This week I don’t have much to write about. Everything I’m doing is new and I can’t recommend it or share my opinions on it yet because I haven’t properly tested it yet.
However, I do not want to break my streak of writing these, and that seemed like a good question to ask: why not?
Why I write them
First of all, these newsletters are a way for me to reflect on the things I’ve done and document them properly. I also package them so that each letter has a lesson baked in, something that could help.
Secondly, writing these letters is a part of my identity. I’ve never thought of myself as a writer, but these letters have actually changed my opinion about writing a lot. It’s not a boring activity that I need to do for school anymore, it’s a tool that I can use to express myself and help others.
So if I skipped this week, I would be going against my identity.
Why I’d want to skip
It takes time and effort. Coming up with a topic isn’t always easy (like today), and I don’t always have something interesting to share. Yet somehow I find a way to do that every time and make it somewhat interesting to read.
I could be watching YouTube right now, you know. It would be more entertaining but in the end I always end up resenting my decisions to do that. So I’m writing this instead, knowing that at the end of the day, when this letter is out, I’m going to feel proud.
Just like in my last letter where I said to not overcomplicate things and just do the next step, I’m doing it right now. Writing these words.
Why documenting matters
These letters are a way for me to capture what I was thinking and doing at different times in my life. Looking back at the older issues, apart from feeling mild cringe, I also see the habits and actions forming that have led me to where I am now. I don’t agree with everything I’ve written anymore, and it’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from running this newsletter. My opinions and beliefs change often, and that’s perfect because I can see the progress being made.
If you’ve never had a habit of journaling, you still have a general understanding of your past. But if you’ve captured your main ideas at different points in your life, you can look back and see how wrong or how right you were. It’s like keeping a sketchbook, but for psychological development.
I never stuck with journaling until someone was reading it though. If you’ve failed at it too, try writing for one reader instead of yourself.
