Fall ‘22 update 🍂
Milestones, progress, explorations
I. Subject to Change just hit 200 subscribers! 🎉
Hurray for us!
Let me tell you though: Reaching 200 subscribers has truly been an act of defying gravity.
I started this newsletter 11 months ago just at the tail end of having completed Write of Passage, with no idea how I’d maintain a weekly writing cadence. It was intimidating as heck to take the training wheels off and now have to pedal my way forward with no help other than self-directed energy and motivation. The first couple of weeks took all kinds of self deception to just make myself do it. Sit down and write. Wrap it up in time. Hit that publish button. Nothing else matters. While others were celebrating all kinds of personal milestones (“Welcome to the 5th edition woo!”, “Can’t believe there are 30 of you receiving this now!”) I looked the other way (i.e. didn’t click on the statistics page or acknowledge it), kept my head down low and carried on.
For the longest time, my vibe was: Nothing special going on here. Just doing my thing, you know. Every week is a new opportunity to drop the ball but that won’t happen as long as my eyes stay on the ball.
But, I’m only human. And I’m here to be fully transparent with you: I could have never kept on doing what I do here on a weekly basis if it wasn’t for the boost I receive from very kind folks in the readership of this newsletter. While writing nourishes me, so does hearing from people who read my stuff. I feel so humbled to hear when someone enjoyed what I wrote, and even more so when they tell me they shared the link with someone they know.
On top of this, I’m amazed at reaching this milestone because I’ve been exceptionally terrible at advertising my newsletter in general and so I’m at a point where I have no clue where most new subscribers come from.
To celebrate 200 subs, I’d love to hear from YOU: how you found me, what about my writing made you hit “Subscribe”, and what about it makes you want to continue receiving this letter. Write a quick comment below, or hit reply to write directly with me.
Finally, thank you for being a reader and for coming along this journey with not much promise other than delivering a weekly missive on something or the other.
It means a lot to me.❤️
II. MVZK Update #2 is out!
As many of you know, I’m in the process of writing a book on what I consider to be a “minimum viable zettelkasten” system. Update 2 just rolled out, where I walk earlybird supporters through how I took my notes from disorganized chaos to shape the first Outline of the book, and it involves an underrated tool in the zettelkasten toolbox: Questions.
If you’re more curious, you can find the pre-sale of the book here on Gumroad.
There are a couple more things that I’d like to share about what I’m up to, but I’ll do so when the time is right. For now, know that things are busy around here in the Land of Fei! You may see shorter missives, or at worst, a missed week here and there and I am fine with that because I’m human🧬, not a robot🤖.
What parts in your life are you usually regimented in, and have you considered allowing yourself to be a bit human sometimes?
Give this letter a ❤️ to celebrate yourselves, and I’ll see you next week!
—Fei🪁
Congratulations, Fei, on getting 200 subscribers! I don't know how you do it: writing such well-researched, detailed posts so consistently despite having a hectic work schedule. I particularly enjoyed reading about your childhood experiences in Norway; the cultural differences between Norway and Canada; your passion to make downtown living more humane and sane.
Congratulations! Just continue doing what you love with an open mind and all will be well.