Starting Points

I've been thinking about doing something like this for a while. I wasn't sure what it would be about and how to sustain the pace to make it last. Building momentum is more demanding than maintaining it. I can constantly adjust the course once I start doing it. I was at that limit where thinking and planning became its form of procrastination. I decided to make the leap and start anyway. So here we are.

What is it?

It is a monthly newsletter where I distil and organise my learnings throughout the month. That is the minimal amount of content I plan to write each month. If something else comes up, I might note it here or create a blog post on my website.

Why?

The primary purpose of this newsletter is to explore and learn. I encounter many interesting things during my day-to-day surfing on the Internet. Whether it is work-related or not, the process is mostly the same. I consume the content and move on with my day. But after some point, you notice that you consume too much without producing meaningful output. After some time, I started asking myself: What's the point?

Of course, some things are just meant to be enjoyed in their entirety. But for the rest, I need a filter to separate the noise from the signal. I already use Raindrop.io as the first filtering layer. I will use this newsletter as a distilling layer to help me choose what I want to know more about and transform that information into something useful.

Who is it for?

I am writing mainly for myself, and I plan to keep it that way. However, if someone else finds this in the www jungle and learns something new along the way, that's a good bonus for me.

How does it tie in with other stuff?

Ever since I moved on from Notion and started to use Obsidian as my note-taking app, I developed a note-taking system that consists of markdown. I use it for journalling, reviews and tracking project notes, all kinds of things you can think of. But that system, over time, became increasingly convoluted with plugins and all sorts of templating and linking structures. At one point, I realised that I was wasting my time just following the system, the arduous routine, and it wasn't producing any meaningful output. So I axed almost all of my system and started a very minimal one. I am only using Obsidian when there is a need for it. Even if I stop for weeks, all of the notes I take will resume where it is left off. All the plugins and accompanying configurations now support this workflow, and I have more flexibility and comfort using it.

I want to use my overall note-taking system to create some output. Writing is an important skill I want to develop, and I decided to connect the two sides and try something new.

The Content Format

The plan is to write at least one post per month. And that is the only requirement I set for myself. The topic of the post will be the amalgamation of my weekly reviews. The gist is that writing here will create enough friction for me to follow my weekly review, and everything will tie together to create a continuous process.

This was a lengthy introduction, but it had to be done. See you at the next one.