Moonly Review 🌑 Alternative Business

On seeking alternatives and dealing with "launch anxiety"

Happy New Moon!

This Moon cycle was filled with the theme that I titled:

Alternative Business

It's been a bit over a week since we launched The White Log and it feels like we opened a gate that was stuck for months. Things are flowing. I feel inspired to create and share more, and most importantly I don't feel so much pressure to publish "perfect" content. It's really a mindset shift – instead of creating "articles", I create "notes" and "documentation", and while it's essentially the same thing, my brain perceives it differently, allowing me to write, publish and iterate in very fast content creation cycles.

While it's still early days, I'm feeling very happy with the direction where the Log is heading.

But the best part is that I finally have a space where I can share the process of escaping the hamster wheel and building a life that is truly aligned with my values. I've been having a lot of conversations around these subjects recently, and while I don't feel like I have it all figured out, the mere act of being there for each other and sharing our experiences brings so much value that I feel pretty much mind-blown every time. The White Log brings another dimension to this process, and I feel especially grateful for this iteration of my entrepreneurial journey.

And hey, we have our very first Patron, which feels amazing, especially considering that we pretty much haven't done any promotion at all. I feel much more aligned with this business model – receiving support from people who believe in our work, rather than straight forward selling of services, and I hope that we can get to the point where we'll be able to open-source everything we do and be supported by the community.

Relaxing into the "Launch Anxiety"

We've launched our new program: Habit Sprint, which is a shorter version of the Year of Practice.

Based on the first quarter of the Year of Practice we made a few tweaks, and arrived at what seems like an extremely effective habit-building accelerator optimized for deep connection and compassionate growth. We're experimenting with the sliding scale pricing for the first time, and we're very curious to see how it will turn out. We're documenting the entire process here.

But apart from the excitement of creating something amazing, I'm also noticing anxiety and tension connected to the fear of not filling the spaces. I'm much more relaxed than last year (I guess everything gets better with training), but it's still there.

Interestingly, I've noticed that this tension manifests itself particularly strong when writing "sales emails". I feel very comfortable with writing emails in general, but the second that I'm including a link to a course that's open for enrollment I get super tense and can't access my own voice. In fact I feel this way writing this very email, even if it's not a sales email at all. It's so fucking weird.

I've been trying to unpack this feeling, but so far I didn't get far. I want to help people and I know what I offer works, because people tell me so. I think I know how to communicate the value of it. But I can't shift my mindset to speak from the heart, and instead I retreat back to "marketing frameworks" and I almost hate myself for doing it. Luckily, I don't work alone, and I can leave the first drafts of the emails for Silvia to sprinkle some magic on it. But I do wish there was another way, and deep down I know there is. I just haven't found it yet.

And to be fair, while the fear is there, I do trust that we'll find the right people, just like we did with the Year of Practice. And even if not, then it's not the end of the world. I can sit with this feeling, give it a hug and accept it as a part of me. And this ability helps me relax.

And speaking of fear, I've just finished reading "Life of Pi" and I'd like to share a chapter with you:

Until the next time,
Michal

ps. I've been feeling growing curiosity towards the world of crypto, decentralised finance, and alternative economies. I have zero knowledge in that field, and it feels totally overwhelming. But in the same time I've been feeling a particular pull towards Seeds. I even started looking at their deck but then the overwhelm took over... I'll keep on trying. And perhaps even document the process, as I have a feeling more people would like to tip their toes into this world, but feel as overwhelmed as myself. TBC