I already love the new format, Jacob. Can't wait for 20 newsletters – big and small – to dive into your thinking, learning and interest. Question for you, because I always found this difficult: Will the newsletter follow a schedule? Or do you want to keep that flexible?
I know there are 19 editions (I am counting this edition as #1) to go before you can declare victory in this game you have defined. That being said, in very real and practical terms, you have already won the day (and the game with this post).
In the spirit of transparency and being an invited player in your game, a few of things occur to me to share (in no particular order):
• a heartfelt thank you to Daniel W whose twitter feed I have been following for some time now because of his contribution to the roam community and to thinking tools and shipping. Daniel, you exemplify what is great about the world: generosity of spirit, building for oneself and sharing those efforts with others, open to feedback/contribution, and learning in public. Thank you for putting what you do out into the world. (Also, Jacob, your interest has started to compound: the first two squares on the apocryphal chessboard are now full.)
• I appreciate you writing in English, Jacob, as my Norwegian is limited to "Rød Grød Med Fløde", which, of course, is Danish. 🙃
• Though you write quite eloquently and the notions you express idiomatically are faithful to their indigenous use, I suspect that English is not your mother tongue. Two observations: 1) “If this newsletters works out in any way, if it among all odds becomes anything worthwhile…”, in the United States (American English) we say, “against all odds”, and 2) again, in the USA, the generally accepted word order of your sign-off is “onwards and upwards”. Your inversion is wonderful, and, to my ears preferable, as it signals I am speaking with someone who takes stuff that I am used to and provides a new perspective. “Poetry is when you make new things familiar and familiar things new." Samuel Johnson as paraphrased by Rory Sutherland. As I said at the outset of this note, “lovely.”
• “…never with serious dedication (nor accountability). I hope and believe this attempt will be the dedicated one, and I hope you’ll want to follow along for the journey.” Following along is fine (and I appreciate the open handed invite), it does not, however, satisfy your “upwards” assertion/standard. In my experience, it is only through engagement (the reader actually doing something—other than reading, or even commenting on a post) that the real magic of transformation occurs.
• “…the immense power of accountability. Tell someone about your goals, and you’re way more likely to follow through on them. If those someones actively keep you accountable, even better.” What my experience has taught me is because there’s no barrier to posting one’s wishes and any real “skin in the game”, the more powerful and effective stance is to place emphasis on the second sentence (and re-write it a smidge): “…the immense power of accountability. Tell someone about your goals, and you’re way more likely to follow through on them. [And i]f those someones [don’t] actively keep you accountable, [then the game is not really worth playing].” What are you doing to allow yourself to be held accountable by “those someones”, or, for example, by me (as one of “those someones”)?
Upwards and onwards, your new, and very interested, internet friend, Michael.
I already love the new format, Jacob. Can't wait for 20 newsletters – big and small – to dive into your thinking, learning and interest. Question for you, because I always found this difficult: Will the newsletter follow a schedule? Or do you want to keep that flexible?
Looking forward to following you on this journey, Jacob.
I am on a similar path, albeit at the very early stages.
Cheers!
This is just lovely.
I know there are 19 editions (I am counting this edition as #1) to go before you can declare victory in this game you have defined. That being said, in very real and practical terms, you have already won the day (and the game with this post).
In the spirit of transparency and being an invited player in your game, a few of things occur to me to share (in no particular order):
• a heartfelt thank you to Daniel W whose twitter feed I have been following for some time now because of his contribution to the roam community and to thinking tools and shipping. Daniel, you exemplify what is great about the world: generosity of spirit, building for oneself and sharing those efforts with others, open to feedback/contribution, and learning in public. Thank you for putting what you do out into the world. (Also, Jacob, your interest has started to compound: the first two squares on the apocryphal chessboard are now full.)
• I appreciate you writing in English, Jacob, as my Norwegian is limited to "Rød Grød Med Fløde", which, of course, is Danish. 🙃
• Though you write quite eloquently and the notions you express idiomatically are faithful to their indigenous use, I suspect that English is not your mother tongue. Two observations: 1) “If this newsletters works out in any way, if it among all odds becomes anything worthwhile…”, in the United States (American English) we say, “against all odds”, and 2) again, in the USA, the generally accepted word order of your sign-off is “onwards and upwards”. Your inversion is wonderful, and, to my ears preferable, as it signals I am speaking with someone who takes stuff that I am used to and provides a new perspective. “Poetry is when you make new things familiar and familiar things new." Samuel Johnson as paraphrased by Rory Sutherland. As I said at the outset of this note, “lovely.”
• “…never with serious dedication (nor accountability). I hope and believe this attempt will be the dedicated one, and I hope you’ll want to follow along for the journey.” Following along is fine (and I appreciate the open handed invite), it does not, however, satisfy your “upwards” assertion/standard. In my experience, it is only through engagement (the reader actually doing something—other than reading, or even commenting on a post) that the real magic of transformation occurs.
• “…the immense power of accountability. Tell someone about your goals, and you’re way more likely to follow through on them. If those someones actively keep you accountable, even better.” What my experience has taught me is because there’s no barrier to posting one’s wishes and any real “skin in the game”, the more powerful and effective stance is to place emphasis on the second sentence (and re-write it a smidge): “…the immense power of accountability. Tell someone about your goals, and you’re way more likely to follow through on them. [And i]f those someones [don’t] actively keep you accountable, [then the game is not really worth playing].” What are you doing to allow yourself to be held accountable by “those someones”, or, for example, by me (as one of “those someones”)?
Upwards and onwards, your new, and very interested, internet friend, Michael.