What to do when you have already peaked

As I looked at my first editorial (see last week’s Craccum) I felt like a proud mother looking at her firstborn. I was however promptly struck with an unpleasant thought. This is as good as it’s going to get. I was so proud of writing my first editorial that I had never stopped to think that I would have to follow it up next week. I had made the fatal mistake of peaking too early. There is nothing like a steep downhill slide to really keep the readers coming. So now in true fashion, I am writing my editorial well after the deadline, trying to scramble together some coherent sentence to fill my word limit. This is what I would consider a complete opposite of peaking (troughing if you will). Luckily for me, I am not the only writer at Craccum, so apart from this page, I would say this issue is well worth a read.

So the question is: What do you do when you have already peaked?. Short answer, it depends. For some things, it can be quite simple, like my friend who peaked in between acts at the concert we went to. She doubled down, got some MD from her bra and danced the night away. For other things, perhaps like peaking in high school, it can be a bit more complicated. Chances are since you are at university reading this you probably didn’t peak in high school. Well done. Maybe you have your friend you can pass this along to? I digress, here is my short guide to post-peak.

1. Reflection: Why do you consider this a peak? Perhaps you need to Marie Kondo your life and find what sparked joy? Was it boozing it every night of the week? Was it having a group of mates to piss around with? Was it sports? May one of these is the key to your next upswing.

2. Action: So you’ve figured out what made it a peak, how are you going to get that back? Reconnecting with people so you have a social support group is probably a good way to do it. Or if you last friends suck go make some new ones through a hobby or something. I don’t know, you do you.

3. Instagram: The key to true happiness is having everyone think you are happy, even if you are completely miserable. It’s what all the experts say. Because what good is a peak if no one is around to see you being #blessed? Even if you are not, most people won’t know the difference, and call into question their own mundane lives because of your fabulous one. Everybody wins!

4. Assess Word Count: At the end of the process check the word count of your editorial. Does it fit you designated gap in Craccum? Has it been proofread? Does it need to be edited? These are the questions to ask yourself when you have already peaked.