Growth, Change, & Reflection

TLDR: our last Wednesday newsletter together, a special thank you to subscribers, reflections after 35 newsletters, and exciting upgrades in the near future.

Welcome to the new subscribers who joined last week! We had our highest growth week-over-week at 32% as of Tuesday. I'll admit it, I'm thrilled to see this little venture grow.

A Brief Reflection

When I built my website in April, everything was new and exciting. I learned basic HTML, CSS, and Javascript. I explored the new frontier commonly referred to as the "creator economy." I followed the best-of-the-best in the creator sandbox; Seasoned creators sitting comfortably inside their high-walled, ornately-built sandcastles while the rest of us furiously shovel sand, trying to find a good place to stake our claim.

Every aspect was incredibly exciting. The work wasn't work, so to speak. I loved it.

Nights with friends - skipped, time outside - forfeited, my bedtime - regularly shifted earlier in order to do more during the early mornings before work. None of it felt like a sacrifice to me. Everything was fun. A new adventure.

Fast Forward To Today

The newness is gone, the excitement has tapered, but the fulfillment is steadfast.

I do not consider myself a good writer, but the challenge to become a good writer is energizing. Learning how to tell stories, how to ask good questions, how to engage with others, how to listen to feedback - all in an attempt to improve my output each week before the cycle begins again - is incredibly rewarding. None of it is easy, but the challenge has taught me a valuable lesson.

I don't know what I expected four months ago when the site launched. Part of me braced for the worst while another part of me fantasized about the best-case scenario. I can comfortably say that neither extreme is a reality.

My boss hasn't fired me, my friends haven't heckled me, no one has tried to cancel me, *nervously knocks on wood* "so I got that goin for me, which is nice."

On the other hand, there are drawbacks. My ratio of income to expense is somewhere in the realm of 1/1000, more lessons have been learned than successes have been celebrated, and serendipitous encounters only occur when I make an effort to reach out to others (which, by definition, would no longer categorize the encounter as serendipitous).  

Some newsletters are rushed. Premeditated deadlines are a source of stress. Leisure, sleep, and adventure have all been sacrificed for the sake of a commitment to consistency. Receiving "{insert name} has unsubscribed" notifications via email still feels like a text message breakup from a high school sweetheart.

Despite everything I just mentioned, it's worth it.

The process has been everything I could have hoped for when I decided to share my thoughts online and committed to "learning in public."

An Important Lesson

The quote: "writing helps you to think clearly and to interpret what is happening behind the scenes in your life" is a good place to begin.

This newsletter/blog was created during a time where I found myself at a hypothetical crossroads. I'm still at that crossroads. Each path has its benefits and drawbacks. Successes will always be accompanied by failures. Outcomes and consequences are impossible to know.  Uncertainty is unavoidable, but I'm absolutely certain I have to keep moving forward. We all do.

My writing will never be a roadmap. We will each run up against different crossroads in life and none will look the same. My hope is that my writing will instead serve as a compass to be referenced and utilized for your unique situation.

In only a short time, I've discovered that writing does provide clarity. During that process, I've also discovered a passion I did not know existed.

So while the serendipitous relationships, the alternate sources of income, and the leveragability I fantasized about in the beginning have not panned out... I've learned there is immense power in pursuing the things that genuinely interest me. That, alone, has provided more serendipity, value, and leverage than I could have hoped for.

Again, I cannot thank each of you enough for being here.

Last week marked our highest growth rate since I began this venture in April. None of this would be possible, both literally and figuratively, without each of you. I appreciate you tremendously and am thrilled to share this journey with you.

So, What's Next?

Well, as you may have noticed in the TLDR above, this is the last Wednesday newsletter you will receive.

After speaking with several of you, two emails per week seems like overkill. I know you are all exceptionally busy. Your inbox is already cluttered and I refuse to contribute to that problem.

The plan is to share one newsletter each week. You can expect an email from me (hey@whit.blog) every Sunday morning. Moving forward, the title of the newsletter will change to "The Sunday Sift"

My intention is to continue writing posts during the week with a heightened focus on quality over quantity. Each new post will be linked in The Sunday Sift so that you can peruse as you wish. Per the name, I will sift through some of the best quotes, articles, videos, tools, and other resources I come across for your benefit.

Topics of focus will remain the same - a healthy mix of personal growth & development, entrepreneurship, psychology, and philosophy.

Additional Upgrades Are In The Works!

I am excited to announce several upcoming upgrades to my platform. My hope is this little corner of the internet will grow into a resource for you, me, and others. These upgrades are the next step in achieving that vision.

Onward...

-Whit