Issue #83: On taking a big step towards your wildest dreams

On how I'm learning to STOP trusting myself and finally doing what I've always said I would do. Plus updates to this newsletter!

If you’ve followed me or been subscribed to this newsletter for any amount of time, then you may know that my career started with writing online over 10 years ago. First, writing about music back in college and later blogged about my journey to becoming a first time entrepreneur. Which then turned into a full-time coaching business and ultimately changing my life for the better.

While I have been writing online for well over a decade, I’ve been a writer since the moment I learned how to properly hold a pencil. Throughout my life writing has been my escape, therapy, and a practice that has always made me feel fully alive and aligned with my purpose. Even when I’ve doubted the journey, my journal, a random sheet of paper, or this newsletter has been a constant reminder that writing has and will always be my first love.

For as long as I can remember, there has been nothing I’ve wanted more than to write professionally. But because life is often complicated and the dream of making a living from my writing has felt so impossible, over the course of my life I’ve done everything but take my writing seriously.

Sure, I’ve written a book and have a digital footprint several miles long, but I’ve never fully focused on writing as my “main thing.” Every time I’ve told myself that I would fully try to make a living from writing, I’d hesitate out of fear and decide to launch another coaching program, course, or product instead. All great ways to make money but also great distractions from what I’ve been called to do.

Not to mention, none of those distractions have made me feel the same way that writing does. 🤷🏽‍♀️

So why do I continue to do everything but write?

I recently spent 7 days praying to God specifically about this because I honestly don’t know why I continue to self-sabotage. Over that week, God clearly showed me that I have trust issues. I trust myself more than I trust him. I trust my ability to make money more than I trust his ability to work miracles in my life. And because of that lack of trust, I continue to settle for less instead of betting it all on what He has already told me to do. 🤯

That realization has been eating me up inside since then. Who am I to say what’s possible when I only have control over very little? Who am I to say what I can and can’t do if I’ve never fully trusted God and tried?

So as my 36th birthday approaches in just a few days, I’ve decided to say “Yes.” Yes to finally doing the thing that 8 year old Alisha so desperately wanted to do and saying yes to the call that I truly feel like God has placed on my life.

No more betting on myself, I’m betting on faith.

What does all of this mean for this newsletter?

I don’t have all of the answers but I’m trusting that as I take one step towards my goals, that the rest will be revealed in due time.

I’m starting with taking this Substack more seriously and monetizing it appropriately. I show up here weekly but to be honest with you, most of the newsletters are often rushed and I know that I could be producing better work and also doing a better job at sharing what I’ve written. My goal for Doing Life Well is to approach it like a small magazine. I want to keep the storytelling and authenticity but I want to add in real in-depth research. I want to create content that makes you think and provide you with practical solutions for making rest a daily priority.

Also, starting next week, you will notice that more of my weekly posts will be paywalled. This is because I believe that every creator who has the desire to make a living from their craft should be able to do so.

Writing these newsletters takes a ton of time and thought. Time away from looking for a job or working on any other income stream in my business. I also believe that the value of my work and the work that I have created over the past 10 years is worth it. And I believe that getting the resources that you need to begin making rest a priority is worth it.

Free subscribers will have access to two free newsletters per month while paid subscribers will have access to every weekly newsletter, the audio to each newsletter, our private community, and a growing resource library.

Paid subscriptions are $5/ month or $50/year.

I understand that this is a big change so if you are truly unable to financially pay for a subscription and believe that it will benefit your life or business, please email me and I will waive the fee.

While the structure of this newsletter will change a bit, I do have some exciting new incentives coming that both paid and free subscribers will be able to benefit from!

For me, these changes are about a lot more than making money. It’s about letting go of my own plans, surrendering, and fully putting my faith into something that is bigger than me. I’ll also have other projects going on in the background, but this newsletter and engaging with our community here will take the majority of my focus.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Cheers to a restful day,

Alisha