Episode 150
The Summer Break Show
July 20, 2018 · Mike Murphy
EP150: THE SUMMER BREAK SHOW Seneca: “The mind should be allowed some relaxation, that it may return to its work all the better for the rest.” Episode Summary: This episode is going to share the work I plan to do on vacation to set me up for success in the 2nd half of 2018. My content strategy and plan for the second half of 2018. My version of work-life balance
Episode Summary: A mid-year check-in on content strategy and work-life balance ahead of a 2-week vacation to Nantucket — planning the second half of 2018 and reflecting on the value of taking a real break.
What You’ll Learn
- A mid-year review framework for evaluating your life and business roadmap
- Why podcasting didn’t make the 2018 priority list, but stayed important anyway
- The 2018 mantra: Simplicity, Fundamentals, Storytelling
- Micro-storytelling as a teaching approach — breaking big concepts into small pieces
- Priorities for Q3 and Q4 2018 across Murphy Concierge, YouTube, writing, and health
“The mind should be allowed some relaxation, that it may return to its work all the better for the rest.” — Seneca
Taking a Break
Resting your mind is vital to your health and wellness, but that doesn’t mean stopping your efforts to create the life you want. Mike’s sights were on the long-term — a marathon, not a sprint — so pace mattered. July 18th marks the halfway point of the year, a natural moment to evaluate a life and business roadmap and set up a strong finish. Are you on the right track? Do you know where you’re headed? Are you in control, or in reaction mode?
Mike shared in Episode 149: The Freedom Show that he was taking an indefinite hiatus from the podcast. This episode plans the content strategy and business goals for Q3 and Q4 of 2018 ahead of a 2-week vacation to Nantucket — his version of work-life balance.
The 2018 Roadmap Revisited
In Episode 122: The 2018 Roadmap Show, the year’s priorities were: Murphy Concierge (generating income), Tutorials & Classes, Writing, Ask Mike Murphy, YouTube, and Health & Wellness.
Looking back at the halfway mark, Mike felt good about progress against that roadmap — with one note: podcasting didn’t make the original priority list, but remained important to the overall content puzzle, especially as audio and podcasting kept growing in a mobile-first world. The plan wasn’t to walk away from podcasting, just to find a new rhythm — a step back to take two steps forward.
Mantra and theme for 2018: Simplicity, Fundamentals, Storytelling — maintaining a lifestyle of reduced physical and mental clutter, with more emphasis on fundamentals and storytelling in content creation.
Storytelling on the Trip
Mike approached the Nantucket trip with storytelling in mind — drawing from personal experience in a way others could relate to and connect with, rather than worrying about volume of content. The goal: micro-storytelling — taking big concepts and breaking them into smaller pieces instead of trying to cover too much at once, so that snippets of the journey add up to a larger story. Ideas on the table included behind-the-scenes looks at gear and workspace, the “why” behind the work, and glimpses into life and business — not to self-promote, but to let people into the journey.
Priorities for Q3 and Q4 2018
- Murphy Concierge — Mike’s local tech support business, helping homes and businesses fix and understand their tech. Homework: build a membership subscription plan giving clients ongoing access to help.
- Tutorials, YouTube & Ask Mike Murphy — growing the YouTube channel significantly, plus adding a livestream Ask Mike Murphy component to actually meet and engage the audience.
- Writing — doubling down on Medium, with a goal of at least one more eBook for the year and mining 150 podcast episodes for 50-100 article topics.
- Health & Wellness — treated as the true #1 priority: the belief that taking care of the body makes everything else fall into place.
Bottom Line
Taking a step back and taking a break does the body and mind good. Creating the life you want is non-stop hard work, but it’s vital to block out time to clear the board, think, and re-evaluate. Checking in with yourself is essential.
“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than you can in a year of conversation.” — Plato