Workcraft #55 - Turn Slow Starts into Strong Finishes
Reignite your momentum and finish strong—no ‘perfect start’ required.
If you’re already feeling like 2025 hasn’t started in full-on sprint mode, I’m with you.
I spent the first few weeks of January fumbling through projects, and completely fell off social media and YouTube.
Why? Because I made a classic mistake: I ended 2024 without taking a single day of real rest.
The result? I dragged myself into the new year already running on empty.
My Stumbling Start
December unexpectedly brought the highest number of leads all year. Companies usually slow down to wrap up projects, so almost double the average number of discovery calls caught me off guard. To compensate, I worked early mornings and late nights, neglected my diet, and alternated between all-nighters and ineffective “recovery days.”
The hustle backfired. By cramming in “just one more project,” January 1st felt like any other day—no resolutions, no fresh energy. I’d wake up, make coffee, and immediately stress over my to-do list. The harder I pushed, the less productive I became. Turns out, you can’t outwork burnout.
The Breakthrough: Momentum Isn’t Automatic
After two weeks of stagnation, I canceled meetings, turned off Slack, and asked: Why am I so stuck?
The answer? Momentum requires rebuilding. A new year doesn’t reset our brains or energy. Routines need rewiring, and “flow” is a process—not a light switch.
5 Tactics to Regain Traction
Acknowledge the Slow Start
Say it aloud: “My year began roughly, and that’s okay.” Guilt stalls progress; acceptance creates forward motion.
Focus on Micro-Habits
Replace “new year, new me” with “new week, tiny tweak”:
Instead of “write 1,000 words daily,” aim to “open my draft at 9 AM.”
Small wins rebuild confidence.
Treat Rest as Mandatory
I blocked “recovery hours” every Thursday—no work, just family time or exercise. By the end of the month, my creativity rebounded.
Optimize Your Environment
Physical: Declutter your workspace; add task lighting.
Digital: Mute non-urgent notifications.
Mental: Start meetings by sharing one weekly win.
The Takeaway
The best way to build momentum is to stop and acknowledge what you’ve accomplished. I recommend jotting down at least 1 completed task, 1 lesson learned, and 1 moment of joy per day.
Your year is a rhythm, not a race. When I stopped fixating on January’s stumbles and focused on February’s next step, projects gained traction and work became enjoyable again.
Momentum isn’t about speed—it’s about direction. One step. Then another. Let’s make the rest of 2025 count.
💡 Great Resources
Notion Tips in 2025
Matthias Frank’s 6+ hour YouTube tutorial delivers 117 actionable Notion strategies for 2025. Kudos to Matthias for providing a huge resource for Notion users!
⚙️ Automation Updates
Relay.app Expands Support for Notion
Relay.app’s Notion integration now offers three automation upgrades: accessing/reusing page content in workflows, native support for Notion’s Webhook Actions via Relay’s interface, and instant webhook triggers. This update streamlines complex automations by enabling dynamic data use, cutting manual work, and ensuring real-time responses to database changes.
🚀 Personal Updates
Announcing the Workcraft Community on Discord!
Thrilled to launch our revamped mini-community on Discord—a space for Notion enthusiasts, productivity hackers, and solopreneurs! 🌟
We’re focused on three main things for the community:
Tailored discussions around Notion setups, productivity strategies and consulting tips.
Invites to webinars and co-working sessions
Resources, including templates, frameworks, and guides
If you’ve ever wanted a place to ask for feedback, refine your Notion setup, or connect with others on a similar path—this is it. 😉
🙌🏼 That’s it for this week!
I’d also love to hear what you think. What content resonates? What do you want to see more or less of? Just hit reply to let me know!
And if you’re loving this newsletter, I’d love it if you helped spread the word!