A big milestone
This is my 50th post! Woohoo!
That’s a pretty huge milestone. I started this newsletter two and a half years ago, and it’s pretty wild to think how much time I’ve spent sitting at my computer writing. It’s even crazier I’ve managed to click the publish button fifty times.
The first draft of this post listed all of the goals I had achieved since starting the newsletter. But that’s not really what I want to do with my fiftieth post. Besides, I’ve already done that in my first forty-nine.
Instead, I want to thank you for reading my newsletter.
If you are subscribed, you are one of a very select group of 72 awesome people. In a world of social media influencers and internet creators, that might not sound like that much, but I cherish every one of you. I hate receiving emails, so knowing that 72 people think my newsletter is good enough to at the very least sit in their inbox is crazy to me. Thank you!
In the past, whenever I was creating content to post online, I felt like I was chasing the wrong targets. Don’t get me wrong, making videos for YouTube and TikTok was fun, and I loved it. The problem is that those platforms put such an emphasis on the numbers. Even at the small scale at which I was working, the fact that every view, like, and comment is counted makes it hard to ignore the numbers and focus on what truly matters: creating great stuff to connect with others.
Above all else, I’ve come to value the feedback I get after every newsletter. Every time I post, I’m worried that maybe this one won’t be as interesting, won’t appeal to a broad audience, or simply won’t be that good. Yet, whenever I post, someone reaches out to let me know they liked it. And not just friends! I’ve had some old teachers reach out, some friends of friends, and even some people I only really know online. If you’re one of them, shout out to you, you’re the best!
I bring this up not to boast about my success or how well my newsletter is received but to say that for the first time, I feel like the stuff I am creating allows me to make real human connections. Sure, my YouTube videos made some people laugh, but this feels different. This feels better.
So yeah, thank you for reading, subscribing, and for all the messages. 🙏
Now, obviously, with this big milestone, you’re probably wondering what’s in store for the future of the newsletter:
More consistency. I would love to find a way to make publishing this newsletter more streamlined so that I can get it out more frequently. What that will look like in practice, time will tell, but let’s hope it gets us to newsletter #100 in under two and a half years.
More visibility into my writing and creative process. Writing a little every day has also allowed me to become a better writer (at least I feel like I’m better, you tell me). I don’t feature the writing process enough and would like to make that a more significant part of the newsletter going forward.
Broader topics, but always around the central theme of bettering myself and living my best life. My objective with each post is to have you relate or simply enjoy the struggles and successes of a 25-year-old navigating life.
Once again, thank you. Without you guys, I probably wouldn’t have made it to 50. To the next 50!
Oh, and of course, if any of this speaks to you and you haven’t subscribed, I invite you to do so:
If you’re among the first 100 people to subscribe to my newsletter, I’ll send you a gift or something. We’ll figure it out when I get there, but you definitely won’t want to miss out, whatever the gift or something ends up being…