How I Want 2026 to Look

In an attempt to prepare and align for a more successful and healthy 2026, I wanted to lay out a rough outline of my career and site focus.

My top priority at the moment is sustainable income. Unless something magical and unpredictable happens, it will not, at least for the first half of the year, be coming from the site, newsletter, or podcast (or any self-started creative projects). My energy needs to be significantly funneled into pitching to clients and editors. Then, with the belief that lands some work, create what was agreed upon.

I also need to be much better at managing my emotional and mental energy, and devote significant time to learning tools and strategies to work with my AuDHD brain. Even more importantly, find time to nurture my relationships with my family (and friends). 

I also want to really grow my audience for this site, newsletter, and podcast. They need to remain at some level a daily part of my work without burning myself out.

Here is my rough weekly plan that I am allowing myself to deviate from if necessary. I'm also well-aware I seem to be the only person who gets completely flustered if promised plans don't roll out perfectly.

Sunday: Media Diary, where I reveal what I watched, played, read, and listened to that week, along with a few very short thoughts.

Monday: The Movie Breakdown podcast. 

Tuesday: I have given up plans for this to become a movie news site in any form. But this is the day when I'll have some pop culture thoughts or a dive into a piece of nostalgia. Some weeks, this also may just be a day I post a link to something I wrote for another outlet.

Wednesday: Substack newsletter. Either a review from the MCU or Disney animated series, a deep dive into another classic movie, or a mixing of neurodivergent life with pop culture, like I did with Wicked.

Thursday: Either a personal anecdote that acts as a reflection of parenting and mental health, or a look into my creative process for an ongoing work. 

Friday: A review for a new release or, if I haven't had time to see one yet, a Substack fiction serial episode or another creative writing piece.

Saturday: Whatever I did on Friday, then the other this day.

That is the plan, Stan. But I also will allow things to deviate without imploding.

Hopefully.

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If my work resonates with you and you’d like to support it, there are a few ways you can help:

• Subscribe to Life on the Balcony newsletter 

• Toss a few dollars into the tip jar via the Support Me badge or my Ko-fi page.

• Consider hiring me for your business.

• Or order one of my custom Santa Letters and Christmas Stories

Every bit genuinely helps. Not just financially, but emotionally. It helps me keep going, keep writing, and keep building something that matters.