What Comes Next
Discerning the words to say after you send the text or email
I wanted to start with writing tips. But I don’t have an abundance of those today.
You see, these first two months of 2025 have not been creatively what I’d hoped.
I keep lists of ideas on my phone, in my inbox, and occasionally on actual slips of paper. (See exhibit A.) But gathering up my lists, combing through them, and finding ideas that I’ve got time to work on in this season? Nope. I do foresee a season coming where I’ll have that kind of time. But it’s okay to recognize the season we’re in.
The Uninspired Email, Text or Voice Message
I wanted to share witty tips for writing better because I know many of you are writers. Some of you are also following along with our Go First Challenge (you can read all about it here and follow my collab partner in crime, Amanda Wettersten, here).
I’ll be honest.
Even this week’s challenge — to email someone who needs an “attagirl” or a “yay, you did it!” felt difficult for me. Not because I couldn’t think of someone to email; I could.
It was tough because I went into it with an expectation — a desired result I wanted to see, receive, or gain. (Hey, just gotta be real here.)
Of course, I wanted to encourage the recipient, and that truly was my first heart-thought. But I realized I’d had an expectation when the response I got was… a little flat.
It was very vanilla, generic, like yeah, yeah, been-there-done-that.
Combined with a moody teenager living in my house and a few other living-here people who are currently stressed out, the inspiration for witty tips to include for this edition of the newsletter just fell flat.
I can think of no such tips.
But, what I do have to offer you is a permission slip. A permission slip to take any step at all after your email or text.
Sometimes when we send an out-of-the-blue email to encourage someone else, it can feel like we are offering a window into our souls … for free, without anything in return. And that is so genuine and a worthy gift to the recipient. No matter their response, your gift is valuable. I give you permission to believe that.
What do you do when you’ve hit “send” on the email and you aren’t sure what to do, say or expect next?
What to Write, Say or Do Next in the Wake of Lulls
I wouldn’t go so far to say that my response felt disappointing; it was kind and well-spoken. I guess my hesitation is more that it took the wind from my sails. I couldn’t think of anything to lift me up out of the proverbial lull that followed.
‘Til now. After some reflection, I learned that my next moves were actually pretty okay. So, I share them here in case they help you too as you’re waiting in the aftermath of an email you sent, a text you fired off, a little piece of vulnerability just hanging out there in the world.
My lull is your gain. I hope you can snag a few of these to bolster your own writing or otherwise creative lulls.
I served someone I knew. Someone I know needed a specific task completed and put a call out for volunteers. I wanted to remind myself that someone else’s response doesn’t have to make or break my day, and there are much bigger problems in the world than mine. (Serving others always has a way of blessing us that almost feels wrong. But hey, go serve anyway.)
I sent a silly video message to an old friend. Even the thought of old friends can bring a smile to our faces, so why not send a short Marco Polo or Voxer voice message to someone you haven’t caught up with lately? In my case, I sent a 20-second update about one of my kids who had challenged my patience that day. It related to something my friend and I had talked about recently, so I fired it off and I hope it made her laugh.
I unpacked a gift that had been sitting in my office. It doesn’t have to be a gift; but maybe there’s a book on your shelf you’ve been meaning to read. Or it could be an Instagram video you saved to watch later and forgot about. Go find that thing and flip through the book, start reading the first chapter, or watch the video start to finish.
I borrowed inspiration from someone else. My husband, daughter, and son are all incredibly creative. This random sketch my son did recently sits on my desk as a reminder that it is worth creating, even if for no other benefit than the joy of creating.
Much has been written about the health benefits of creative pursuits. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, about the impact of art on healing. Forbes published an article several years ago about how creative pursuits can help us focus, reduce dementia, and improve our mental health. I think Clear and Forbes are onto something.
5. I went for a walk. I know this isn’t everyone’s go-to, but I have found that because I sit (or stand) at a desk 75% of my day, a simple walk clears my head and lightens my mood. I’ve also found so much inspiration from just being outside in nature. While my current walking environment is a little lackluster, I aspire to find new places to walk in our new town where trees are blooming, vines are climbing and the sun shines a little brighter.
This is one of my favorite walking paths from where we used to live. I’ve started reminiscing about it lately, so I know I need to find a new path in our current city.
I read something funny that someone else wrote. Reading what others write is a way to 1) support their craft and 2) remember we have an entire Crayola box of emotions in our toolkit. When felt, these emotions can conjure up new ideas or remind us of old ones we’d left in the desk drawer. I love the vulnerability of this Substack post about workouts and diet plans. (Pretty sure 100% of us will find something we can laugh at or relate to here.)
So, how are you doing after Week 5 and the #GoFirst Challenge? Are you enjoying the challenge of digging a little deeper or finding the good in those around you?
(And if you’re not, do tell. This is a place for transparency, not made-up positive vibes.)
Next Monday, on my Instagram, I will share about Week 6 of the challenge. It’s light and doesn’t involve sitting at a computer. :-)