part 1: the soul-crushing grind

It was 2018. I was on a public quest for 10,000 Instagram followers.

My thinking was simple.

Could a “normal person” like me, with no special connections, get the algorithm on my side?

And as an introvert who usually avoids the spotlight, I was also curious what that kind of attention would do to me.

I didn’t overthink it.

I just jumped in.

And it was working.

I was gaining traction fast, already past 8,000 followers.

But here’s the part they don’t tell you about.

I was miserable.

I was doing everything for the numbers, and the metric became my only focus.

The person on the screen started to feel like a stranger.

Every video I made, every piece of content, was systematically erasing who I was.

I was becoming a scooped-out avatar of my former self.

You’ve probably felt this too:

• You tell yourself, “No pain, no gain.”
• You tell yourself, “The friction is normal.”
• You tell yourself, “I will push through it.”

You’re growing, but you don’t feel authentic at all.

The common advice, ”just be yourself,” feels like a bad joke.

That frustration built up until one day, I just snapped.

I’m done.

So I disappeared from that Instagram account. Forever.

I promised myself that if I ever came back, I would do it the right way.

I would never again trade my soul for the algorithm.

Because building for numbers gives you a temporary high, but building from your core values is the only way to get the lasting fulfillment you’re searching for.

part 2: your compass in the chaos

After I quit, I had to figure out what went so wrong.

It wasn’t just about losing control of a platform. It was about losing control of myself.

Think about it like this: you’re the captain of a ship in a storm.

You can’t control the wind.

You can’t control the waves.

That’s the algorithm.

A chaotic, unpredictable force.

So what can you control?

• Your helm (your decisions)
• Your sails (your systems)
• Your destination (your purpose)

You control how you react to the storm.

My Instagram experiment was me frantically trying to steer my ship into every single wave. It was exhausting.

And it was pointless.

The pain came from pouring all my energy into the storm instead of strengthening my ship.

This is why you feel like you're drowning.

You’re trying to manipulate the storm instead of mastering your own vessel.

My promise to myself, to only build in a harbor I own, is the modern version of this ancient wisdom.

It’s how you take back control over the only things that truly matter.

1. Your message.
2. Your audience.
3. And your sanity.

part 3: the reality of drowning

We know the algorithm is a storm.

But what does that feel like for you, the captain, day-to-day?

It feels like this:

• One day, Reels work.
• The next, it’s carousels.
• Then a new update forces you to throw out your entire plan.

You’re left bouncing between a thousand conflicting demands.

This is the cycle that bleeds you dry.

It’s not just “burnout”; it’s a constant, low-grade panic.

You feel like you’re working harder than ever, but you’re just bailing water from a sinking ship.

You’re not just stagnant.

You’re actively sinking under the weight of a game you can never win.

This is the reality of being a sailor on a ship you don't command.

But imagine for a moment what it would feel like to wake up, knowing you control your destination, immune to the changing tides.

That feeling is possible, and it starts now.

part 4: the compass method - your escape plan

So, how do you stop the bleeding?

How do you get out of the storm and back on the ship you control, starting today?

The answer isn’t to fight the storm.

It’s to become a master navigator.

The Compass Method is your escape plan.

It’s about building a sturdy vessel and mastering the internal compass that will guide you through any storm.

It’s built on three anchors designed to give you immediate control and lasting peace of mind.

anchor 1: your inner compass

Your journey must start with internal clarity, not external platforms.

If you don’t know who you are, you’ll always be lost at sea.

You’ll become your own worst enemy, chasing trends that betray your values because you’ve never defined them.

anchor 2: your life raft

Next, you build a vessel that can’t be sunk by algorithm changes or being tossed overboard.

You must own your audience.

The most robust way to do this is with your own newsletter.

This is your home harbor—a direct, permission-based connection with your audience that no one can take away.

anchor 3: your scout fleet

Of course, you still need to explore.

From your main vessel (your newsletter), you send out smaller “scout ships”, your social media posts, with a single mission: find interested travelers and guide them back to your home harbor.

This simple shift changes everything.

part 5: your first voyage out of the storm

The following steps are your emergency extraction plan.

They are not about building a perfect future.

They are about stopping the immediate overwhelm and reclaiming your creative energy now.

step 1: drop your anchor

Before you can go anywhere, you have to stop drifting.

This step involves defining your non-negotiables, so you’re no longer pulled in a million directions.

• What are your core values? (e.g., authenticity, kindness, curiosity)
• What is the one problem you are uniquely suited to solve for people?
• What is the core message only you can deliver?

Write these down. This is your True North. The moment you define it, you stop drifting.

step 2: build your life raft

You need a safe space that is 100% yours. This is your first taste of real control.

• Choose a platform: Pick a simple service like ConvertKit, Beehiiv, or Substack.
• Establish your home harbor: Set up a clean landing page with a clear signup form.
• Announce it: Put the link in your social bios. Make one simple, authentic post telling people why you’ve started it and inviting them to your new space.

Don’t overthink it at this stage.

Just get your life raft in the water.

step 3: deploy your scouts

You are wasting creative energy trying to build empires on social media.

From now on, your social channels have only one job: bring people to your newsletter.

• Take your core ideas from your newsletter.
• Turn them into “scout ships” (reels, shorts, carousels, tweets).
• The only goal of these posts is to make people curious enough to visit your home harbor.

This transforms your social media accounts from a demanding master into a scout fleet that works for you.

step 4: set a new course

A good captain makes small, constant adjustments.

• Focus only on what you can control: your newsletter’s quality and your audience’s direct engagement.
• Look at your open and click rates. Are people connecting with your work?
• Adjust based on that direct feedback, not on social media vanity metrics.

This is how you stay true to your course and leave the chaos behind.

part 6: a future worth building

Imagine a different reality for a moment.

The frantic chase for likes is gone.

The anxiety of sudden algorithm changes has faded.

Instead, you operate from a place of deep clarity and control.

This isn’t a fantasy.

This is the future you start building the moment you apply The Compass Method.

It’s the promise of commanding your own ship.

It’s the fulfillment of that promise I made to myself, never again to be a sailor on a ship I don’t control.

This approach lets you focus on the craft that truly matters.

Stop chasing the algorithm.

It’s time to be valued for the authentic message only you can share.

Take the helm and set your own course.

I’ll see you at sea.

To the horizon,​
​Gabriel

Building Calm Conversions™ — systems that sell while you sleep.