clutter - whether it's in your attic, your basement, or your work world.
ππ₯ π Letting go of things that no longer serve you well is FREEING.
And it creates space to showcase and enjoy what's truly important and valuable.
Cool quote
βThe simpler the space, the calmer the mind."
Jennifer Noseworthy
Don't Cling to Old Content!
Let's say you've been writing a blog post or LinkedIn article every month for two years. So, now you've got 24 pieces of content on that website or platform. Cool!
But let's be honest. Even if each one is beautifully written, I bet some are more popular with readers than others, and a few are just taking up space.
Now think about all the posts you've made on social. Do they represent who you are NOW? Or are they just out-dated snapshots?
As a professional, you're constantly evolving. Maybe you've pivoted a bit in terms of what you do, how you do it, and what you want to be known for. Or maybe you've found a niche. Either way, it's possible that some things don't FIT your brand as well as they used to.
Over time, if you don't sort through things, the less purposeful stuff can accumulate and take over... JUST LIKE JUNK IN AN ATTIC.
So take a day. Maybe a week. (Purging takes time).
Do a holistic, objective review of your content, one platform at a time. Ask yourself:
- Is anybody looking at this?
- Is this topic still important and valuable to the people I want to connect with?
- Is this something worth updating and editing? Or would it be faster and easier to ditch it and write something fresh?
Housekeeping is a normal part of life. Everything is not equally special. πͺ To keep your brand strong and healthy, some things may need to go!
Stuff Worth Sharing
I'm a big fan of content marketing expert Andy Crestodina. Here's the link to an article he wrote: Changing Magic of Deleting Old Content: 11 Experts on Content Pruning and SEO.
It's a good jumping-off point for learning more about hows-and-whys of regularly cleaning up your brand content.
For the Word Nerds
Disposaphobia is the fear of throwing things away. It's a fancy word for what most folks call hoarding.
There's a related fear called diagraphephobia. That's when the fear is specifically related to deleting files, content, and online data.
There's also athazagoraphobia, which is the fear of forgetting someone or something, as well as the fear of being forgotten.
In today's world, where we attach so much meaning to our online presence, athazaphobia and diagraphephobia are inter-twined, because it can feel like deleting old posts and such is erasing parts of ourselves.
π£ Don't panic!
There's no need to diagnose yourself with a crippling phobia just because you've got pre-covid posts on your website, or posts on social from a zillion years ago.
You're just busy. Life happens. That said, it's probably time to tidy up!
Extra Cool Quote
"Get on with it. Clean up your crap!"
My Grandmother
(who was both blunt and wise)
Thanks for reading. The next issue will arrive in your inbox on October 2. In the meantime, I'll be enjoying a well-earned holiday in π΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώ Scotland!
If you've been to Edinburgh, Inverness, or the Isle of Skye, pop me an email with recommendations for fun things to do and yummy dining spots!
If you're feeling generous:
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