#54 - A Year On
Intrinsic motivation, the universe provides, and no one cares
This is newsletter 54. We’re past the one year mark.
It’s been a pleasure. Not too much heckling and even the odd word of encouragement.
Here are three things I’ve learnt…
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1) Intrinsic > Extrinsic
Writing a newsletter is all about consistency.
I’ve tried many projects over the years. Most have failed because I’ve been after some external metric. It’s easy to quit if the motivation is outside. Be that sales, fame, or simply newsletter subscribers.
Every creative endeavour has the initial excitement. It’s easy at first. But then you hit the dip. The shine wears off and you don’t get the results you were expecting. You need something else to pull you through.
Fortunately I’ve found value in simply sitting down to write each week. That’s enough. It doesn’t particular matter if anyone reads it. That’s a great starting point.
2) The Universe Provides
Every week this weighs on my mind. This is the week I bottle it. I think. Every week this simple task seems insurmountable. What if I can’t write anything? And yet every week something emerges. The Universe provides.
There’s a lesson about worrying there somewhere. We waste so much time worrying. Yet how often do those worries transpire? Almost never. It’s wasted energy.
And if the Universe doesn’t provide that thing you need? Oh well.
3) No One Cares
Really.
I still catch myself fretting each week. Will people like it? The truth is people really don’t care that much. They have their own sh*t going on.
In my mind the world waits at 9:20am on Sunday morning. Ready for this newsletter to drop… Seriously? I’m clearly deluded. No one cares.
People may read it. I even get a handful replies each week. Yet it’s inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. But that’s the beauty of it. It’s incredibly empowering. No one cares so why not have some fun with it.
I’m sure I still take myself too seriously here. Especially when I’m busy fundraising and pretending to be an adult. But it’s a great periodic reminder that nothing really matters as much as I think it does. And realising that, I suspect, is the secret to life.
My Week in Books📚
The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer
Life is hard but it doesn’t have to be. There is a lot to be said for caring less and going with the flow. Lots to ponder.
Do Disrupt by Mark Shayler
Do things differently. I certainly feel the pull towards uniformity running a business. Pro-active effort must be made in the other direction.
I’ll be updating the books I’ve read this year here. Any recommendations? Let me know!
A Final Thought 💡
“You will become way less concerned with what other people think of you when you realise how seldom they do.”
― David Foster Wallace
UNTETHERED SOUL! best book in my life so far 😍