I have a lot of friends who talk about how busy they are. I think if you’re a working adult, you’re busy. Everybody has obligations and expenses, and they only get more complex the older you get. So, we’re all busy.

But we don’t often say what we mean.

I think what they’re really saying is that they’re over-scheduled – the badge of honor for corporate America. Too many meetings; not enough time. Volume.

As I ponder the year that was 2022 and look ahead to 2023, I can’t help but think about my volume of production.

Volume is the way we measure that success in America – more money, more stuff, more food, more prestige. It’s why my friends are so focused on layering meetings upon meetings. The more appearances I make, the more I’m worth, the narrative goes.

While I always think I made fewer things than I did, I’m not a good judge of how much I pump out. I may attend fewer meetings than most, but I did pump out my fair share.

2022 was no exception

As I place things on a list, I’m shocked at how much I produced. And I’m even lower than a lot of people. Here are few of the highlights (not the entire list, that would be a humblebrag):

  • A client site – a full custom WordPress site, not to mention integrations with their various vendors to streamline client capture and management
  • An intranet – I was design lead on this one making a million tiny decisions – I also lost count on the total volume of content I created to support it
  • Numerous learning modules – mostly to support the Content Makers on the Intranet we launched
  • A learning site (part of my side hustle) – built on WordPress, I set the foundation for what’s coming in 2023
  • Custom CSS – this one has been an ongoing project, but I finally got tired of working on it in 2022 and “finished” it for now

I’m always shocked by this listing exercise. Because, I confess: I’m not a volume guy; never have been. When teachers assigned word counts to essays in school, I rarely followed them. You give as many words as necessary, often many fewer than the word counts required. For me, I believe it’s better to produce fewer total items with Quality as the aim.

But, I still made a lot. Because the jobs demanded it.

I was once chastised by my manager at a job for a major American corporation for failing to produce as much creative work as one of the other guys on the team.

I scoffed. We eventually parted ways.

That said, I’m only human and complex at best, so as I look ahead to 2023, I intend to produce a lot. But with a narrower focus.

I’m looking at delivering learning modules to help Digital Content Makers and Writers sharpen their skills and succeed in a competitive world. You can expect a lot more useful articles and content to support your growth as a Content Maker. I’m transitioning a year of daily journaling into weekly production of useful content.

Quality is still the aim, but the focus has narrowed.

As you reflect on where you’ve been and look ahead to what’s next, I hope you’ve had a successful 2022 and look forward to seeing you out there in 2023.