I was working on some website maintenance today and I realized that I hadn’t written a blog post since Black Friday. I mean, WTF is that? If I plan on being a writer, I had better write. And you come to this blog for style and grooming advice, suggestions, etc. What service am I doing you if you come here and there’s nothing new? I’m not saying that I want to create content for the sake of creating content. It has to have meaning. It has to recommend products I actually believe in. It has to offer value. But this blog isn’t doing anything if there’s nothing here. For that I apologize. I have not held up my part of that unspoken content agreement in which I create for you and you read and share.
In order to make some changes, I need to analyze what I did this past year instead. So what did I do this year? I spent way too much time creating content for Instagram without producing some writing behind it. Sure, Instagram posts that inspire some outfits and grooming practices are great, but without the substance of how to put that into practice, they’re really just an exercise in futility. I also spent way too much time on Twitter. WAY TOO MUCH TIME. Twitter is a great resource for me as a brain dump. I get silly or random thoughts out of my head, but I need to find a better way to use it. I fell into the Twitter trap of chasing “likes” and “retweets”. I let the snark flow out of me like some sort of sarcasm Jedi. And I did it all on the Tailor & Barber account. I also spent way too much time enjoying personal comforts at home instead of getting something of consequence done. Too many cigars, too many movies, too many shows. None of these are going to stop, but they have to slow down.
2020 is the year that all changes. I’m going to create a schedule for different types of posts on days of the week, adding some structure to the blog. I need to rein in Twitter A LOT. I should be connecting on Twitter to discuss clothes, fashion, grooming, style, real life, but the nonsense, the silly comments, the superfluous has to stop. Twitter is a powerful tool when used to connect, but it can also drag you into a soul-rotting time suck worse that the Swamp of Sadness. It’s time I pulled myself out. I need to treat this more like a job that I have been. If I want Tailor & Barber to become what I envision, then I have to start treating it like the project it is. Work comes first (well, family responsibilities then work), but leisure time comes only after that work is done. I’ve been doing it the other way around, which always leads to procrastination.
I know “New Year (Decade), New Me” is a tired cliche and widely used meme at this point, but the truth is that I haven’t been pleased with how I’ve been managing T&B. I need to change, and I think this is as good a time as any to start. I’m looking forward to bringing you more product reviews, more outfit inspiration, and more style advice in the future. I hope you’re ready to read more.