WTF is this? Pt II
Commenting on my year weekly publications and noting some changes going forward.
When I started writing this newsletter a year ago, I was doubtful that I’d make it this far. I’d wanted to go on a novelty search to see which kinds of subjects were easy for me to write about and which kinds were a chore. I wanted to build a base of people following me on this exploration, and who trusted me to dissect new subjects for them. My last goal was to have an outlet to point at where I stuck to a thing like writing for a year straight.
I’ve done all those things, and so now I’m changing course.
I had begun with an email list of folks from a similar project I later abandoned, and a few manual additions. Over time, that list has grown, and so I’m returning to the question that I answered when I started:
WTF is this?
My new focus will be on quality of content and depth of exploration. Over the last year of publishing ideas here, I’ve explored 52 subjects. Some interweaving, others not. Some posts were more brief than others. Nonetheless, I hit send and invaded many inboxes a multitude of times, and I’ve been very thankful to hold the attention that I did in that breadth of time.
So what will me focussing instead on quality look like in your inbox on Saturdays at 7am CST? Mainly, a change in frequency.
Up to this point I’ve spent about 2-3 hours per week creating these posts. That not including the time that goes into reading, watching or building many of the things that help me derive the ideas I pick apart here. Going forward, I want to see what it looks like to continue investing those 2-3 hours per week, but rather in developing a smaller handful of ideas over time.
I’m not entirely sure what that looks like yet. It might be one post every 2-3 weeks, or it might only be ~ 12 over the course of the next year. In any case, I’m keeping with my theme of this being the year of slow:
“My hope here is that having the additional time to focus my attention in the present will allow me to apply a greater emphasis on quality in the work that I do. For the new ideas that I do explore, I will explore them deeper and take the time to develop an understanding that breaks past a conceptual framework and into the realm of applying those ideas to my own world.”
cc: Visualize Value, mentioned in last week’s post.
A new ‘What to Expect’:
In addition to being a product of time, I also believe that quality is a byproduct of doing work that you’re passionate about. To give a hint of some of the sorts of things I’ll continue exploring, here are a few of my passions:
Philosophy for self improvement
My business pursuits
Molecular biology, especially as it pertains to promoting longevity
Something that will be staying the same…
Should you choose to stay, 2 more small things —
I appreciate and devour feedback on content, form and anything in-between.
If you like something, a share goes a long way (:
*A note on Ukraine*
Over the summer, I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful country that is now under siege. Cities where I traveled have since had bombs dropped on them. It’s a shame.
Before that trip and since then, I’ve taken weekly language lessons in the Ukrainian language from a tutor who lives in Chernivtsi. So when my friend and business partner Vance reached out to me asking if I knew anyone on the ground to have a conversation with, I knew just who to turn too.
Yesterday on The VCP, we published a conversation about the evolving situation that cuts through the noise of the media, and focuses on the individual perspective.
Valentin Manher is a Ukrainian Citizen and a teacher of multiple languages. In this special edition of the podcast, Vance sat down to talk with Valentin about his experience as an individual on the western side of the country, how he is thinking about the risk to his family, and what he believes the world should know about what is happening in his country. I hope you enjoy. These are the interviews I'm most honored to put forward:
“Keep yourself adaptable and on the move. Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is fixed. The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability or lasting order. Everything changes.”
― Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power
Thank you and keep moving.
-Benjamin Anderson