What Writing a Newsletter for a Year Taught Me

3 Life-Changing Lessons from a Year of Writing

Photo by Lucas Clara on Unsplash

One year ago, I set an ambitious goal: write a weekly newsletter in 2024. This is Issue 52 of Besides Code. I’ve reached the top of the mountain.

I dreamed about what the view might look like from the summit. But I had no idea it would be this glorious.

I usually don’t reach personal goals. I stumble along the way and never recover. I let doubt creep in and consume me. Excuses pile up and eventually, I give up. But not this time.

Writing this newsletter has been a labor of love. There were many weeks when I didn’t know what to write about. And plenty of weeks, I felt like I didn’t have time for it. But for some reason, I kept going. And I’m so glad I did.

I can honestly say this newsletter is changing my life — one issue at a time. I’ve fallen in love with writing. I’ve found purpose through sharing stories and lessons from my experiences in tech. And I’ve started to build a community of loyal readers who faithfully read my posts every week.

I want to share a few lessons I’ve learned this past year. If you’ve decided to invest in your personal growth next year, these lessons will help you. Your path will look different than mine. But I still believe you can reach the summit if you keep the following in mind.

Start small

Here are a few reasons to start small:

• When you have high expectations and fail, you’re more likely to give up

• Everything takes longer than you think

• You can always set your sights higher

If you want to run a marathon someday, you have to train for it. You don’t just wake up one day with the ability to run 26.2 miles. You start small. You set a goal to run 1 mile. When you can do that consistently, then you can increase your goal.

If I could go back in time, I probably would’ve committed to a biweekly or even a monthly newsletter. I would’ve started smaller — and only written more after I achieved consistency.

Focus on the journey, not the destination. Give yourself the freedom to learn and grow without the pressure of hard-to-reach numbers and metrics. Start small — then stack your small wins into bigger ones.

Optimize your time

If you’re like me, your time for personal growth is limited. So you need to spend it wisely.

Here’s how to do that:

Eliminate distractions

Do one thing at a time. Find a quiet place, silence your phone, and focus.

You’ll see more results when you give that one thing your undivided attention.

I write better and faster when I’m at my desk and away from my phone. It took me a while to realize I can’t just tune out distractions — I have to remove them entirely.

Find the right environment that helps you produce your best work. And repeat it until it becomes a habit.

Progress over perfection

One of my favorite sayings is: done is better than perfect.

You’re going to stumble and fall. But if you focus on progress instead of perfection, you’ll get back up and keep going.

I used to spend hours editing and rewriting my weekly posts. I wanted them to be perfect. But the truth is that they were already good enough.

It’s better to complete a task than not do it at all. You’re going to learn more that way. And you’ll get better over time. Let go of unrealistic expectations and what others think. To borrow the famous Nike slogan — just do it.

Move with your energy

Pay attention to when your body is full of energy and your brain is ready to focus. This might be in the morning, the afternoon, or the evening. Use this knowledge to your advantage.

For me, it’s easier to write in the morning or the afternoon. So with that in mind, I avoid writing in the evening.

Don’t make things harder for yourself by thinking you can do anything at any time. Listen to your body. And when possible, adjust your schedule based on your energy levels.

Find your why

If you’ve ever tried to do something for superficial reasons, you’ve likely encountered obstacles that made you quit. When you don’t have a good reason to keep going, you usually don’t.

I wouldn’t have reached my goal this year if I were only writing for likes and subscribers. It’s nearly impossible to reach a goal if you don’t have a compelling reason for it.

But I found my why earlier this year and it’s inspired me to reach the summit. I’m writing this newsletter because I believe what I have to share can help other software engineers. Without this belief, I would’ve abandoned my goal a long time ago.

There’s nothing wrong with doing things for the numbers. You might want to reach a certain number on your scale. Perhaps you want to earn a set amount of money from your side hustle. Or maybe you’re chasing a magical number of followers or subscribers.

It’s natural to want to set metric-based goals. After all, they’re easy to track. But when the going gets tough, a number won’t solve your problems.

That’s why you need to find your why. Because when you do something for more than just recognition, you’re motivated to get back up when you fall. When you see the positive impact on yourself and others, giving up won’t even be an option.

---

As I look back on this journey, I’m filled with gratitude and pride — not just for reaching the summit, but for the lessons learned along the way. Setting goals, embracing the process, and showing up week after week have transformed me in ways I never imagined.

If there’s one thing I hope you take away, it’s that growth isn’t a straight path. Start small, use your time wisely, and let progress, not perfection, be your guide. Find your “why,” and let it fuel your journey.

Reaching this milestone has been incredible, but I’m just getting started. I’m excited to keep writing my newsletter next year and share even more stories, insights, and inspiration with you.

Whatever summit you’re climbing, keep going — the view is worth it.