The purpose of a plan isn’t to predict reality perfectly | Note from Self week 27

So, to begin with, I want to thank you for replying to my question last week.

I asked why you subscribed to the Notes from Self and what keeps you reading them. And I would like to share one reply that really meant a lot to me. It’s from Monika (hi Monika 👋 💓):

She wrote that she likes reading the newsletter because it transports a calm. That there’s a frequency of clarity and structure, and that even when I write about my struggles, I transmit a certain sense of order that she likes.

She also said she’d unsubscribed from most newsletters because they all felt like too much, but that she wanted to keep the Notes from Self.

That really meant a lot to me.

And thank you to all of you for being here, regardless of whether you are a silent reader (Aren’t we all for most of the time? I think that’s perfectly fine.) or whether you write to me from time to time. I appreciate you.

🌻
THE BUSINESS ROADMAP

Speaking of structure, I wanted to share how it’s been going with the roadmap I created for my business. (I’ll link last week’s newsletter here in case you missed it.)

Last week I wrote about how I moved out of the “playing around” phase and finally sat down to create a roadmap. Before that, everything mostly lived in my head. It felt right to take those ideas and turn them into something more concrete—something I could actually follow.

So I created a week-by-week, day-by-day roadmap.

And honestly, it has served me really well.

It gives me a very concrete answer to a question that used to take up a lot of mental space: Am I doing enough?

I think it’s so easy to walk around with this vague feeling that you should be doing more, wondering whether you’re behind or whether you’re even working on the right things.

Now I simply look at my roadmap.

The first week I was actually ahead of schedule because a few things flowed much faster than I expected.

The second week looked different. I got to the task I’d planned for yesterday and immediately felt: No, this isn’t where this belongs. This comes later.

So I did something else instead.

And that’s exactly how I like to use plans.

I’m actually not a huge strategy person anymore. I like structure, but I always create plans knowing they’ll probably change.

The purpose of a plan isn’t to predict reality perfectly.

It’s to get you moving.

Because once you’re actually in the project, reality starts giving you feedback. You notice what works, what doesn’t, what takes longer, what turns out to be unnecessary.

That’s not a personal failure or proof that you “can’t stick to a plan.”

That’s just reality.

You adjust as you go because reality is always a little different from what you imagined beforehand.

So I’ll definitely keep working with this roadmap.

It also helped me finally put my current offers into words.

They’re now on my website.

I deliberately kept the website very simple. Right now it’s just a start page and an offers page.

And they’re done.

If you’re curious, feel free to have a look. My one-to-one coaching containers are now live, and I’d love for you to explore them if working together has been on your mind.

Finishing something like that always feels really good.

The next major focus, starting next week, is finally putting together the sales course.

I’ve mentioned it here and there already. In my mind, it’s been finished for quite a while.

Now it simply has to make the journey from the ideas realm into the physical one.

I need to record the lessons, put everything together and actually create it.

That’s what the next two weeks are about.

And I’m genuinely excited.

Because at the end of the day, sales—even in a soulful business—sit at the core.

Otherwise it isn’t really a business.

You can’t live from your work without an exchange taking place.

There has to be a transaction.

There are so many different aspects of building a business.

There’s clarity about your offers.

Understanding who your clients really are.

Pricing.

Marketing.

Sales.

None of these things alone suddenly make your business thrive. It’s always the combination.

But I’d actually argue that it makes a lot of sense to start with sales—even if you’re still unsure about your offer.

Because selling teaches you.

Just like creating my roadmap taught me.

Ideas stay ideas until they meet reality.

Only then do you get the feedback that helps you create something that’s actually useful.

I’m really excited about this.

And of course I’ll keep sharing the process here.

The Notes from Self will be the first place you’ll hear when the course is available, and I’ll share little updates as I record the lessons.

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WHERE I’M AT WITH INSTAGRAM

Another thing I’m currently experimenting with is maintaining two Instagram accounts.

I’ve been creating content in English for quite a while, but many of my clients are German, and since I’m originally from Germany, it felt right to create a German account as well.

I’m still figuring out what that looks like.

Some posts are simply translations—I usually write them in English first and then translate them—but I’m realizing I don’t actually want two accounts with identical content in different languages.

So I’m experimenting.

