Building — this month
The big thing on my desk right now is this website. You're looking at it. I spent three years telling myself I'd "launch it soon." Then I gave myself a two-week deadline and here we are.
- This site (waqasmalik.com). Launching publicly this month. Still editing some of the guide drafts.
- Video #33 of the channel. A long one — "Everything I'd do in my first 30 days as a freelancer in 2026." Shooting next week.
- The Freelancer Starter Pack (v2). Rewriting it from scratch with the things I know now that I didn't in 2024.
- The 180 Circle quality, not quantity. The Discord just crossed 260. My goal isn't 500 — it's to keep the current 260 coming back.
Working — the paying stuff
Because people ask: yes, I still take a small number of freelance clients. It keeps me honest. You can't teach this if you don't do it.
- One long-term client — brand & social for a Lahore-based apparel company. Year three.
- Two short retainers — both in the edtech space. I'm learning as much from them as I'm shipping.
- Two consulting calls a month — usually with other freelancers in the "how do I raise my rates" phase.
Reading — the actual stack
A loud brain needs quiet input. Here's what's next to my bed this month.
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield — re-reading for the third time. It keeps getting shorter and truer.
- Die With Zero by Bill Perkins — rethinking what I'm actually saving for.
- Letters from a Stoic by Seneca — one letter a day, slowly. The pacing matters.
- Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal — aesthetic is obviously a big influence on this site. The book is nice too.
Thinking about — the open questions
The things I don't have answers to yet. If you have thoughts, I genuinely want to hear them.
- Should freelancing content be "free" if the outcome is gatekept? I don't love paid courses but I also don't love watered-down advice. Still working this out.
- How do I scale mentorship without ruining what's good about The 180 Circle? Right now the room works because it's small. When does it stop working?
- What's the right balance of tactical vs. mindset content? Tactical gets views. Mindset gets messages that make me cry a little. Neither works alone.
Enjoying — not work
Because "what are you working on" shouldn't be the only question people ask each other.
- Long walks at dawn. No podcast. Boring on purpose.
- Home-cooked karahi on Sundays. Specifically my mom's. Nobody else gets it right.
- Slow mornings with no phone. First hour of the day is just mine.
- Football on weekends. I am not good. I go anyway.
Saying no to — on purpose
What I'm not doing matters as much as what I am.
- Paid courses. Not this year. Maybe never. The free stuff is the stuff.
- Short-form content farms. Not making 30 TikToks a week. One real video beats thirty noisy clips.
- "Let's hop on a quick call." If a 60-minute call can be a 5-minute message, it should be a 5-minute message.
- Envy of other people's numbers. Their path isn't mine. I've reminded myself of this approximately 400 times this month.