New year same-ish me
Open for chats, prompts, and restarts
Nothing changes overnight. Not even on New Year’s night.
In late 2025, we worked together through a writing challenge that some of you said you enjoyed and found useful (even if you didn’t manage to write daily).
After the challenge ended, I gathered feedback and had a few conversations about it.
Some people wanted all the prompts in one place, so they could follow more easily. Others missed a space where they could meet and exchange ideas with fellow participants.
So, I bring you both. Ta-daa.
30-day writing toolkit (+14 bonus)
Over the last couple of months, I’ve been putting together a resource inspired by the original challenge, designed to be followed at your own pace.
I kept the four core themes (voice, clarity, confidence, and authority) because they matter when building a writing habit and working through common fears. I also added two more for those who want to keep going: play and momentum.
That’s 44 prompts for 44 days of writing.
The guide also includes:
common writing challenges and ways to work through them
lessons drawn from people who completed the challenge
a simple set of rules to support momentum, without pressure
If you joined the challenge back in October, some of this will feel familiar. Still, if you want to revisit it, pick up where you left off, or simply have a reliable source of writing prompts on hand, I think you’ll find it useful.
If you didn’t do the challenge and want to get back to the page this year, this is a good place to start — whether your goal is professional visibility or simply writing more and seeing what happens.
Without further ado: the 30-Day Writing Toolkit is now live.
To give you a small boost for 2026, use WRITE26 at checkout for 26% off (valid until January 16, midnight).
Less monologue, more community
I’ll be opening Subscriber Chats for Shrug & Send shortly. This newsletter and the chats will remain free. Read, comment, or drop in when and how it feels right.
I took a short break from this newsletter to work on the guide, but I’ll be back with more regular notes from here on.
Nothing changes overnight. But 30, 44, or 365 days sure add up.
✍️ This week’s prompt:
Write about what “enough” writing would look like for you this year.
I know the world is burning on multiple fronts, both literally and metaphorically. Reading and writing can help us stay sane and grounded. So, let’s keep at it.
Love the "nothing changes overnight" framing. What's intresting is how structured prompts can paradoxically create more freedom than just "write whatever"—the constraint actually reduces decision fatigue. I've noticed in my own expierience that the hardest days to write are the ones with total open-endedness, no guardrails. The four core themes (especially authority) feel like they address the psychological blockers more than the technical ones.