Sometimes I record stories or reels just for the German account. Sometimes I share different things on different days. It’s still the same work, but I want each account to have its own personality. I think that’s also what will make it sustainable for me in the long run.

One thing that has already helped with that is batching my Instagram content.

This is now week two, and something interesting happened almost immediately.

Having content prepared actually made me more spontaneous.

Instead of constantly thinking, I have to record something today, I suddenly found myself creating reels simply because I felt inspired.

I think that’s so often the case.

The moment we don’t have to do something anymore, it suddenly becomes much easier.

I’ve really been enjoying this combination of prepared content and spontaneous content.

Yes, the spontaneous reels usually get more views.

But I’m not abandoning the batched content.

Those posts often feel richer and more thoughtful, and as I’ve said before, I’m not on Instagram to go viral or chase followers.

👉 IF YOU WANT TO USE INSTAGRAM FOR YOUR SOULFUL BUSINESS

I always come back to one question:

If someone who would genuinely be my ideal client looks me up after finding me somewhere else… what do I want them to find?

I’d much rather they find something genuinely helpful than something that simply performed well.

So I’ll definitely keep working this way.

🏡
HOUSE UPDATE

And lastly—a little house update.

Last week I told you I’d decided to spend more time there.

It didn’t quite happen the way I imagined.

I thought I’d be there almost every day.

Instead, I only went once this week.

Again—a perfect example of how plans meet reality.

The weather simply wasn’t great, and I didn’t feel like driving there just to sit inside when I could just as well do that here.

But the one day I was there felt really, really good.

Not because I got work done.

Not because I created reels.

Just because I was there.

And I had one of those really clear moments.

I suddenly realized how much of my current life used to be something I dreamed about for years.

Living in Sweden.

Having this little house.

Being in the relationship I’m in.

Being able to dedicate this much time to my business.

For so long, all of these things felt almost impossible.

And now I have them.

Yet somehow I’m already busy stressing about the next thing.

About getting water into the house.

About how long renovations take.

About whatever the next problem happens to be.

You always find something.

It made me realize how naturally I focus on everything I haven’t achieved yet.

I’m a very goal-driven person.

I’m almost always thinking about what’s next.

And while that has helped me build a lot of beautiful things, it also creates a constant feeling of not having arrived.

Of always being on the way somewhere.

Of feeling like I should be doing something.

Of course I have moments where I’m completely present.

But probably much less often than I’d like.

That day reminded me that I want my life to be more about enjoying the phase I’m currently in than constantly focusing on the next goal.

Especially now, when building my business into something truly profitable is probably my biggest goal.

Because here’s the thing.

Just like I eventually found my way back to Sweden…

Just like I eventually found this house…

Just like I eventually found a relationship that feels right…

I’ll probably reach those business goals too.

That’s how it has always worked.

The desire is there because it’s something you’re meant to move toward.

What I need to learn isn’t how to chase goals harder.

It’s how to enjoy the journey while I’m walking toward them.

Because otherwise the pattern never changes.

One day the house will have water.

One day everything will look exactly the way I imagined.

And if I don’t change this habit, I’ll appreciate it for about five minutes before I’m busy chasing the next thing.

So lately I’ve been making a very conscious effort to slow myself down.

I’ve extended my morning routine.

I’m still doing my Daily Dream Life Alignment, but I’ve also started planning my days much more realistically.

I write down how many hours I actually want to spend working.

I schedule meals.

Breaks.

Errands.

Because if I simply follow my momentum, I’ll happily work all day, forget to eat, and then somehow still feel like I didn’t do enough.

Planning this way has been incredibly helpful.

Just like the business roadmap, it gives me a very clear sense of what “enough” actually is.

And another thought occurred to me.

Once the house is finished, once everything looks exactly the way I want…

…what am I actually going to do there?

Exactly what I’m doing now.

Working on my business.

Writing.

Creating.

Working with clients.

Developing offers.

Recording videos.

Writing these newsletters.

That’s the part of my life that genuinely makes me happy.

So in many ways, the joy of my life is already here.

It’s in the ordinary rhythm of my days.

That realization shifted something for me.

And I wanted to share it with you in case you also recognize that tendency to rush toward the next dream while overlooking the one you’re already living.

Until next week,

I’m sending you so much love from Sweden.