I had a bit of an epiphany last week, Reader.

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It was:

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12-year-old Me would be so disappointed in 34-year-old Me.

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12-year-old Me had her shit together.

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• She kept her checkbook up to date (god bless the 90s).
• She had a growing savings account thanks to never spending a CENT from birthday money.
• She always wrote thank you notes on time.

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12-year-old Me was building a future of keeping that shit together, of staying aware of deadlines, of being proactive.

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Sooooooo, like I said ...

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12-year-old Me would be so disappointed in 34-year-old Me.

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Because 34-year-old Me:

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• doesn't think cash is real money (and, thus, spends it like it's not real).
• can't imagine balancing a checkbook today (I lost a multiplication speed test to my 7-year-old niece yesterday).
• is actually (surprisingly) quite motivated by a stressful deadline.

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34-year-old Me is what 12-year-old Me never respected ...

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A PROCRASTINATOR.

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Add in my math handicap and a very-Millennial belief that my parents will always welcome me back home, and ... I have a particularly poor relationship with doing my taxes.

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Because, fundamentally, I hold these beliefs:

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• Taxes are nebulous. (I *still* think this despite being audited in 2013 — highly recommend *against.*)
• Money is a construct.
• What actually happens if you miss that April 15th deadline anyway?

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I've operated like this my entire adult life.

(Subsequently, that 12-year-old go-getter spirit has died a little each time ... along with butterfly clips.)

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My partner — my poooooor, poor partner — tries to intervene every year.

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January:

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Him (optimistically): "Did you gather all of your documents?"

Me: "I don't think they're ready."

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February:

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Him: "My taxes are all done. I can do yours this weekend."

Me: "I haven't gotten that 1099 yet."

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March:

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Him: "I started your taxes anyway. I need you to get these exact things [offers simple list to follow]."

Me: "This feels hard."

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April 15:

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Me: "Wait, fuuuuck, can you do my taxes today???"

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Well, Reader, I'm pleased to report:

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Today is March 24th ... and I've ALREADY STARTED MY TAXES.

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I hear you clapping for me.

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Now, since I'm a business owner (and since I sold stuff on waaaayyyy too many platforms last year) ... my taxes ain't exactly straightforward.

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I spent most of last week tracking down 1099s, some W-2s, and gathering expenses. Ugh, it was the actual worst.

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(Side note: I've considered hiring a tax accountant, but — by my measure — they have the easy part. I would still have to *gather the stuff* and that is the worst part of doing taxes.)

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But! Given my initiative (👏), I'm optimistic I'll have my taxes in by April 14th.

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That night, I will be owed a big-ass glass of champagne as a reward. (And then a second glass to calm the nerves that I screwed it all up and will be audited again. RIP 2013.)

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The Segue

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If you're procrastinating on your WEBSITE copy like I *was* procrastinating on my taxes ...

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HERE ARE 3 TIPS TO STOP PROCRASTINATING ON YOUR WEBSITE COPY

(and feel fucking fantastic about yourself as a scientifically-proven result)

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STEP 1: NAME YOUR GOAL

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Before you start working on something, we've got to know where we're heading. How big or little do you want your website to be? (Luckily for you, I gave you the answer here!)

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Put your goal in writing. Like this:

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Write and publish my Home, Services, and About page by May 1.

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or ...

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Do my taxes on time and don't fuck them up.

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STEP 2: WORK BACKWARD

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A little planning goes a long way. You know your bandwidth, you know your schedule, you know how long you can be creative before you spin dreadfully into a doom scroll.

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Plot out your deliverables on a calendar just as you would for a client. Stick to your deadlines.

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STEP 3: REMIND YOURSELF OF THIS FACT 👇

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"Done is better than perfect."

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I'll stand by the fact that this DOES apply to taxes. In the states, we really have no idea what we owe. We make a guess and the government comes back and tells us we're wrong (related: the 2013 audit).

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And it SURE as heck applies to your website.

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*A* website is better than *no* website.

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You can't crank out a beautiful work of art without farting out a little trash.

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I promise you — you are SO capable of owning the website of your dreams. In order to improve your website, you've got to start with *a* website, and then iterate from there. (And, obvs, you know I can help you with that.)

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So let's make a pact, Reader!

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If I do my taxes, will you do your website?

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(Honestly, this is actually a low stakes pact. Despite everything I wrote at the beginning of this email, there's really only a 50/50 chance I'll actually do them, so ... there's not, like, a TON of accountability here.)

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Much love ✌️ Kelsey