Hey guys! It’s that time of the month, where I’ll share discoveries, lessons, and insights worth sharing. This month, I’ve been feeling a bit off. It’s been a dance with doubt, a silent partner that’s been keeping me on my toes. You know, the shadow that’s always there but you never really want to acknowledge it? I want to take a step back and share a bit about my journey so far. I was in a Master’s program in Experience Design in Aalborg where I’ve lived for almost 3 years. The classrooms and lectures though I enjoyed them, I was longing for home in Aarhus, especially with a kid in the picture. Two months in, I dropped out and was looking for a full-time job. But, life had other plans. I got sick. Really sick. And that’s been my reality for a while now. You know what’s funny about life on pause? You start to believe you’re falling behind. Like everyone else is sprinting past while you’re stuck. It wasn’t a massive life-altering feeling, more like a nagging, annoying whisper that wouldn’t quit. So, what do you do when self-doubt comes knocking? You look back. Yeah, you heard me right. Look back, not forward. We’re so busy making to-do lists and planning out our future, we forget to acknowledge our past. So I did just that. I made a ‘Reverse Bucket List’. The idea is to write a list of things you’ve already accomplished in your life, things that were meaningful to you and made you feel proud. Seeing my win’s on paper didn’t make me complacent. Far from it. It made me realize that I have got a lot more fights left in me. At 28, I’m only getting started. As John Heywood said, “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour.” A business wasn’t established in a day. A project wasn’t completed in a day. A marriage wasn’t solidified in a day. It’s an exercise that helps you express gratitude also. Here’s the one I made for myself: Going forward, I’m keeping a journal. Nothing too overwhelming. Just a weekly update on my life’s big and small victories. It’s my way of reminding myself that life isn’t a race—it’s a marathon. So, if you’re feeling stuck, doubting yourself. Try it. Make a reverse bucket list. It just might change your perspective. I came across a tweet from Sam Ocean the other day on Twitter, and it got me thinking. He was talking about the idea of batching content being wrong. Batching content is a strategy I’ve been seeing a lot of—in blogs, articles, carousels, you name it, they’re all singing the praises of batching. At its core, batching is about saving time, isn’t it? I mean, it sounds reasonable. Efficient even. But every time I’ve tried, it felt… off. Like there’s this invisible wall between me and the content I’ve scheduled. Sam said, “When I batch? I produce mediocre BS. I chase the productivity high of creating 30 tweets in 5 hours. Because it 'saves time.'” That’s exactly how I feel about batching. It feels like a chore. Like I’m ticking boxes on a to-do list, trying to stay ahead in the game. What he suggests is to create what he calls ‘Breakthrough Content’ instead. This is about creating that one piece of content that packs a punch. That gets people talking. Now, I’m not one to chase viral fame or make it a mission to write daily. It might seem strange, but I prefer experimenting with different approaches and seeing what works for me. But I’ve got to admit, Sam’s idea intrigued me. I might even give it a shot. Go ahead and check out his tweet. I’d love to hear what you think about it. Let's break this down into two parts—business and personal. I’m excited for my one-year-old daughter who’ll start daycare in early August. I wonder how our days will change with her being away from most of it. Also, there’s this book I’ve been delving into, ‘Think BIG’. I’ve mentioned it a couple of times, but now that I’m truly into it, it’s making me work alongside reading (with various of exercises). I can’t wait to share some of its gems with you! There’s something thrilling coming up. My business partner and I are building a creative business. We’re so excited about it! We’ve chosen a name, crafted a manifesto, and discussed a lot of tools and frameworks we plan to implement into our business. We’ve conducted a public survey, a vox pop, on creativity. Our hypothesis? The average Joe doesn’t believe they’re creative. We took to the streets and started asking questions. I’ll share more details in a future issue. Once we’ve decoded the responses, we’ll move on to building our business model, clarifying our value proposition, and identifying our customer segments. Stay tuned! This is only the beginning. If you want to, I’d encourage you to also take these questions and reflect on them. I’d love to hear your insights or what valuable resource impacted you. And also what are you looking forward to in the upcoming month? Read from those ahead, and write for those behind. Until next time, Stay inspired! Sharmarke P.S. Are we connected on Twitter yet? Let’s fix that! P.S.S. Subscribe to my newsletter for more of these.
What was the most challenging experience this month, and how did I overcome it?
What has been the most enlightening lesson or insight I've learned this month?
What am I looking forward to in the upcoming month?
On the personal front
On the business front
What about you?
Quote of the month
— Dakota Robertson
Sharmarke Hujale lives to inspire. He is a hybrid professional based in Denmark that's driven by a belief that inspiration and creativity enable us to see new possibilities. He calls himself a Creative Possibilineer because he works at the intersection of being a designer, concept developer, strategist, and visual communicator.
Dose of inspiration—delivered to your inbox. Spark your own journey of self-discovery and transformation.
Subscribe to my newsletter to spark your own journey of self-discovery and transformation.