The Pyramids Were Not Built In A Day
The Pyramids Were Not Built In A Day
E102: "Brick-by-brick" is how we get to 100. Why you should start a newsletter.
“Don’t explain your worldview in one article”
It was one small idea. But it created a massive mindset shift for me.
You see, I used to write EVERYTHING. Everything about EVERYTHING.
One reason my (multiple) previous attempts at a sustainable newsletter practice kept failing was my compulsion to walk my reader through every step of my acquired knowledge - on the Future of Money, The Future of Work, and Climate. I would get overwhelmed, and miss deadlines. Or worse, I would publish a lengthy article, exhaust my audience, and forfeit the privilege to grace their inbox.
Everything about everything is what you need when you write a book. But a newsletter? A newsletter is a conversation. It is a steady showing up, edition after edition. Each is like a keynote — enough to be memorable, to create curiosity and intrigue. Like a well-written Netflix drama, it gradually reveals more back-story, creating water-cooler or dinner-time conversation … and has you coming back for more next week.
“In your early editions, you'd share a lot. Your essays were jam-packed with information. That observation was not intended as a compliment! Thankfully
continued “Today, your newsletters are packed but not jammed. They reflect the time you've been writing and the restraint that comes from honing a craft.”[I’m still working at condensing my message down towards one sentence.]
“Brick-by-brick, article-by-article …”
That one phrase from Write of Passage’s1 David Perell unlocked everything for me. It gave me permission to create a relationship with you.
“Are you building for one year, or for 2000?” I recall being asked while taking a Future Skills class. When you study or visit these iconic structures that have stood the test of time, you realize they were not built in a day. They were painstakingly built brick by brick … by brick. There was much blood, sweat, trial and error.
At the start, they were an amorphous collection of bricks. Not the iconic landmarks they shaped up to be with time.
It would have been great to finish this week’s post with a perfect photo of the Colosseum. But I have particular affection for this one which also served as my screen saver for many years.
[P.S. They don’t have to be little bricks!]
Zooming out:
[Shout out to
who publish for correctly guessing that it was the Pyramids in this week’s Twitter picture challenge!]And zooming further out:
Do you like these photos? I’m picking appropriate pictures from our travels as I work on the draft of my latest book.
Why share this?
As you recall, a core idea for gathering all your wonderful minds into Tribe Tilt is the way our collective diversity of experiences and ideas exponentially increases the surface area of solutions we can tap into. “The best idea can come from anyone, anywhere, at any time.” I encourage you to confidently share your thoughts - on LinkedIn, in emails and memos, or by creating your own newsletter. We need a proliferation of ideas. Get writing. Get sharing. It’s a 21st-century skill.
Start with your one brick. You have permission.
Thanks for all the congratulations still pouring in on the 100th edition, Tribe Tilt. It is a collective achievement.
Our community believes in the best of humanity - connecting people, sharing ideas, and exploring thoughts respectfully. And we believe we can make a difference to the people and places that are precious to us.
Is this your first visit to Tilt the Future? Come join us by hitting this button below:
See you next week. Stay healthy. From there all else becomes possible.
Karena
Want to learn more about Write of Passage (WoP)? The next 5-week online writing course starts October 2, 2023, with enrollment open between Sept 12-25. You can open yourself up to the serendipity of the Internet, attracting new ideas, new people, and new opportunities. You’ll publish quality ideas, find your people, and 2x your potential. I’ve been trumpeting the salient value of this course for 100 editions. If you’ve been thinking of sharing your thoughts online, sign up for hints and suggestions, and test run the experience via a free workshop on How to Start Writing Online.
This is an affiliate link. If you choose to join us in the class (no obligation) after attending the FREE workshop, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support! Serendipity is being in the right place to hear the message you were destined to hear - as I was about “brick-by-brick”.
That's epic to see you with your kids in front of the pyramid. Can't think of my effective parenting than facilitating exposure to the world while keeping them close.
I love the series of photos that followed your "brick by brick" analogies. It's amazing to see you've built this newsletter issue-by-issue to 102. It really does take one article at a time.