Hey, Reader —
This is one of those weeks that feels like a pause. The holidays are fading. The new year is at hand, but real momentum hasn’t kicked in yet.
There’s less noise than usual, and that quiet can feel both calming and uncertain.
If you’re not feeling ambitious, that’s okay. What this moment asks for is something simpler: clarity. A way to see what matters before everything speeds up again.
So instead of talking about goals or resolutions, I want to offer something smaller and more practical for this moment.
Meet the Deciding What Matters Framework. It’s a one-page guide you can come back to when work starts to feel fuzzy or heavier than it needs to be.
It’s not a plan or a strategy. It’s just something steady to navigate by.
Most solopreneurs are good at setting goals. We’re also good at holding values. But when plans wobble, or momentum dips, it’s not always obvious what still deserves our attention.
That’s when decisions start to take longer than they should. Energy gets spread thin. You keep moving, but it feels like you’re pushing instead of progressing.
What helps in those moments isn’t another list of things to do. It’s being clear about what actually matters right now.
This works best as a single page you make for yourself. You can sketch it, write it, or scribble on it. Turning your page sideways and using the landscape format can broaden your thinking.
Start by answering one question:
What do I want my work to point toward right now?
This isn’t a goal to hit or a statement to polish. It’s a reference point. Something you can use to make decisions faster and with less second-guessing.
It might sound like:
- I want my work to make complex ideas easier to use.
- I want my work to reduce decision fatigue through better structure.
- I want my work to help early ideas find their shape.
- I want my work to enhance the way people present their products and services.
One or two lines are plenty. If it feels unfinished, that’s fine. This isn’t a declaration, it’s a direction.
Next, use that direction to decide what deserves your energy.
Not everything you could be doing. Just the work that actually moves you toward what matters.
These might be specific project types, particular ways of working, or a small number of focus areas that feel aligned and sustainable.
This part isn’t about doing more. It’s about recognizing where your attention belongs.
When that’s clear, consistency gets easier. You’re no longer asking, “What should I be working on?” You’re asking, “Does this fit?” And a lot of unnecessary effort falls away.
Finally, give yourself a boundary.
What does “enough” look like for you right now? What level of effort keeps this workable without tipping into overdrive?
Enough might mean one thoughtful piece a week. Or showing up consistently in one place. Or making progress without trying to optimize everything at once.
This is the part that keeps work humane. It’s also what makes steady progress possible without pushing harder than you need to.
You don’t have to finish this page in one sitting. You don’t need to revisit it every day. Make it sometime this week, keep it nearby, and come back to it when you’re deciding what to take on or what to let go.
It’s not a map. It won’t tell you exactly where to go next. But it will help you move forward with less drag and more confidence.
For this week, that’s enough.
As my holiday gift to you, here’s a PDF of this framework to download (no registration needed).
In creating this framework, I spent a lot of time using it to sort through ideas about a new project I'm launching in 2026. It generated some fresh insights, and I suspect it will do the same for you. I'd love to hear your experiences — hit reply to let me know.
Here are 3 more things from my inbox that I wanted to share with you this week:
Notable Book Covers of 2025
This annual roundup of book covers from Dan Wagstaff at Casual Optimist is a reminder that book covers remain one of the most creative corners of visual culture. Many of these come from smaller presses you won’t spot on bestseller lists or big-box shelves, which makes the work even more interesting. Each cover is a compact act of visual persuasion: typography, imagery, and concept do a lot of work in a very small space. It’s a visual masterclass on how constraint can sharpen creativity.
Selling Without the Salesiness
Josh Spector is one of the sharpest thinkers I know when it comes to turning content into clients. In this piece, he breaks down what actually helps products sell, without resorting to hype or pressure. It’s less about clever tricks and more about clarity, relevance, and respect for the reader. If your work depends on communicating value clearly (and whose doesn’t?), this is well worth your time. You can also find more of Josh’s thinking in his newsletter, For the Interested or his Clients from Content podcast.
The Subtle Art of the Calendar Link
Wes Kao shares a thoughtful take on something most of us do all the time: asking for a meeting. In this LinkedIn post, she shares scripts with the best etiquette for sending a calendar link, ways to avoid coming across as entitled, and how small wording choices can create ease or friction. It’s a good reminder that professionalism often shows up in the tiniest details, especially when you’re working solo and every interaction carries your brand.
Until next week: Stay small. Play big.
Terri
P.S. When you’re ready for more, here are a few resources from Terri Lonier and the Solo Business School:
Want to send a question or comment? Please do — I read (and respond to) my email.
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Authority By Design is a registered trademark, and Content Velocity and Working Solo are trademarks, of Make International LLC. Issue #096.
