This week's newsletter sponsored by an "Unexpected Network Error"
Thanks, Substack. You may have wiped out my newsletter, but you actually sort of enlightened me.
This is not the newsletter I originally planned on sending.
Nope.
Nor is the pic above the one I intended to lead with.
The original newsletter had a beautiful pic, and the content had just flowed out of me, full of deep thoughts and ground-breaking ideas. 💭
It also contained a list of really great links. 🔗
Oh, they were good.
I was even ahead of schedule - it was so close to being done! 🤗
But then I decided to spice things up a bit with pics. 📸
(Harmless, right?)
Specifically, I wanted an inspirational image for the home section. 🖼️
So I scrolled through Substack’s stock photos and found a really cool pic of a coffee table that looked styled, but not too styled. (The furniture version of the rich girl at college whose annoyingly simple wardrobe costs more than your tuition.)
Anyway, it was a very simple coffee table with an even simpler background.
I loved it because its pure simplicity made me feel that possibilities could enter that space.
Dig deeper, and I guess it made me feel like possibilities could enter my space. (As in, my life.)
So, I pasted the coffee table pic in the HOME section of my newsletter.
And, then…
JUST LIKE THAT…
POOF.💨
My newsletter disappeared.
(I’m telling you, it was GONE. Perhaps sent to some 👽’s newsletter feed. And wondering if you feel like you’re at the eye doctor here with these multiple size fonts. What’s the lowest line you can read?)
My newsletter had been replaced with letters and numbers.
The kind of gobbly gook that only a computer 🤓 understands.
I tried my darndest to get the newsletter back.
I even posted a “HELP!” message in the Substack Notes section.
But nothing worked.
I was back to the drawing board.
I wondered what I’d write about and what links I’d include, all while working on the other items on my to-do list.
And then I had a thought… 💡
Which led to… What I’d Rather Be Talking About this week.
Maybe losing that big, long newsletter
with more links than stars in the sky
was actually a good thing.
A sign from above,
reminding me that
LESS IS MORE.
I know this.
For Pete’s sake, I preach this to other writers.
Yet I tend to pile it on - in my writing and in my life.
But this disappearing newsletter snafu made me realize:
Share too much, we share nothing.
If we like everything, we like nothing.
Connect with everyone on LinkedIn, connect with no one.
Get everything we want, we appreciate nothing.
I think you get the idea.
So I’m not going to post a lot of links today. And I promise to stop babbling.
Plus, I’m going to think about this concept in my life and stop scrambling to fill it with more and more, and just focus on the standouts.
The important stuff.
For now, I’m happy to connect with you, right here, right now,
and hopefully give you a few things to talk about.
✌️❤️ & 🔗,
Abbey
P.S. You might want to stick around to the end for my new life mantra that’s positively GAME CHANGING.
TRAVEL🛬
With a couple of trips on the horizon for fall, I’m checking out what’s new in Travel Tech. Also excited to hear the real reason
yourmy suitcase is overweight, and if you’re headed to Europe, try not to make these mistakes this fall.And, if you’re like me and always trying to get outfits right for vacation, Megan the “Portable Professional” seems to think she has the answer.
A question for my lovely readers… do you use an eSim when you travel?
If so, please share recs!
BUSINESS & PRODUCTIVITY👩🏻💻
As a freelancer who knows a thing or two about ADHD, I’ve been experimenting with my workspace and work habits, such as writing while listening to Lo-Fi concentration music or playlist recs I hear about from my favorite newsletters, such as For The Interested.
For The Interested comes from marketing and ideas guy, Josh Spector, whose goal is simple: “I help businesses get more clients from their content.” In addition to his helpful newsletter (which, btw, is always concise and to the point), Josh also posts great LinkedIn content and offers a plethora of skill sessions like his Micro Newsletter Creator or Clients from Content Sessions. I’m working on a new project thanks to his Micro Newsletter Creator. (Coming soon!)
HOME🪴
It’s summer and we’re all outside, which leads to the question - is something in your backyard ticking off your neighbors? Read this to see if your back forty is breaking unwritten rules.
While we’re usually outside our homes in summer, sometimes rain or heat keeps us inside. Make use of that time by organizing and tidying up. Here are some fantastic bedroom storage ideas, and though you’ll never catch me making labels for jars (don’t have the bandwidth), some of these 100 organizing tips make a lot of sense. (And sorry, 100 tips are sooo not “less is more.” But I think organizing in general supports the less is more philosophy.)
READ THIS!👩🏻🏫
I’m not typically one to post reading lists (because I’m a terrible reader), but I have a book rec, thanks to my mother-in-law, who recently gifted me To Fall In Love, Drink This by Alice Feirig. I love how
