I’m doing a little professional reset for The Simply Delighted Life (TSDL). Last year, I launched with three goals in mind:
- Passion project: I wanted to help people live more intentionally and find joy in everyday life.
- Put my tech skills to work: All the IT/tech knowledge I’d accumulated finally had a home.
- Side hustle income: I hoped to build a small but sustainable revenue stream.
Nearly a year in, I can proudly say I hit one goal: putting my tech skills into practice. Mission accomplished… but also, um… yay? That’s about 33% of my target. Not exactly crushing it, but at least I learned what works (and what doesn’t).
Here’s the thing: I have a burning desire to help others live a simply delighted life. But right now, TSDL isn’t reaching enough people for the effort I’m putting in. Most of my posts have been read by a few people. Some have done better, but still… all that hard work for little traction.
That must change.
Lessons From Maker vs. Manager Time (And why it Matters for alignment)
I recently watched a course about maker vs. manager time. It hit home.
- Maker time: 3–4 hour blocks where your brain is at peak creative flow. This is when the real work happens — writing posts, making spreadsheets, designing, experimenting.
- Manager time: Administrative tasks such as email, calendaring, social posting, operations, and other tasks that interrupt creative flow. Phone calls count in this category, too.
Here’s the truth: if I start work at 8 a.m. and have a 10 a.m. meeting, that morning is essentially lost for real content creation. The flow doesn’t happen. You can’t force it.
So for 2026, one of my key strategies is blocking out three 4-hour maker sessions per week. That gives me 12 high-quality hours for TSDL without spilling over into other priorities.
Setting aligned Goals That Actually Work
Success starts with a vision. For me, that’s TSDL. From that vision comes a goal — something measurable and achievable.
Next, identify 5–7 high-leverage objectives that, if executed consistently, make that goal happen naturally, make it hard to miss. Ask yourself: What are the handful of actions that will almost automatically lead to success?
Be honest about your time constraints. For example:
- 5 high leverage objectives
- 40-hour workweek
- ~8 hours/week per objective
This reality check keeps your goals and objectives realistic and prevents wasted energy on over-editing, over-prepping, or over-analyzing.
Example: TSDL Goal for 2026
Goal: Achieve sustainable profitability for TSDL by the end of 2026.
High-leverage objectives:
1️⃣ Protect maker time – Three 4-hour blocks per week dedicated to TSDL content and high-leverage work.
2️⃣ Consistent content production – Publish 75 posts in 2026 (1/week Jan–May, 2/week Jun–Dec).
3️⃣ Grow email list to a baseline audience – 1,500–2,000 engaged subscribers by YE.
4️⃣ Establish one reliable monetization channel – Affiliate income, digital product, or service offering.
5️⃣ Operational support – Optimize site, workflow, and promotion systems (Mailchimp, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.).
These five objectives cover the critical levers to grow readership, build revenue, and protect reative flow.
Tracking Progress
Tracking progress is simple. Think of it like a red/green dashboard:
- Red = needs attention
- Green = on track
I tried Google Sheets and Excel templates but ended up building my own in Excel. Why?
- It keeps out noise I don’t need
- It matches my logic, not someone else’s
- I already know Excel, so I didn’t waste maker time learning a new system
Other options include Airtable, Trello, or Notion (free templates available). Whatever tool you choose, make it easy to glance at weekly and know exactly where you stand.
Your Turn
Take a few minutes today to define your one high-leverage goal for 2026.
- What’s your vision?
- What’s the goal that moves you toward it?
- What 5–7 objectives will make that goal happen naturally?
- How much time do you have to allocate to each objective?
- How will you track progress?
Remember: focus on realistic, attainable objectives. Protect your maker time. Measure progress, not just output. And above all — keep it aligned with what truly matters to you.
✨ Here’s to a 2026 where your creativity, focus, and effort finally meet the audience and impact you’ve been dreaming about.
— Jules
