Immediate — Do Right Now
- Audit your current tools and subscriptions — list every paid service
- You will find subscriptions you have forgotten about. Cancel anything unused within 30 days.
- Set up your weekly publishing rhythm: Monday admin, Tue–Thu creative, Friday marketing
- Block these in your calendar as non-negotiable recurring appointments
- Choose one project management system and commit to it
- Notion, Trello, Airtable — pick one and stop switching. The tool matters less than the consistency.
- Cancel any tools you are not actively using — subscription creep silently costs hundreds per year
This Week
- Implement the weekly rhythm for one full week — track how it feels and where friction appears
- Set up your chosen writing and editing tools — configure them fully before you need them
- Create templates for recurring tasks: launch checklist, weekly review, monthly financial review
- Establish your monthly review process — set the date, create the template, add it to your calendar
This Month
- Optimise your publishing workflow based on what friction you found in the first week
- Invest in tools that demonstrably save time or improve results — not tools that seem impressive
- Create standard operating procedures for your publishing business
- Even one-person operations benefit from documented SOPs. They let you delegate later.
- Plan your next quarter's priorities and goals — creative, marketing, and financial
Tool Selection Principles
- Start simple. Begin with free or low-cost options and upgrade only when you outgrow them.
- Prioritise integration. Choose tools that work well together rather than best-in-class isolated solutions.
- Focus on ROI. Invest in tools that either save significant time or demonstrably improve results.
- Test before committing. Use free trials to ensure tools fit your workflow before paying.
- Avoid subscription creep. Audit your subscriptions quarterly and cancel anything unused.