13 Things I've Learned at 100,000 Subscribers
Milestone appreciation.
Oh man, I have no words. We’ve just hit 100K subscribers. This feels so unreal.
Somehow I knew this would happen.
I told myself not today, not tomorrow, not next week, or the next month.
I gave myself a decade.
A fucking decade just because I couldn’t see myself do anything else except write (I was, and still are- not sure if I’ll practice medicine for a long time, but we’ll see). Even if I’d fail to make a living off of my work, I’d do it for the art and love of the game. I’d do it for how my words and way of saying them have impacted you.
I believed my writing was good, I’d only get better and my work would find an audience to cherish it. I’d find a way to make this shit happen. It would be ridiculous if I failed in 10yrs.
Along the way, I’ve picked up some lessons, as they apply to craft and life, and I’d like to share them with you…
Treat whatever you do like a pro. People make the mistake of half-assing their craft such that they end up never doing anything worthy of their time and existence. Somehow, they’re still mediocre after months or years of working. And they never enjoy themselves. Commit. You’ll find a way to be consistent in anything you do if you don’t give yourself an out.
The more you expose yourselves to the things you fear and are good for you, the more you get better at handling them.
Realize and accept that life doesn’t get easier. You get stronger. Your work will always require more of you and you might feel like you never catch a break- but that’s the nature of pursuing mastery. The real gift is getting to do this. The real gift is becoming and expressing who you are.
Life can unfold in manifold of ways if you decide to listen to your higher self, be bold and share what you do or are working on. You’ll find many people sharing the same interests with you or are open to hear what you’ll say. Just don’t do it for the money and make it the best possible- otherwise you’ll get so frustrated and heart-broken you’ll quit. The internet is the best place to do this.
Sometimes doing less is more. Your best work will come from doing a few things well rather than more but of substandard quality. Of course you need to throw more shots during the practice phase, to get better- but over time, refinement and conciseness is the best move long term.
Rest but don’t let it persist beyond what’s required. You still need to wake up and live according to your nature.
Life is like running. There will be hills, valleys and flat out plateaus. The key is to focus on your breathing and just make the next step at each situation. Persevere as your legs burn on the hills. Pace yourself, rest and breathe while going downhill. Push yourself and go a bit quicker when on the plateaus. Keep going no matter what, whether breathless or taking it easy. You’ll look back from the finish line, after your 5K or 10K, and realize all the small steps added up.
Lifting heavy and for short sessions, and running once or twice a week will make your life easier to handle. That’s the secret elixir to waking up early, having more stamina and making life fun as you do cool stuff.
Utilize naps, especially in the afternoon, to restore your energy. This is better than more coffee.
Practice is the key to getting better at anything. Wax on, wax off. Everyday.
The key to persevering hard things, pushing your limits or attempting the great is to tie the work you have to do to your identity. You do it because it’s who you are. It’s your nature. Just as the sun doesn’t complain that it has to shine all day, even when there’s cloud cover. But don’t let it turn blue and depressive- you can make anything fun and cool through how you think.
Spend on the things you like, not just buying stuff for the sake of it or because they’re popular. Buy that sports car if you like how it sounds and moves. Go on the vacation if you like the beach. Buy some nice clothes if you like feeling good about yourself. Live your life, have fun. Time is the only thing that doesn’t come back. Money does. Otherwise, what’s the point of working as hard as you do?
Never complain. Never explain.
Always have your priorities set for the day. Line them up and attack each one. Having a systemic work flow helps a lot. Otherwise, you’ll get swept off by the busyness and you’ll have done nothing. Otherwise, you’ll feel overwhelmed, handle things clumsily and burn out.
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That said, I’d like to give a special thanks to my paid subscribers for making this happen- the monetary support keeps this newsletter alive. It goes into research, writing, editing and marketing- all to make your experience here one of a kind. I also appreciate everyone of you that take the time to read and share my work. This milestone wouldn’t be possible without you.
To many more, Veritas.
Join 100,600 other Stoics,
P.S: Annual & Patron members get all my books with their subscription. The bundle includes, ‘The Best of Marcus Aurelius’, ‘The Tools’, with over 40,000 words of bonus content + a free copy of ‘The Stoic Manual Vol. 1’ dropping September next year. Patron members also get Lifetime Access to the publication with a one-time fee, all bonuses, and all future benefits- at no extra cost. Featured,
P.P.S: Most people loved the series on How to Deepen Your Friendships, Part I, Part II & Part III. Also check out the practical entries on How To Deal With Toxic People, How to Process & Overcome Grief & How to Prevent and Overcome Burnout. Happy reading!
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