New to Rolling in Doh? π€ Start Here: A Mad Lib (+ Template!)
π Copy the Google doc to join the "Less Than Ideal Day" fill-in-the-blanks fun :)
If you are new here, welcome! Iβm delighted to have you, and deeply grateful to for featuring Doh this week :)1
The Ideal Day Mad Lib is one of my favorite templates to share with readers of Pivot and Free Time. But sometimes our ideal day doesnβt go as planned . . . for days that stretch into weeks and months and even years. π
No matter how short we fall of rolling in actual dough, letβs at least have a laugh: How did your last year go? Write your story using the same prompts as the ones in this post by saving a copy of the Google Doc template and filling in the blanks.
β€οΈ In lieu of rolling out an actual red carpet for you, my version is below! Each link points to a post from the Doh archives, in chronological(ish) order.
I
Nearly one year ago, I hit a major dip when I got βThe Axβ from my favorite licensing client.
I didnβt know what else to do. It was the last straw after years of stressors. So I started Writing My Way Out.
I had a hunch it could be my Getaway Car π.
So despite the Starting Friction,
I began Telling The Story Behind Rolling in Dπ€¦π»ββοΈh.
II
My husband celebrated the move by saying π΄ββ οΈ βBurn the Boats,β
As I lurched into Full Catastrophe Business-Building.
I took some deep breaths, reminding myself to: π¬ BELIEVE, Ignore the Odds, aim for 51/49, and Survive til β25.
. . . and that it would okay if I end up browsing /careers after twelve years of self-employment.
III
I wished someone would Save Me while π§±Rebuilding from Rubble.
Still, despite the low moments I remember thinking, π§ This is a Wonderful Day!
And then immediately growing afraid that soon the other shoe would drop.
IV
Although I had major issues with Critters and Cash Flow,
I tried to be grateful for BBQ & BBB.
After all, β¨βGood Vibes, Good Life.β
While embracing the fact that my life was a Hot Mess π, I returned to a mantra that served me well: There Is Only One Wish.
V
Things started to shift as I released The Self-Imposed Pressure to Be an Expert,
Especially when I admitted Revenue Goals Donβt Work (For Me).
I took stock of all that happened since 2020 by conducting An Honest Accounting replete with an emoji balance sheet.
VI
I realized I had a lot of ambiguous grief around π» Saying No to the Ghost of a Former Self, a podcast host interviewing my fossilized self, and the feeling that my pre-pandemic π closet belongs to someone else.
A wave of insecurities rush in, as I wondered:
Is my Favorite (Former) Client thinking, Why are you so obsessed with me?
Am I an π₯Έ Unreliable CEO?
At the same time, I felt a Weight Lifted.
VII
I had an aha moment when I realized The Suspense is Terrible . . . and yet I hoped it would last.
And that π This is Like That, after confronting my fears of fish and drowning.
Serendipity kicked in one π Strange and Wonderful Morning.
At the peak of my overwhelm, I made a βοΈ To Do List.
I shook off the temptation to Sail the Sea of Shiny Shoulds; reminding myself π¬ Smoking is Essential for Your Success, They Said π.
VIII
I laughed when I realized that just like my angel-in-fur-coat Ryder, I too was πΏ Fooled by Joyful Randomness.
Before I knew it, I found myself πͺ Climbing Down the Entrepreneurial Ladder;
It was time to π Put the Podcast Trophies Away.
Still, there was π€ one thing I forgot to say to my career these last four years: thank you.
IX
As last year came to a close, I reflected on a few of the strange lessons it brought π§ Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow...only IF you meet certain criteria, and that πͺΆ the abyss does not always become a feather bed.
There might not be a big breakthrough, it seemed I was on a path toward π± Ten Years to Middle-of-the-Pack Success.
So to ring in the new year, I wrote βοΈ Dear 2024: A Letter, and I even got a response π© From 2024.
In my most uncertain moments, I Asked for a Sign.
Sometimes they were unmistakable, like the π¨ Four-Alarm Fire.
X
Even though I gave up trying to lap the π Ghost Car,
I knew that I wouldnβt stop Chasing the Taste of Creative Freedom.
After all, as the kids say π€Έπ»ββοΈ Delulu is the Solulu!
Itβs normal to experience a π Creative Crossroads After Achieving Success.
XI
Sure, my fear of failure bubbled up when I contemplated π The Free Time Afterword I Never Wrote and π My Favorite One-Star Review.
But I surrendered to the π§Ί Crumpled Laundry Piles All Over My House.
I realized that although I might be π Decorating My House of Cards and πͺ Building a Parachute on the Way Down,
It was time to ποΈ Pull up a Seat
And embrace Rolling in Doh.2
β€οΈ
XII β Postscript
The story continues even after this post went live . . .
Sometimes it felt like even my best efforts fell short. I AM DOING THE BEST THAT I CAN! I wanted to scream into the void.
When friends asked, βHow are you doing?β flashes of Appleβs cruel iPad commercial flickered across my mind. Crushing it! Iβd say with a π
A blue jay looking for a mate (or rival) by slamming into sliding glass doors seemed an apt metaphor for the down days in my business.
As my friend Jamie put it, πͺ© βI am no longer allowing praise to be my currency.β
As I reflected on One Year of Rolling in Doh, I imagined what my business would say if it could talk. How about yours?
Bob the Neck Throb spoke up too, sending me to the E.R. with a must-heed health memo.
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this post, tap the heart or restack buttons below, share it with a friend, or leave a commentβIβd love to hear from you! If youβre feeling brave, share one of your mad lib sections in the comments :)
The blurb knocked my socks off! Big thanks again to for the kind words :)
If youβre new here, this is a (mostly) paid publication about my travails as a breadwinner and small business owner living in New York City, with lots of embedded links for your perusing pleasure. I hope it brings you as much catharsis as it has for meβyou are not alone if you, too, are Rolling in Dπ€¦π»ββοΈh!
If you enjoyed this post, donβt forget to take a crack at the Less Than Ideal Day Mad Lib template yourself, with the same prompts as above.
Congrats on getting featured, Jenny! I really enjoy your newsletters π
I absolutely love β€οΈ Doh!!